Requirements January 1984 until September 1991

1. Select a topic that you particularly enjoy. Visit your local library and obtain a list of six books, magazines, or other library materials about your topic. Bring the materials or notes made from the reference sources to your counselor. After sharing your reading selections with your counselor, design a project to make use of this material. Present the completed project to your counselor for approval.

2. With the assistance of your counselor or your librarian, select six books of fiction. After you have read these books, discuss your reading with your counselor or librarian. Explain why you chose the books, whether you enjoyed the books, and what the books meant to you.

3. Read two books or magazine articles on the world around you. Discuss your reading with your counselor.

4. Choose ONE of the following activities and devote 4 hours of service to that activity.

(a) Read to a sick or homebound person in a hospital, nursing home, or residence.
(b) Do volunteer work at your school or public library.
(c) Read stories to younger children in a group or individually.

Requirements September 1991 until January 2004

1. Learn how to use the library (card file or computer), and with the assistance of your counselor or your librarian, select six books of four diverse types (such as poetry, drama/plays, fiction, nonfiction, and biographies). After you have read this material, discuss your reading with the counselor or librarian. Using your log as a reference, explain why you chose the material, whether you enjoyed it, and what it meant to you.

2. Read two books or material from any two sources (magazines, newspapers, field manuals, etc.) about the world around you (sports, environmental problems, politics, religion, etc.) and discuss your reading with your counselor.

3. From a catalog of your choice, fill out the application as if you intended to place an order, and discuss it with your counselor.

4. Choose ONE of the following activities and devote at least 4 hours of service to that activity:

(a) Read to a sick, blind (contact the American Foundation for the Blind at 1-800-232-5463), or homebound person, in a hospital or in an extended-care facility.
(b) Perform volunteer work at your school or public library.
(c) Read stories to younger children, in a group or individually.
(d) Assist in a literacy program (Project Literacy may be contacted at 1-800-228-8843 for information about the nearest library center) and discuss your participation with your counselor.