Category: News

News, News and more news from 2020 Grand Prize Winner

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Congratulations to Chris McGilvery for meriting this coverage!!

Email from 2020 Grand Prize Winner Chris McGilvery!
Hi Cathy,

Hope you are having a good week. I am so honored to be the grand prize winner and represent Judith Krug’s legacy. What an honor. Please let the board know how appreciative I am and look forward to living out her legacy for my lifetime. 🙂 Have a great day!

***** see below for news links *****

Kindly, Chris McGilvery
Founder and Executive Director
www.leadersreadersnetwork.org

The news, news and more news….

From West Texas A&M University – Literacy Nonprofit Founded by WT Staffer Wins National Award

From myhighplains.com: Literacy Nonprofit Founded by WT Staffer Wins National Award

From News Channel 10: Nationally recognized Canyon-based literacy program taking application

10th Anniversary ‘Stand Out’ Library – Casa Guadalupe

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To celebrate its 10th Anniversary, Judith’s Reading Room, a global literacy non-profit organization founded in 2010 kept good on its promise to bolster libraries it has donated over its 10 year history. 

Casa Guadalupe was selected as one of the 10 ’Stand Out’ libraries that Judith’s Reading Room selected to honor during our 10th Anniversary celebration.  The Board allocated a total of $5,000 to spend on books, for $500 each of the ten awardees.  In this case, we purchased 44 books valued at $513.




The theme for the donation is in honor of March being National Nutrition Month.  


Dawn Bush asked for terrific children’s books that would make fruit and vegetables fun for the children served at Casa.  Some of the books (Blueberries for Sal and Carrot Seed) were favorites of Cathy Leiber’s sons when they were little.
Sadly, our charitable donation is on hold because Casa Guadalupe (WIC) is closed so the nutritionists there are unable to receive our gift.  We will reschedule the donation when we get the “all clear” from the authorities.
 
Books Donated to Casa Guadalupe, Allentown, PA (Date Pending Coronavirus Update)
in celebration of the organization’s 10th Anniversary and in honor of National Nutrition Month

A is for Artichoke, A Foodie Alphabet from
  Artichoke to Zest, (2 copies)
Ahlberg, J., Each Peach Pear Plum
Brown, M.W., The Runaway Bunny
Byrd, R., In the Garden, Turn & Learn
Chapman, J., Vegetables in Underwear (2 copies)
Child, L., I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Collins, R., What Does An Anteater Eat?
Doyle, L., Watch Me Grow
Ehlert, L., Eating the Alphabet — Fruits & Vegetables  from A to Z
Fruits & Vegetables – S.T.E.A.M. Learning for Young Children (9 copies)
Gaines, J. We Are the Gardeners (7 copies)
Graham, O., Carrot Soup
Hood, M., Carrot & Pea, An Unlikely Friendship (2 copies)
Hudson, K., Too Many Carrots ( 2 copies)
McClosky, R., Blueberries for Sal
My 100 First Words (3 copies)
Nelson, K., If You Plant a Seed (3 copies)
Scarry, R., Best Little Word Book Ever!
Staake, B., The Red Lemon
Swanton, T., The Vegetable Bible (2 copies)
Yonezu, Y., 5 Little Apples

Judith’s Reading Room’s 10th Anniversary – 10 ‘Stand Out’ Libraries 

In addition to libraries, Judith’s Reading Room holds an annual competition for the “Freedom Through Literacy Award.”  Initiated in 2015, Judith’s Reading Room has disbursed $33,500 in prize money, honoring 31 individual champions of literacy in the United States, the Philippines, Bhutan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Mexico, Australia, Zimbabwe and Greece.

Applications for the 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Award may be found at www.judithsreadingroom.org/freedom-through-literacy-award/.  Deadline is July 1st.  Winners announced end of July. 

10th Anniversary ‘Stand Out’ Library – Harkins House

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Mindy Chipps, Juvenile Counselor at Harkins House and David Leiber, Judith’s Reading Room Board member show off the Judith’s Reading Room library at Harkins House.

To celebrate its 10th Anniversary, Judith’s Reading Room, a global literacy non-profit organization founded in 2010 kept good on its promise to bolster libraries it has donated over its 10 year history. 

