This booklet presents a summary of contemporary understandings of adult literacy in the context of development. It suggests that literacy is best seen as one of a number of different means of communications rather than a single essential basic skill; that learning literacy is not essential to development (many non-literate persons are already fully engaged in development activities); that the issue of access to literacy skills may be more important than the universal development of such skills; that most adult literacy learning programs have failed to help the participants to use these skills in their everyday lives; and that "post-literacy" seems to be most effective when seen as a separate program of assistance (like extension) for adults to use their everyday literacies outside of the classroom. (28 references) (Author/YLB)