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

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
|

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
|

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
|

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
|

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
|

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
|

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.

Curated Collection of YA and Graphic Novels

Curated Collection of YA and Graphic Novels

Byjrrtestadmin

April 4, 2025 —Judith’s Reading Room, the global literacy nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a distinguished American librarian and cousin to the organization’s founders, announced its latest donation of young adult (YA) and Graphic Novels to ‘Harkins House,’ a nationally recognized model program and short-term temporary residential shelter located in Hillsboro, Oregon near Portland.

Books for At-Risk Children

Books for At-Risk Children

Byjrrtestadmin

April 1, 2025 —  The Methodist Children’s Home (MCH) in Ruston, Louisiana was honored with a custom collection of Young Adult and Graphic novels as a part of Judith’s Reading Room’s “15 Libraries to Celebrate its 15th Anniversary in 2025.”
 
As the flagship residential treatment program of Louisiana United Methodist Children & Family Services, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to the wellbeing of Louisiana’s children, MCH provides comprehensive, intensive residential treatment for approximately 240 children ages 11-17 each year.

Judith’s Reading Room Inaugurates its 111th Library

Judith’s Reading Room Inaugurates its 111th Library

Byjrrtestadmin

March 14, 2025  —Judith’s Reading Room announced that it has inaugurated its 111th eponymous library at the prestigious Mosaic Preparatory Academy in East Harlem, New York City that serves 235 scholars, grades 3K-5th grade with a custom collection of 221 mostly STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and animal books.