 To celebrate the milestone, the board of directors allocated $5,000 to be invested in 10 of its 99 literacy initiatives.   Portland, Oregon’s Harkins House is named one of the ten “stand out” libraries.  Led by board member David Leiber, 39 books worth $637 – all picked by the kids themselves — were delivered to Harkins House on March 13.
Since 2012, Judith’s Reading Room has collaborated with educators  and counselors at Harkins House, a nationally recognized shelter for delinquent youth near Portland, Oregon, and has delivered nearly 600 books for leisure reading and book clubs.

The idea is to instill in this unique population a love of reading.  Why? Literacy is a significant protective factor for at-risk youth and is strongly correlated with reducing recidivism, according to Mindy Chipps, Juvenile Counselor.   Harkins House serves over 100 youth per year.  Last year the number totaled 122 with 80% returning to their community.  She added, “Literacy is supported by everyone at Harkins House because books help kids returning to school by dropping barriers, heightening interest, and fostering the love of favorite topics.”

Chipps added that youth residing at Harkins House have the opportunity to actually read a book, unencumbered by stresses and strains from their often untenable home environments.  Most stay 60 days and in that time, many come to see reading a book as a way to escape painful environments.  

Shopping at Barnes & Noble for books for the donation to Harkins House in Portland, Oregon.  David Leiber received book wish list from Harkins House and successfully found most of their request.

Letter and more photo’s of delivered books!
(Updated April 18, 2020)

Hello,

I hope this finds you and yours safe and healthy.  We are living in such a different world right now.

I included the approved pictures from your visit.  I read the press release from your visit, it is great! All of our youth have been enjoying the books you donated and have been sharing their awesome summaries of the books, it is wonderful to see.

Look forward to our continued partnership!

Mindy Chipps
Juvenile Counselor
Harkins House

Books Donated to Harkins House, Portland, Oregon March 13, 2020
Angelou, M., I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Backman, F., A Man Called Ove
Backman, F., Bear Town
Beattie, M., Codependent No More
Brown, C., A Piece of Cake
Buxbaum, J., Tell Me Three Things
Clinton, H., The Book of Gutsy Women
Dasher, J., The Maze Runner Series
       Book 1: The Maze Runner
       Book 2: The Scortch Trials
       Book 4: The Kill Order
De La Pena, M., Mexican White Boy
Emmich, V., Dear Evan Hansen
Frank, A., Anne Frank’s Diary, The Graphic Adaptation
Glasgow, K., Girl in Pieces
Han, J., To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Hollis, D., Get Out of Your Own Way
Jackson, H., A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Kamkwamba, W., The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Liggett, K., The Grace Year
Lucado, M., Anxious for Nothing
McManus, K., One of Us is Lying
McManus, K., One of Us is Next
Morris, H., The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Niven, J. All the Bright Places
O’Brien, T., The Things They Carried
Reynolds, J., Long Way Down
Ribay, R., Patron Saints of Nothing
Rodriguez, L., Always Running
Salazar, N., The Flight Girls
Sanchez, R., Once a King, Always a King
Sanchez, R., My Bloody Life
Stevenson, B., Just Mercy
Stone, N., Dear Martin
Takei, G., They Called Us Enemy
Thomas, A., On the Come Up
Venkatesh, S., Gang Leader for a Day
Watson, R., Watch Us Rise
Yoon, N., Every Thing, Every Thing
Yousafzai, M., I am Malala

 The 10 Judith’s Reading Room ‘Stand Out’ libraries are:

“By supporting the good work of others, we aspire to share and celebrate people who are doing genuinely astonishing work, instilling in others a love of reading,” said Scott Leiber, Co-Founder of Judith’s Reading Room.

In addition to libraries, Judith’s Reading Room holds an annual competition for the “Freedom Through Literacy Award.”  Initiated in 2015, Judith’s Reading Room has disbursed $33,500 in prize money, honoring 31 individual champions of literacy in the United States, the Philippines, Bhutan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Mexico, Australia, Zimbabwe and Greece.

Applications for the 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Award may be found at www.judithsreadingroom.org/freedom-through-literacy-award/.  Deadline is July 1st.  Winners announced end of July. 

10th Anniversary ‘Stand Out’ Library – Avery Chapel Church

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To celebrate the Judith’s Reading Room’s 10th Anniversary, the Board of Directors allocated $5,000 to be divided amongst 10 of its “stand out” libraries.  Rev. Dr. Topps is one of the 10 to receive the organization’s special commemorative award.    Specifically, Judith’s Reading Room purchased 73 books for its 99th library.

