By Mary Casey-Sturk (Indian Hill Editor) and Andi Feddeler, (Editorial Associate)
In 1986, the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati (commonly known as the Queen City Book Bank) began championing the growth of literacy in the community by connecting adults and children to the programs and resources needed to become strong readers. Throughout this process, two themes emerged at the forefront of their work: listening and people power. Namely, by listening and working together, they sought to create lasting change. To help them accomplish their goals, they’ve relied on a village of supporters, volunteers, and others who are engaged in their mission.
Capitalizing on these themes, Queen City Book Bank was further inspired by the Little Free Libraries program, launched by Todd Bol in 2009. Knowing that in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, only 1 in 300 students have even one age-appropriate book in their home, Queen City Book Bank sought to change this in Greater Cincinnati.
In 2018, Queen City Book Bank began installing Little Free Libraries. Today, there are over 150 Queen City Book Bank Little Free Libraries and some 120,000 books have been distributed. The Queen City Book Bank headquarters opened in the fall of 2021. It now serves as a literacy hub for Cincinnati and provides programming, volunteer opportunities, outreach, and information. In 2022, they launched the pilot phase of a new curated book distribution program that will serve 35,000 students in kindergarten through sixth grade who lack reliable, targeted book access. This program will empower the children, their families, and teachers by providing books via an online portal that they can select from to match their reading interests and levels.
Living Magazines spoke with Queen City Book Bank’s Kim McDermott about their work and engaging the community.
How can people help?
McDermott shares, “When we moved to our new facility two years ago and opened the doors of the Queen City Book Bank (QCBB), we challenged ourselves to engage over 1,000 volunteers annually to create a collaborative, effective hub for literacy initiatives. We have exceeded this goal because of the enthusiasm and generosity of our neighbors.” She added, “We are thrilled each day to welcome partners, families, businesses, and volunteers of all ages to our facility. It truly has been a collective effort, and we could not accomplish all we have without the efforts of our volunteers. Volunteer opportunities that we provide on a regular basis include holding a book drive, book sorting, book deliveries, becoming an adult literacy tutor or children’s (K–6) reading tutor, becoming a Little Free Library steward, event volunteer, participating in company group volunteer day at the Book Bank, or holding a fundraiser (bake sale, jean day, etc.) to give back. We are proud to engage over 1,000 book bank volunteers a year, over 1,000 volunteer tutors, and over 200 Little Free Library stewards. These generous volunteers are instrumental in guaranteeing book access and direct literacy services to each of our neighbors.”
What’s the importance of access to books?
“We know books in the home and being read to as a child are key indicators of future academic success. We also know the RIGHT book in a child’s hand can alter the future trajectory of their education. A few shocking statistics regionally and locally that portray the need for equity in reliable, targeted literacy resources include:
*Children who do not read on grade level by the end of Grade 3 have only a 1 in 8 chance of ever catching up.
*In eight local school districts (Covington, CPS, Winton Woods, Hamilton, Middletown, Mt. Healthy, Newport, Princeton), 70% or more of the families are economically struggling, translating to a lack of resources for students.
*In economically disadvantaged areas, there is one age-appropriate book for every 300 children, as compared to an average of 13 books in the homes of their more affluent peers.
*61% of families in underserved communities do not have any books at home.
*The most effective way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to books.
*Across demographics, 89% of children agree their favorite books are the ones they pick. Furthermore, nearly 9 in 10 kids also say they are more likely to finish a book they have selected.
Queen City Book Bank was built on communication with seven regional book banks to learn best practices. During that time, we learned that through curated books, students are more likely to engage in reading, leading to increased test scores and graduation rates. Our curated book program provides an innovative solution to a critical literacy resource gap. Previously fragmented book distribution efforts reached a small percentage of at-risk children. The availability of books was unpredictable and yielded few diverse or bilingual books. This method lacked functional efficiencies and ignored the voices of the readers and teachers. To meet this need, we established an online portal to receive, sort, and distribute books to (at scale) 35,000 Greater Cincinnati students in grades K-6 who lack consistent book access. QCBB’s unique model allows designated teachers to access our site and select books of interest to their students at an appropriate reading level. This curated approach fosters specific interests and needs of each child and will provide 70 books (10 per year) for their home library by the end of sixth grade,” McDermott states.
“We are lucky to work directly with teachers who know their curriculum and students best. Their expertise, insights about students, and helpful feedback have been integral to the success of our program. We listen intently to their needs and adjust our program accordingly. Because of this continued conversation, we make it a priority to purchase diverse, multicultural, and ESL books so that children can see themselves reflected in the stories they read. Teacher feedback has shown that when a child connects with a character, it really can change their attitude toward learning.”
Looking at the future: what is on the horizon for your organization?
McDermott replies, “We are working to strategically grow our curated book distribution program and at scale, will serve the resourcing needs for 35,000 K-6th-grade students who lack reliable, targeted book access. In addition, our legacy tutoring and Little Free Library programs continue to thrive and reach more families. Our 20,000 sq. foot office and warehousing space serves as a hub of information and outreach to parents, educators, and volunteers. This added level of engagement helps bridge the information gap for families and enhances home learning. Leveraging an educational opportunity for visitors radically transforms the literacy landscape encouraging more tutors, book drives, LFLs, and awareness. Most importantly, we will serve as a resource and provide the tools necessary to create a more literate region and work to have a lasting impact on our community.”
“In two years, the Queen City Book Bank has accomplished more than we ever imagined, and we look forward to serving the literacy resourcing needs of Greater Cincinnati for decades to come,” McDermott shares proudly, adding that “to volunteer at the Queen City Book Bank or to learn more about our programming, we invite you to visit our website at: www.queencitybookbank.org.” Queen City Book Bank hosts quarterly Book Giveaway Days and invites the community in to take and enjoy as many gently used books as they need. Dates for Book Giveaway Days can be found at: https://queencitybookbank.org/pages/community-outreach
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