Kalamazoo Gazette: Literacy efforts are working

The number of children’s books being checked out from Kalamazoo Public Library has jumped 19 percent in one year, so efforts spearheaded by Kalamazoo Public Schools and other groups to turn Kalamazoo into a “literacy community” seem to be bearing fruit, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette. More children’s books from all five library branches were checked out from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, compared to the previous 12 months, said Susan Warner, head of the library’s youth services.

Excerpt: “All over the country, libraries see a rise in use during a struggling economy,” Warner said. “That’s been true for decades.” But the amount of increase is “more than we would have expected” and an indication that something else is feeding the trend, she said.

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Source: Kalamazoo Gazette