by Kim Farnham-Flom, Director of Library Services

Courtesy of Babuljak Photography

Years ago, I walked into a school to be a
literacy tutor. In Oakland public schools, only one-third of third-grade students were reading at grade level and at this particular school, the percentage was even less. Peering through the window of a locked door, I saw dusty books with old publishing dates, discarded technical equipment, and other signs of a room used for storage. The door was labeled “Library.”

At our Excel Reading clinics, students look forward to working with their caring tutors on improving their reading ability. However, they go home to communities where books are not readily available. Visits to public libraries require busy parents to escort students through a community challenged by violence. The school library is supposed to be the safety net for access to books. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, a school with a closed library is not uncommon in the Oakland Unified School District.

Courtesy of Babuljak Photography

For ten years, Children Rising has provided equity for students in schools with limited resources by opening school libraries for weekly class visits. Serving in over fifteen schools, our volunteers check out 3,500 books to students every week. Recently released data shows that reading scores among Oakland third-graders have improved, but are still unacceptably low. Our goal is that all our students develop adequate reading skills and have consistent access to quality books.

If you would like to volunteer at a school library, email info@children-rising.org.