Beyond the quantitative data, students who receive books for a home library from teachers, schools, and communities report an increased love of reading and an eagerness to share that love with parents, siblings, and friends (Minkel, 2012). Those students also report sharing their books with others in their family and social groups—a familiar trait in book lovers, and perhaps the best proof that home libraries are a powerful tool for positive change.
CONCLUSION In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators, communities, and families are doing all they can to combat its toll on student learning—especially among children in low-socioeconomic areas. To do so, schools and homes need every resource possible, particularly those that make a large impact with a small investment. Home libraries are powerful, purposeful, and productive. When intentionally built by educators and students, small, personalized libraries deliver an undeniable bang for a book, rivaling programs that require significantly more expense and manpower. Books in the home reduce student learning loss, increase reading skills, engage families, and establish a healthier, more active, and more empathetic community where young people thrive.
Books change lives, and students deserve to have access to them all day, every day.
HOME LIBRARIES TOPIC PAPER 19
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