This report, prepared for an ongoing assessment on adult literacy and new technologies, profiles 30 major federally funded adult literacy and basic skills programs. The information it contains is based on an analysis of laws and regulations for programs that: (1) have adult literacy or basic skills education as their sole purpose or as one of a limited number of primary purposes; (2) explicitly authorize literacy or basic skills education as a primary means of achieving a related purpose, such as job training or American citizenship; and (3) through departmental directive, have taken the core of the federal role in adult education. The profiles describe programs in terms of the following 15 characteristics: authorizing legislation, federal administering agency, type of literacy program, purpose, authorization and appropriations (fiscal years 1988-1992), literacy-related definitions, target population, administrative structure, agencies delivering services, major activities and services, fiscal and accountability provisions, coordination provisions, technology provisions, private sector provisions, and standards, evaluations, and outcomes. Types of literacy programs described are as follows: adult basic education, adult secondary education, English literacy, workplace literacy, family literacy, volunteer literacy, library literacy, basic skills education, literacy for the incarcerated, and capacity building. Mentioned briefly at the end of the report are 16 other programs that have noteworthy literacy-related components, as well as 6 unfunded programs with primary literacy purposes. (KC)