Recycled Reads Is Coming to the Region This Fall
St. Louis County Library is partnering with the St. Louis Promise Zone, a division of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, to increase literacy in North St. Louis County by bringing Recycled Reads to sites throughout the Promise Zone this fall.
The Lewis & Clark Branch (9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd. in Moline Acres) hosted Promise Zone Literacy Day on Saturday, Aug. 19, for families to help decorate the Recycled Reads containers.
The Promise Zone is a federal program launched in 2013, that designates high-poverty urban, rural and tribal communities as Promise Zones in order to increase economic activity, improve educational outcomes, reduce serious and violent crime, invest in transformative development and improve health and wellness.
Click here to learn more about the St. Louis Promise Zone.
The Recycled Reads program takes surplus library materials and gives them another life by circulating them throughout the community. No library card is required to borrow the materials. There are no fines or due dates. Individuals are asked to return the items whenever they’re finished to the original locale. The boxes will be installed at 10 sites throughout the Promise Zone.
“Recycled Reads illustrates a key priority of my administration-investment in our youth,” St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said. “Research shows that reading at an early age is directly connected to improved performance in school. We look forward to kids and families from across the county participating in this educational program.”
“Recycled Reads brings library materials directly to Promise Zone residents where they live, work and play,” Promise Zone Director Erica Henderson said. “This program speaks directly to a core tenet of the Promise Zone: improving education. We’re thrilled to partner with the St. Louis County Library and our sponsors to bring these materials to the region.”
“Recycled Reads is a great way to bring library services to people outside of our buildings and to meet people where they are,” SLCL Director Kristen Sorth said. “We’re thrilled to partner with the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership to bring the Recycled Reads program to the Promise Zone. This collaboration is an important step in achieving several goals of the Promise Zone, in particular, improving educational outcomes through easier access to reading materials.”
Recycled Read displays are currently set up at over 60 locations throughout St. Louis County where people typically spend time waiting including St. Louis County Government offices, laundromats, hair/nail salons, health care providers, auto care shops and more. The program makes reading convenient and accessible for those with busy schedules and precious little free time for recreational reading.
Please call 314-994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org/content/community-partnerships for more information about the Recycled Reads program.
