The Home Library Project bolsters child literacy through book ownership

Dover, Del. – Kids in Delaware are about to benefit from a new collaboration that will help get books into their hands.

The Home Library Project is a nonprofit working to to improve literacy rates for children through book ownership. The Home Library Project helps Delaware children build a personal home library of 100 books by kindergarten by helping to provide 10 curated books each year.

On Monday, The Home Library partnered with The United Way of Delaware and the Dover YMCA to provide campers with free books.

The Home Library Founder and CEO Laurie Girardi said book ownership has a direct correlation over how literate a child can become by the time they are five years old. She said a “word gap” exists for low income households where “about 60% of kids” from low income households have near two zero books at home.

“If you were trying to build a house, you wouldn’t build it on quicksand. But we’re trying to build readers on quicksand,” she said. “And so, we see books as that foundational, like infrastructure that children need. You know, food, clothing, shelter, safety, warmth and books.”

Girardi said The Home Library Project is looking for volunteers and donations to help expand the project.