Library Services

Victoria Rosen
November 1996

My first contact with Victoria Rosen was through a returned survey questionnaire. My second, was a fleeting moment in the literacy office when she came in to pick up extra paper and resource books for her learner. The third, was this informal interview. In several brief encounters with this tutor, I sensed her honest and forthright approach was sincere and largely based on her won struggles-as a woman, as a mother, and as a learner. Inspired with hopefulness, dedicated to helping others, she is a survivor. More importantly, she is a caring individual who wants to share her strengths to help others learn ways to empower themselves.

When asked what brought her to the Literacy Connection she expressed many levels of interest starting with her own struggles in reading and writing. In her junior year at Ohio State University, she has decided to pursue a possible career as a writer. Although writing does not come easily, she is driven to improve. She compares the frustration she has felt with an adult new readers desire to read- the need to interact… "it's like Helen Keller must have felt; illiterates are blind to the ability to communicate."

In her youth and early adulthood, she witnessed family members, including her Grandmother and former husband, experiencing that same frustration of not being able to read. As a child, Victoria remembers going out to the mailbox where the letter carrier would explain to her Grandmother where each piece of mail came from. She would put it in the pocket of her housecoat and hold it safe until the kids came home from school. Sometimes, a substitute mailperson would come and her Grandmother would be lost, pacing anxiously for the children to return. By the first grade, Victoria realized her Grandma could not read! Victoria told her Grandmother she would teach her and her Grammy just smiled and laughed. "Grandma said she just couldn't see-that she needed new glasses-but it was always something; there was always an excuse."

Victoria mentions Helen Keller again and muses out loud… "how can someone tune into those around them if they can't communicate what they want or need? For example, how do people who can't read vote? How do they choose who or what to vote for responsibly?" Our conversation turned to early black voting laws and using an X for authenticity. Victoria stated to this day she still sees relatives using only an X for a signature, but she remembers her Grandmother being proud of being able to write her own name.

On a visit to the library, Victoria discovered a poster advertising the Library Literacy Connection and decided to volunteer her time. "Being unable to read is such a big disadvantage; think about cooking a recipe or mixing household cleaners like bleach and ammonia. Every day there are things around you one has to read!" The fact that many people find excuses for their situation makes her very upset and frustrated. She has seen many people learning form what they hear and interpreting life through their ears. "Some folks I know are street-wise, but not book-wise." Victoria told a story about a woman who was concerned with her child's illness, but waited until she overheard someone at the store talking about a doctor's appointment and she just showed up there too stating she forgot which day she was supposed to come. Victoria said she thought the mother was too proud to ask for help. "The need to successfully cope and manage life helps create a cocoon of pride-which is the hardiest barrier to get through."

Victoria Rosen has been working with her learner for about six months now. They had met before at their church. Victoria states it has been very hard for them to progress since her learner has a "street-wise" outlook and habits that are had to break. Her learner's goal is to get her GED. Nevertheless, all her life she has had the answers given to her and Victoria feels the learner expects her to do just that. "She has been successful manipulating her surroundings and questions how, as a fellow black woman, can I challenge that?"

As a tutor, Victoria has been working to develop a "50/50" relationship with her learner. Her personal philosophy she calls "getting into the game" based on a children's summer reading program slogan she saw at the library. She said it made her think about what it takes to win as a team. "Everybody's gotta hit, everybody's gotta touch each base before scoring; if you hit a foul, you try again and the coach can't hit for you' they are there to cheer you on, to tell you to try again, and give advice for improvement."

After talking with her learner about ways to build a better partnership and the dedication required to learn to read, the woman told her "that's not the way it's done." The learner bluntly stated she expected Victoria to do as her former teacher had- to pick up all the materials and give her the answers. After Victoria asked her leaner to put in as much effort as she was, she realized how hard it would be for her learner to change her methods. Victoria gained an awareness of how serious and deep rooted the problem of not being able to read is and the situations that can be created. It was another scheme to cope as familiar to Victoria as 'I can't see well.' "Pride is the obstacle here that just makes the whole process harder."

Recently, Victoria's learner informed her she was going to work with another literacy program and no longer needed her help. Since I was aware of this change, I asked her if she would consider working with a different learner. She said definitely and she said she is still willing to try again with her now former learner if she is willing. I also asked her for ideas on how to help people stay motivated and focused on reading. She stated using a wide variety of role models and success stories adult learners can relate to and to express to people the need to read and understand is "a way to have a voice and to protect yourself." She reflected on the idea of how interconnected poverty and literacy are and hoped to be able to "help people do the things that need to be done for themselves; we can't keep pointing fingers and blaming others; the goal is not to just survive, but to live!"

Victoria's Grandmother has long since passed away and she says she wishes she could have helped her back then. She states perhaps a play or a video, something visual, could be created to express the past struggles our nation has faced to achieve educational equality might make policy makers think. If we don't help more people learn to read today, technology may render us all illiterate in the future.

Literacy is one of the many social issues Victoria has taken a personal interest and involvement in. She is full of ideas that will be accomplished by her faith in herself, faith in education, and faith that individuals can make a difference.

Interview by Marni Crabtree