ABSTRACT
What we know as a culture and who we are as a people is written into text. Without
access to the world of text, one’s knowledge is limited to what can be communicated
orally, illustrated in pictures, or shared by demonstration. Without access to the world of
text, one is thrown back in time to an era when books belonged only to the elite and
learning was restricted to what was known locally (Burke, 1985). Text is a great leveling
agent. It can serve as a personal vehicle for enormous growth in knowledge, with or
without the support of society’s educational institutions (L’Amour, 1989).
