NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
www.JudithsReadingRoom.org
Jane Goodall Institute Nepal to Receive a Curated Collection of Children’s Books from Judith’s Reading Room
February 27, 2025 — Judith’s Reading Room, the global literacy nonprofit organization based in eastern Pennsylvania announced today that it had reached agreement with The Jane Goodall Institute Nepal (JGIN) to dedicate the first ever library of children’s books in English to Janata Adharbhut Vidhyalaya, a primary school in the Mahottari District, seven hours by car from Kathmandu, in a rural village near Nepal’s border with India.
Judith’s Reading Room is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2025 and to honor the occasion, the board of directors voted to dedicate or enhance up to 15 libraries around the world. A life-long friend of the founders, MeeWah Tan of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recommended The Jane Goodall Institute Nepal’s organization as a partner owing to its strong footprint in the rural villages of Nepal with a highly trained staff to oversee the installation of an international library.
“Judith’s Reading Room is proud to collaborate with The Jane Goodall Institute Nepal in support of our mission to “enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room. She added, “We share the same goal with JGIN which is to provide high quality books in English to inspire a lifelong passion for reading.”
The Judith’s Reading Room library at Janata Adharbhut Vidhyalaya will serve 398 children in grades 4-10. The library will contain a curated list of 578 books that will be purchased locally at a cover price of $2,000. Some of the titles include: The Babysitters Club series, Where’s Waldo series, Shakespeare Stories, and Frog and Toad Are Friends. The dedication date will be announced soon.
So far this year, the organization has inaugurated five libraries as part of its “15 Libraries to Celebrate our 15th Anniversary,” — a bold initiative that stretches across 4 Oceans and 4 Continents. They include installations in Muhanga, Rwanda; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Toledo, Ohio; Southaven, Mississippi, and Grenada, Mississippi.
“Libraries to Celebrate Our 15th Anniversary in 2025” — Dedication Dates
- 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 3 — JRR Library #109
- Avery Chapel AME Church, Southaven, Mississippi — February 15
- Watch Me Grow Learning Academy, Grenada, MS — February 15 — JRR Library #110
- Mosaic Preparatory Academy, East Harlem, New York — March 14 — JRR Library #111
- Louisiana Methodist Children & Family Services, Ruston, Louisiana — April 1
- Washington Co. Residential Center’s ‘Harkins House,’ Portland, Oregon — April 4
- Heavy Sound, Edinburgh, Scotland — May 30
- James Prendergast Free Library, Jamestown, New York — July 31
- Chinle Planting Hope, Navajo Nation, Chinle, Arizona — November 1
- Kirioruwa School, Marabedda, Bandarawela, Sri Lanka — TBA
- Vhulakanjhani Primary School, South Africa — TBA
- Janata Adharbhut Vidhyalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal — TBA
Judith’s Reading Room, a 501 (c) 3 global literacy organization was founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a distinguished librarian and cousin to the founders. Its mission is: “To enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy.” The organization has fulfilled that mission by establishing to date 111 eponymous libraries in 25 countries and 10 US states with more than 134,000 donated books at a cover price of $1.4 million.