Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write, but also to be competent or knowledgeable in a certain area or field (such as digital literacy, cultural literacy, information literacy, financial literacy, automotive literacy, sports literacy, etc.).Literacy entails understanding a certain area of knowledge and using that knowledge for a specific purpose, generally involving some sort of “reading,” which includes gathering information. Literate persons often have sponsors who help them become literate in a certain topic. (For more information on this intricate process, see Deborah Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literacy.”) Literacy also entails how a given population or culture understands both oral and written language, as well as technology, mathematics, and economics, among other topics. (See INFORMATION LITERACY.)