As a librarian, Henderson might be the last person one would expect to have positive feelings where illiteracy is concerned. However, it is the knowledge that Pasadenans want to improve their reading skills that makes those requests so gratifying.

September is National Literacy Month, and families all over the community are taking advantage of opportunities to become better readers and writers. Asking for help at the library is only the first step to tapping into those resources.

"We want people to feel comfortable coming here and asking for help," Henderson said. "The library is a place for learning, and everyone should feel welcome."

With as many as 44 million adult Americans labeled illiterate by a study of the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, resources like those found in libraries and schools are considered priceless by many.

But shortages of funding and volunteers, and a hesitancy to seek education on the part of many illiterate adults, has made it difficult for many adult education programs to stay afloat.

As a result, many adults - especially those who are low income and face transportation challenges - have trouble finding and regularly attending literacy education classes in the Pasadena area.

North Pasadena Community Outreach, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for north side families, once held adult literacy education classes at its facility, but has since had to cancel the program.

"The classes were available, but there were not a lot of students," said Roshand LeBeauf of NPCO. "It makes it hard to keep paying teachers when attendance is so low."

The organization now refers adult learners to the Harris County Department of Education's adult education program and San Jacinto College's continuing education division.

LeBeauf said the majority of those in need of education in Pasadena are seeking to improve not only their reading or writing skills, but their English-language skills. GED classes are also widely sought, she said.

Although the Harris County Department of Education regularly schedules adult basic education classes, which teach literacy, at three of its Houston-area learning centers, low enrollment numbers sometimes force those classes to be cancelled.

Adult basic education classes typically start in September or January and last three to four months. They are offered mornings and evenings at the county's Galena Park Learning Center, Baytown's Lee College and the Irvington Learning Center in north Houston.

Most classes offered by the Harris County Department of Education are free, although some require a fee of up to $40. Information on class times and registration is available by calling (713) 692-6216.

Although literacy education classes are not currently offered at the local library, the Pasadena Public Library does support a program that encourages family literacy.

Deer Park Independent School District's Even Start program, which operates in many school districts nationally, is intended to help both parents and children develop strong reading skills while spending time together.

"We teach parents to read to their children," said Jenny Martinez, coordinator of Even Start in DPISD. "Many parents are taking ESL because they want to learn English, but we encourage them to read in their home language also."

The program is only open to families of DPISD students, whether they are parents of children in Deer Park schools or Wolters Learning Center students who have young children of their own.

DPISD has an Early Childhood Education Program that teaches reading to the children of Wolters students who are working toward their own education.

"We promote literacy in children as young as 4 or 5 months old. We have even had a 6-week-old baby in here. It is never too early to start learning," Martinez said.

Martinez points out that many adult learners become discouraged because their reading skills do not develop as quickly as they had hoped, but she urges them to view literacy as an ongoing learning process.

A step as small as learning to recognize a word on a label or a sign can open the gateway to more reading, she said, and the Even Start program encourages literacy regardless of whether it is in English or Spanish.

The Even Start program occasionally holds family nights for the parents and children to participate in fun, educational activities together.

More information on the program for DPISD students is available by calling (832) 668-8390.

At NPCO, efforts to promote literacy among children have been successful despite the challenges facing adult education.

LeBeauf said reading is one of the primary activities of children in the organization's after-school program, and staff members are always available to offer homework help and strengthen the children's reading skills.