How can LFPL extend its support of education for the nearly 20% of Louisville residents age 25 or older who do not have a high school diploma or GED, without assuming the cost of instruction or subsuming the traditional role of Jefferson County Public Schools Adult Education (JCPS Adult Ed)?

In 2006, LFPL initiated a program that provided free GED testing with a library card, through a grant from The Library Foundation, because the $55 test fee was a barrier for many. When we learned that JCPS Adult Ed needed more classroom space, The Library Foundation extended the grant to include renovating and furnishing the Library Learning Center (LLC), which opened in October, 2010. It is situated directly across from the Library’s Job Shop, a workforce resource center, so adult students have easy access. LFPL and JCPS Adult Ed staffs work closely together to provide educational support for students. The Library uses its promotional abilities and community contacts to promote the importance of these initiatives and its institutional resources to host GED prep classes and official testing.

• The Library Learning Center is a state of the art space for three classrooms, computer lab and support area.
• Five classes are being taught in the space: Basic Literacy, Intermediate Literacy, GED Prep, College Prep, and English as a Second Language.
• 75 students are enrolled in JCPS Adult Ed classes in the LLC.
• LFPL is conducting an “Each One, Reach One” campaign to encourage the public to urge friends, relatives and colleagues to get their GED.
• To date, 4,924 people have used their library card to get a GED, through The Library Foundation’s subsidy.