Reading Together Downtown

The Ypsilanti District Library will have super-charged storytimes downtown this summer, thanks to an initiative funded by the Ann Arbor Rotary Club.

The $4,900 grant is is sponsoring YDL’s Reading Together Downtown initiative. Now that YDL-Michigan has reopened, YDL is ramping up important literacy work downtown. The money from Rotary will fund three  Black Men Read book parties, books for families to take home from storytimes and our Reading Readiness program, and various other storytime and book club equipment.

“We missed almost two years of engagement in the literacy development of our youngest patrons,” said Youth Librarian Stephanie Pocsi-Morrison. “We are committed to getting books into kids’ hands that they can see themselves in…and that connect them to reading as a habit, skill, and passion.”

Along with building early literacy skills, the program is intended to reassure readers about their progress.

“Not every child learns to read in kindergarten, and learning to read comes in waves for every person,” said Pocsi-Morrison.

Literacy needs are especially evident in Michigan. In the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress results, only 2 states had lower average 4th-grade reading scores than Michigan. YDL’s Reading  Readiness Book Club brings kids ages 3-6 and their parents together to explore pre-reading skills and how they support early literacy. Incorporating free books into downtown storytimes allows kids to actively build their home library and find books that resonate.

“We want to bring literacy-based programming to everyone in our community and create a space where everyone knows they can find something to love when they read,” said Pocsi-Morrison.