As library people, we support literacy and reading programs no matter where they are found. Building good readers, and more opportunities for kids to read is great – and this program sounds both fun and so good for building literacy!
If you would like to get involved, and to help support a barbershop, or to suggest a location, check in here!
Barbershop Books is the debut program of Reading Holiday Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy organization in New York City. Developed in Harlem, Barbershop Books is a community-based program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops across America. We leverage the cultural significance of barbershops in black communities to increase boys’ access to culturally relevant, age appropriate, and gender responsive children’s books and to increase out-of-school time reading among young black boys.
OUR MISSION
Help black boys ages 4-8 to identify as readers by connecting books and reading to a male-centered space and by involving men in boys’ early reading experiences.
THE LITERACY CHALLENGE
According to the United States Department of Education, more than 85% of America’s black male 4th grade students are not proficient in reading.
In an increasingly global and knowledge-based economy, poor reading skills among young black boys today will produce black men who are unprepared to compete in the workforce of tomorrow. Four key factors contribute to low reading proficiency among black boys: (1) limited access to engaging and age appropriate reading material; (2) lack of black men in black boys’ early reading experiences; (3) few culturally competent educators; and (4) schools that are unresponsive to black boys’ individual learning styles.
On-site research, teaching services benefit doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs
“For faculty, residents and medical students making their rounds at UChicago Medicine’s Center for Care and Discovery, the key is focusing on patient care. Although it may surprise some in the age of Google, one of the medical team’s new initiatives involves bringing a long-established source of knowledge on rounds: the librarian.
UChicago librarians are providing customized and innovative on-site research and teaching services at a variety of locations across campus, including the classroom, legal clinics and business incubators. They offer expertise in locating up-to-date, peer-reviewed and highly specialized information using a wide range of digital resources—all outside the library walls.
Debra Werner, a biomedical reference librarian, joins an internal medicine team at the Center for Care and Discovery once a week to help answer the array of clinical questions that arise where doctors see patients—from the efficacy of a new type of medication to the trajectory of a particular form of therapy. Continue reading Librarians providing innovative resources for faculty, students→
Outreach is a facet of many of our jobs. Over time, library job descriptions have been adjusted to include outreach, whether this includes targeting departments, student populations, or the surrounding community. Libraries have attempted to connect with their users through a variety of activities and strategies. However, how do we ensure our outreach activities are impactful? Assessment has also become more important over time, since many library budgets have shrunk and we are often asked to do more with less. It is imperative that we can justify the amount of time, energy, and money required for outreach activities. Determining in advance what impact we want to make dictates what types of events we hold. Further, better assessment leads to a better understanding of the impact of our activities. Much of the library literature shares strategies for reaching out to campus communities; however, there is a lack of discussion around goal-oriented activities and if these activities reached their goals through assessment.
