With South Africa, Judith’s Reading Room Expands to 27 Nations
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With South Africa, Judith’s Reading Room Expands to 27 Nations

Byjrrtestadmin

June 25, 2025 — Judith’s Reading Room, a global nonprofit literacy organization, founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a distinguished American librarian and cousin to its founders, today inaugurated its 113th library as it expanded geographically to its 27th country — South Africa.  Over the course of a decade, Judith’s Reading Room has established libraries in 7 African nations.

Vhulakanjhani Primary School, located in Malubana Village, Nkambako, Limpopo Province, serves approximately 900 students in grades R-7 (ages 5-13).  The school is in a rural part of Limpopo that depends largely on farming fruits, vegetables, animals and timber.  There is high unemployment and while the school is under-resourced, the teachers and students are dedicated and enthusiastic.

Judith’s Reading Room Donates Library to Jane Goodall Institute in Nepal
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Judith’s Reading Room Donates Library to Jane Goodall Institute in Nepal

Byjrrtestadmin

June 19, 2025 —  Hundreds of children in one of the poorest communities in rural Nepal joined Judith’s Reading Room — a global literacy nonprofit based in eastern Pennsylvania — today as it dedicated its 112th library in its 26th country — Nepal. 

Mee Wah Tan (recipient of Judith’s Reading Room’s ‘Outstanding Service Award’) — she is on the left. Ms. Shristi Singh Bhandari, Executive Director, Jane Goodall Institute Nepal is on the right.

In collaboration with Jane Goodall Institute Nepal (JGIN), the 112th Judith’s Reading Room library was inaugurated today at Janata Adharbhut Primary School which now boasts its first-ever library with 578 children’s books in English that were purchased locally with $2,000 provided by Judith’s Reading Room.  “There are 400 students in grades 4-7 who call this school their center of knowledge, yet the children who hail from one of the poorest communities of the region do not have access to books that go beyond their school curriculum,” according to Shristi Singh Bhandari, Executive Director, JGIN.

First-ever Tribal Community Library on Navajo Reservation, Chinle, AZ
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First-ever Tribal Community Library on Navajo Reservation, Chinle, AZ

Byjrrtestadmin

June 12, 2025 — Judith’s Reading Room announced today that it will establish a curated library of exceptional literature written or illustrated by Indigenous people — mainly Navajo but also including dozens of enrolled citizens from tribes across the United States. The inauguration of the Judith’s Reading Room library to serve the 128,000 Navajo people will establish its first-ever Tribal Community Library in Chinle, AZ. 

Chinle Planting Hope (CPH), a local Arizona nonprofit, was selected as one of 15 libraries to be dedicated as a part of the organization’s “15 Libraries to Celebrate Our 15th Anniversary in 2025.”  Judith’s Reading Room has supported CHP since 2020 by donating 500 children’s books for its READ in Beauty Bookmobile. 

Literacy Non-Profit Advances its 15th Anniversary Project on 3 Continents in June 2025
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Literacy Non-Profit Advances its 15th Anniversary Project on 3 Continents in June 2025

Byjrrtestadmin

June 3, 2025 — Judith’s Reading Room, the global literacy nonprofit organization based in eastern Pennsylvania, continued its “15 Libraries to Celebrate its 15th Anniversary in 2025” library installations on three continents.  A Scottish non-profit and two primary schools in Nepal and South Africa will receive curated book collections hand-picked to inspire a love of reading and to allow a culture of reading to catapult children and adults alike into a lifetime relationship with literature.

Heavy Sound, Cockenzie, Scotland Receives Curated Collection to Enhance its Existing Judith’s Reading Room library
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Heavy Sound, Cockenzie, Scotland Receives Curated Collection to Enhance its Existing Judith’s Reading Room library

Byjrrtestadmin

June 3, 2025 — Judith’s Reading Room, the global literacy nonprofit organization based in eastern Pennsylvania, continued its “15 Libraries to Celebrate its 15th Anniversary  in 2025” by today installing its latest collection of books for teens at Heavy Sound, the Scottish nonprofit located near Edinburgh in the village of Cockenzie, Scotland.  Heavy Sound, founded by Jordan Butler, works with some of Scotland’s most vulnerable and disconnected teens with poor to no literacy. 

First-ever Library in Sri Lanka
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First-ever Library in Sri Lanka

Byjrrtestadmin

May 6, 2025 — A chance encounter on a flight from New York to San Francisco in 2017 found Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room of Pennsylvania and Professor Tissa Wijeratne, Senior Neurologist and Chair, Migraine Foundation of Australia seated next to each other.  Within minutes they discovered that they shared a passion for literacy, coming at it from wildly different perspectives.   The five-hour flight was filled with discussions of brain health, literacy, education and the role that reading plays in lifting people out of poverty.  Their conversation resulted eight years later in a shared commitment to establish a library in Dr. Tissa’s home country, Sri Lanka.  This epitomizes how a Judith’s Reading Room library materializes “out of thin air.”

Judith’s Reading Room Responds to Lost Boxes
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Judith’s Reading Room Responds to Lost Boxes

Byjrrtestadmin

April 15, 2025 — Judith’s Reading Room promised retired RN Joyce Edwards that she would receive 151 brand new children’s books from the eastern Pennsylvania nonprofit to create a first-ever library at her new day care center in Holcomb, Mississippi serving 67 children.  Three months later, one box of books is still “missing” in Memphis, TN.

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15 Libraries To Celebrate Milestone 15th Anniversary in 2025

Byjrrtestadmin

Judith’s Reading Room, a global literacy nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a distinguished librarian, announced that it will mark its 15th anniversary in 2025 by establishing or enhancing 15 Judith’s Reading Room libraries in 2025 to be filled with at least 1,500 new books.

2024 Founders’ Award Recipient – Jordan Butler
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2024 Founders’ Award Recipient – Jordan Butler

Byjrrtestadmin

September 12, 2024 —  Cathy and Scott Leiber, founders of Judith’s Reading Room, proudly announce that Jordan Butler, himself founder of the nonprofit Heavy Sound, East Lothian, Scotland is named recipient of the 2024 Founders’ Award. Cathy and Scott met Butler in August 2024 to dedicate the 107 th Judith’s Reading Room library in its 24th country at Heavy Sound, located near Edinburgh in the seaside village of East Lothian, Scotland.