In 2014, Judith’s Reading Room teamed with Rev. Dr. Topps to deliver more than 700 hand-picked children’s books to St. Peter’s AME Church in Tunica, MS, where Dr. Topps vowed to assist children after school with their homework and to help improve their reading skills.  That donation became our 86th Judith’s Reading Room Library.  

 

Rev. Dr. Topps said, “I’ve reached out to a preacher at one of my sister churches to help pull in community children to visit the new library at Avery Chapel Church.” She added, “As a newcomer to Southaven, I have found that many of the children come from single-parent homes with multiple children and the mothers’ work schedules don’t allow them to spend much time reading to their children.  This is where the church can step in to help.”  

 

On February 24, 2020 — in celebration of Black History Month and the organization’s 10th Anniversary, Judith’s Reading Room dedicated its 99th library today — its 2nd in Mississippi — in collaboration with Rev. Dr. Leoda Topps, Ph.D, Education and Pastor at the Avery Chapel Church in Southaven, MS.

 The 10 Judith’s Reading Room ‘Stand Out’ libraries are:

“By supporting the good work of others, we aspire to share and celebrate people who are doing genuinely astonishing work, instilling in others a love of reading,” said Scott Leiber, Co-Founder of Judith’s Reading Room.

In addition to libraries, Judith’s Reading Room holds an annual competition for the “Freedom Through Literacy Award.”  Initiated in 2015, Judith’s Reading Room has disbursed $33,500 in prize money, honoring 31 individual champions of literacy in the United States, the Philippines, Bhutan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Mexico, Australia, Zimbabwe and Greece.

Applications for the 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Award may be found at www.judithsreadingroom.org/freedom-through-literacy-award/.  Deadline is July 1st.  Winners announced end of July. 

10th Anniversary ‘Stand Out’ Library – TEACH Rwanda

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Judith’s Reading Room chose to celebrate their 10th Anniversary milestone by honoring 10 of its ‘stand out’ libraries  A special fund of $5,000 has been set aside to purchase new books for each library. 

TEACH Rwanda, whose founder, Janet Brown, hails from Easton, Pa was the first to be notified that her organization was selected as one of the ten.  In 2016,  Judith’s Reading Room established its library in Rwanda at the Bright School in Muhanga, where public schools and libraries are rare, with a donation of 137 books valued at $1,181. 

“With Judith’s Reading Room’s help to provide the best books from around the world, Bright School is well-known in the community for children’s love of reading, “said Brown, President and Founder of TEACH Rwanda.   

Veron readerVeron reader
Red readerRed reader
Outdoor storyOutdoor story
Lunch and LearnLunch and Learn
KinyarwandaKinyarwanda
Books not LEGOsBooks not LEGOs
Book outdoorsBook outdoors

 The 10 Judith’s Reading Room ‘Stand Out’ libraries are:

“By supporting the good work of others, we aspire to share and celebrate people who are doing genuinely astonishing work, instilling in others a love of reading,” said Scott Leiber, Co-Founder of Judith’s Reading Room.

In addition to libraries, Judith’s Reading Room holds an annual competition for the “Freedom Through Literacy Award.”  Initiated in 2015, Judith’s Reading Room has disbursed $33,500 in prize money, honoring 31 individual champions of literacy in the United States, the Philippines, Bhutan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Mexico, Australia, Zimbabwe and Greece.

Applications for the 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Award may be found at www.,judithsreadingroom.org.  Deadline is July 1st.  Winners announced end of July. 

Judith’s Reading Room’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Honors 10 of its ‘Stand Out’ Libraries 

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NEWS RELEASE  
CONTACT:  Cathy Leiber
484-661-6151
 
 Judith’s Reading Room’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Honors 10 of its ‘Stand Out’ Libraries 

 January 28, 2020 — Lehigh Valley, Pa.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization, founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, Director, Office of Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association and cousin to the founders.   Its mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy.  The organization has fulfilled its mission by establishing 98 libraries in 21 countries with 128,000 books valued at nearly $1.4 million.

Judith’s Reading Room chose to celebrate this milestone by honoring 10 of its ‘stand out’ libraries  A special fund of $5,000 has been set aside to purchase new books for each library. 

 The 10 Judith’s Reading Room ‘Stand Out’ libraries are:

TEACH Rwanda, whose founder, Janet Brown, hails from Easton, Pa was the first to be notified that her organization was selected as one of the ten.  In 2016,  Judith’s Reading Room established its library in Rwanda at the Bright School in Muhanga, where public schools and libraries are rare, with a donation of 137 books valued at $1,181. 

