Fighting Illiteracy in Chicago, With Enthusiasm

Twice a month, Ava Zeligson stands in front of 55 strangers and, with her infectious enthusiasm, explains why each of them can make a difference in the battle against Chicago's deeply entrenched illiteracy rate. Zeligson is the volunteer coordinator for Open Books, the latest addition to the city's crowded field of literacy organizations. The fact that nearly everyone who attends an Open Books orientation session goes on to volunteer is testament, at least in part, to her powers of persuasion. The fact that anyone shows up in the first place shows the wide appeal of Open Books' mission and its relentlessly upbeat, cheerfully aggressive approach to voluntary recruitment. The new River North headquarters of Open Books is in a renovated Schwinn bicycle factory. The heart of the space is the bookstore, brightly painted and stocked with more than 50,000 used books. Upstairs are offices for the small staff and classrooms for tutoring and other activities by Open Books' army of some 3,000 volunteers. Their ranks are growing at a rapid clip — up 30 percent from last year, said Becca Keaty, the group's director of marketing and public relations. While the increase may be partly a result of the recession — widespread layoffs mean more qualified people with time on their hands — Open Books clearly benefits from its savvy approach to volunteerism: respond quickly to offers of help; make volunteers feel their efforts, no matter how small, are worthwhile; and make the experience fun for everyone involved.