NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
Judith’s Reading Room Opens 2nd Library in Mississippi
Organization Champions Literacy in Communities That Lack Books
February 24, 2020 — In celebration of Black History Month and the organization’s 10th Anniversary, Judith’s Reading Room dedicated its 99th library today — its 2nd in Mississippi — in collaboration with Rev. Dr. Leoda Topps, Ph.D, Education and Pastor at the Avery Chapel Church in Southaven, MS.
Judith’s Reading Room, a literacy nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a librarian who dedicated her life to freedom of speech and access to books for all, has established libraries in 21 countries filled with over 128,000 books.
To celebrate the organization’s 10th Anniversary, the Board of Directors allocated $5,000 to be divided amongst 10 of its “stand out” libraries. Rev. Dr. Topps is one of the 10 to receive the organization’s special commemorative award. Specifically, Judith’s Reading Room purchased 73 books for its 99th library.
In 2014, Judith’s Reading Room teamed with Rev. Dr. Topps to deliver more than 700 hand-picked children’s books to St. Peter’s AME Church in Tunica, MS, where Dr. Topps vowed to assist children after school with their homework and to help improve their reading skills. That donation became our 86th Judith’s Reading Room Library.
Rev. Dr. Topps said, “I’ve reached out to a preacher at one of my sister churches to help pull in community children to visit the new library at Avery Chapel Church.” She added, “As a newcomer to Southaven, I have found that many of the children come from single-parent homes with multiple children and the mothers’ work schedules don’t allow them to spend much time reading to their children. This is where the church can step in to help.”
Judith’s Reading Room’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. In the ten years since its founding, Judith’s Reading Room has established 99 libraries in 21 countries filled with 128,000 books valued at nearly $1.4 million. The Freedom Through Literacy Award, initiated in 2015, has disbursed $33,500 in prize money, honoring 31 individual champions of literacy in the United States, the Philippines, Bhutan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cambodia, Mexico, Australia, Zimbabwe and Greece.
Applications for the 2020 Freedom Through Literacy Award may be found at Judith’s Reading Room Freedom Through Literacy. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is July 1st. Winners will be announced by the end of July.
