This report describes adult literacy needs, the role of the libraries in meeting those needs, literacy needs and services in New York, and the contributions the City University of New York (CUNY) is making to the literacy effort. Quotations from Paulo Freire and Jonathan Kozol are used to define the nature of illiteracy and its extent in the United States, and Federal Government literacy initiatives and the role of the American Library Association are reviewed. A discussion of New York State and New York City literacy needs and programs provides the context for a description of literacy programs sponsored by CUNY. Information is provided about funding levels of the CUNY literacy program, and brief descriptions of literacy programs at five of CUNY's campuses are given. The paper also includes a brief review of literacy activities at other institutions of higher education. It is concluded that CUNY libraries could serve as a bridge between the literacy classroom and the mainstream by collecting materials that would enable literacy students to make use of an academic library. (Contains 40 references.) (KRN)