NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
www.JudithsReadingRoom.org
The Judith’s Reading Room Library at Portland, Oregon’s ‘Harkins House’ Celebrates 12 Years
April 25, 2024 — Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization based in eastern Pennsylvania announced that it had deepened its commitment to providing quality literature to ‘Harkins House,’ a residential shelter for teens near Portland, Oregon.
In May 2012, Judith’s Reading Room established a library at Washington County Juvenile Detention Center’s ‘Harkins House,’ a nationally recognized model program and short-term temporary residential shelter located near Portland, Oregon. Based on research, literacy is a significant protective factor for at-risk youth and is strongly correlated with reducing recidivism. For those reasons, Judith’s Reading Room has sustained its efforts to provide books and a path to building social skills and literacy.
In celebration of the 12 consecutive years of enhancing the initial library of 219 books, Judith’s Reading Room announced today that it has added 67 high-quality books at a cover price of $735. The library has grown to 708 books valued at $8,734 and with today’s donation, includes New York Times Bestsellers, National Book Award Finalists, Stonewall Honor Books, John Newbery Medal authors and Best Book of the Year.
The organization has had a hands-on approach with its Judith’s Reading Room library with members of the board of directors visiting ‘Harkins House,’ conducting Banned Books events, supporting Book Clubs and producing a film documentary called “Cracking Open the Universe” that revealed to researchers from Lafayette College in Easton, PA that book clubs enhanced participation and positively impacted participants’ attitudes about pleasure reading.
For more information about Judith’s Reading Room and its annual “Freedom Through Literacy Award,” visit www.judithsreadingroom.org.