Looking to libraries to boost early literacy

A coalition in Colorado may serve as a template for other regions to establish programs critical to the development of our youngest citizens.

Public libraries have maintained that they are significant in boosting children’s literacy since the first children’s section was established in the late 1800s. But in times of economic uncertainty, decision-makers find it easy to levy budget cuts against discrete, relatively powerless entities such as libraries.

Regional approaches create entrée for libraries to gain greater visibility and positioning within the educational and political communities. We then are able to enhance coalitions with other community partners, as is occurring in Colorado, where a statewide approach to early literacy has been gaining momentum since 2004. The state’s new coalition, Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, serves as a template for statewide action.

Read more of this commentary, "Early Literacy: A Sustainable Statewide Approach," by Bonnie McCune, a former community programs consultant at the Colorado State Library from 1999 to 2008.