In understanding literacy as a social practice, it is important to explore the social contexts surrounding the enactment and sustainment of literacy activities. One important aspect of the social context of literacy is what Long (1993) calls as the "infrastructure of literacy." This covers various institutions and actors that support or act as "sponsors of literacy" (Brandt 1999) at the group or community level. In the context of American society, in addition to schools, public libraries have historically taken the mandate of being a key institution that acts as an infrastructure and sponsor of literacy activities within the community (Harris 1975). As an institution that sponsors literacy, the library has a certain vision and mission about the kinds of literacy activities it would like to promote and the kinds of social effects these literacy activities should achieve. Nonetheless, as a space and context for literacy practices, the library also becomes a site for various types of literacy activities, each with their own social or personal purposes.

Keywords: libraries, institutions, literacy practices