“With Judith’s Reading Room’s help to provide the best books from around the world, Bright School is well-known in the community for children’s love of reading, “said Brown, President and Founder of TEACH Rwanda.   

“By supporting the good work of others, we aspire to share and celebrate people who are doing genuinely astonishing work, instilling in others a love of reading,” said Scott Leiber, Co-Founder of Judith’s Reading Room.

In addition to libraries, Judith’s Reading Room holds an annual competition for the “Freedom Through Literacy Award.”  Initiated in 2015, Judith’s Reading Room has disbursed $33,500 in prize money, honoring 31 individual champions of literacy in the United States, the Philippines, Bhutan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Mexico, Australia, Zimbabwe and Greece.

Applications for the 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Award may be found at www.,judithsreadingroom.org.  Deadline is July 1st.  Winners announced end of July. 

Judith’s Reading Room Opens Library in Greece

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A village declares its first community library.

Vicky Xanathopoulou, second from left.

Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith Krug, a librarian, announced today the dedication of its 98th library in its 21st country in collaboration with a visionary and unstoppable elementary school teacher from a village on an island in north Greece.

The village of Potamia, on Thassos Island, did not have a community library, making it difficult for children to celebrate the joy of reading and to develop literacy skills. That was until Vicky Xanathopoulou reached out across oceans to apply online for the 2019 Judith’s Reading Room Freedom Through Literacy Award. Xanathopoulou won the coveted 2019 “Judith’s Award,” for which only teachers, librarians or authors are eligible. To augment her $500 cash prize, for which she flew to New York City to accept, the organization decided to help her establish a community library in her seaside village.

The 98th Judith’s Reading Room library is housed inside the historic Cultural Union of Polignotos Vagis stone building, originally used as a fishing sanctuary for monks. A museum, it hosts cultural events and will now house the community library. Judith’s Reading Room provided 75 children’s books in English. Villagers are augmenting the library by donating books from their home collections. All books will be available for loan and families will enjoy organized reading activities and book presentations. In all, 150 children will be served by the library.

“I’m so happy and grateful for the opportunity given by Judith’s Reading Room to the children of my village to have more reading and cultural experiences,” said Xanathopoulou.

 

2019 FREEDOM THROUGH LITERACY AWARD LUNCHEON

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2019 FREEDOM THROUGH LITERACY AWARD LUNCHEON

The 2019 Freedom Through Literacy Award was held at Ammos Estiatorio, New York City on Saturday, September 28th. Each award ceremony has been special it is own, 2019s was an intimate gathering but very powerful with a special presentation by Robert Lucas spoke on what it was like opening 2 Judith’s Reading Room libraries in Cambodia, what the books meant to the children, and how books changed their lives. Alvin Irby, the Grand Prize winner brough three of his colleagues to share in the glory and our Judith’s Award winner, Vicky Xanthopoulou, traveled from Greece along with her husband to accept of her award. In addition to honoring the 2019 Freedom Through Literacy Award Winners, Judith’s Reading Room announced the establishment of the 98th Judith’s Reading Room Library in the Vicky Xanthopoulou’s village of Potamia on the Island of Thassos in North Greece. The initial donation will include 75 custom selected children’s titles. In 2020, the 99th library will be dedicated in Zimbabwe.

Alif Laila Book Bus Rickshaw

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Judith’s Reading Room is happy to share this wonderful news from Alif Laila..

Dear Friends,

Greetings!!

We have been using rickshaws as mobile libraries for some years now, but they were rented for the purpose. A grant from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan enabled us to make a custom built one.

So happy to share this!!

All set now to bring the joy of books to children in marginalized communities!
Hoping to run a fleet soon 🙂

Alif Laila Society-2019 Photos

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Basarat and Alif Laila Society, Freedom Through Literacy 2015 grand prize winner,  continues her project in Pakistan.  She just sent us some fantastic new photos! Basarat believes that by providing access to quality literature, in a country that spends less than 2% on education, will inspire life-long learners and, most importantly, develop positive attitudes so critical for a tolerant society. Convinced that books are change agents and that libraries for children are places of independent research, critical thinking and imagination power houses, Basarat sets a determined and noteworthy commitment to literacy in Pakistan.

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