Judith’s Reading Room Concludes 2025 with 9 New Libraries in 28 Countries Bringing the Love of Reading to Kids Around the Globe
135,220 Books Donated worth $1,454,371
December 20, 2025 – Blandon, PA. Judith’s Reading Room announced its #117th eponymous library in its 28th country at the Kirioruwa School in Sri Lanka, an island country in the Indian ocean on the Asian continent with a population of nearly 22 million.
Plans to establish our library were completely disrupted when, in early December, Cyclone Ditwah brought devastating rain and flooding to Sri Lanka and southern India. More than one million people were affected and 220,000 were forced into safety centers.
At a time like this, hope matters.
In response, Judith’s Reading Room, in partnership with Professor Tissa Wijeratne and the Migraine Foundation, decided to proceed to help normalize the life of children still able to get to school by donating children’s books in English. “The organization is proud to support a new chapter for children in the Uva Province through the establishment of Judith’s Reading Room’s #117 library,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room. It’s been a long time coming, since Cathy met Dr. Tissa on a flight from New York to San Francisco nearly a decade ago and discussed the importance of reading.
“Our library project touches me deeply,” said Dr. Tissa. He continued, “When I was five, I finished every book in our tiny rural village library. I cried and begged by parents for more. In those pages I felt as if the whole world was in my small hands. I asked endless questions and caused no small amount of worry to my parents and teachers. But that early hunger for knowledge became the true foundation for the work I do today — including World Brain Day an the global brain-health movement that now reaches millions. Books made my world bigger. Books shaped my life,” stressed Dr. Tissa.
Judith’s Reading Room wire-transferred $USD500 to purchase books in English in June 2025 for the Judith’s Reading Room library including Intermediate English Grammar, Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, Buried Treasure and Other Stories by Agnus Maciver, The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain and Folk Tales of Ancient Kings by G.A. Nalinie. Dr. Tissa matched Judith’s Reading Room’s donation by providing $A500 to purchase books in Sinhalese.
Judith’s Reading Room selected the Kirioruwa School to be among 15 global organizations to receive a curated collection of books in celebration of the organization’s 15th anniversary. The bold initiative, “15 Libraries to Celebrate Its 15th Anniversary in 2025” will include organizations stretching across 4 oceans and 4 continents. The School in Sri Lanka is the 15th of 15 libraries Judith’s Reading Room dedicated in 2025.
“The 15 Libraries to Celebrate Our 15th Anniversary in 2025”
- Bright School/TEACH Rwanda, Muhanga, Rwanda — January 7
- Escuela ‘Agustin Flores Contreras,’ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — January 15
- Read for Literacy, “Real Men READ-y”, Toledo, Ohio — February 1
- Avery Chapel AME Church, Southaven, Mississippi — February 15
- Watch Me Grow Learning Academy, Grenada, Mississippi — February 15
- Mosaic Preparatory Academy, East Harlem, New York — March 14
- Louisiana Methodist Family & Children’s Services, Ruston, Louisiana — April 1
- Washington County Juvenile’s ‘Harkins House,’ Portland, Oregon — April 4
- Heavy Sound, Edinburgh, Scotland — June 3
- Janata Adharbhut Vidhyalaya School, Kathmandu, Nepal — June 19
- Vhulakanjhani Primary School, Limpopo Province, South Africa — June 25
- James Prendergast Free Library, Jamestown, New York — July 31
- Abundant Life Academy, Nutley, New Jersey — September 12
- Chinle Planting Hope, Navajo Nation, Chinle, Arizona — November 1
- Kirioruwa School, Marabedda, Bandarawela, Sri Lanka — December 24
To learn more about Judith’s Reading Room, please visit www.judithsreadingroom.org.
