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The Book Drop: Creston library supports range of literacy programs

My love of reading from an early age was the determining factor in my ability to succeed in school and, ultimately, support my family...
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Aaron Francis is the chief librarian at the Creston and District Public Library.

“You can borrow a book, but you get to keep the ideas.”

In 2008 a group of volunteers — readers, writers, educators, librarians, parents, young people, and book and magazine publishers — got together to talk about a nationwide way to make Canada a country of readers.

The result is the recently launched 2013 national reading plan, called Reading Matters. The plan calls for a multi-pronged approach to investing in reading through research, advocacy, investment in libraries and literacy programs, and more.

Why does reading matter? Consider some facts:

“Our study showed that … spending more time each week reading is associated with a lower subsequent risk of incident dementia.” (Hughes, Chang, Vander Bilt, Ganguli, 2011)

“A person with improved literacy is … more likely to own their own home [and] less likely to experience divorce.” (National Literacy Trust, 2008)

“Reading was proved 68 per cent better at reducing stress levels than listening to music; 100 per cent more effective than drinking a cup of tea; 300 per cent better than going for a walk and 700 per cent more than playing video games.” (Dr. David Lewis, 2009)

“Compared with those who did not read a book in 2010, book readers are more likely to report that they have very good or excellent health (54 per cent vs. 44 per cent), more likely to report that they have very good or excellent mental health (63 per cent vs. 56 per cent), much more likely to volunteer (42 per cent vs. 26 per cent), less likely to feel trapped in a daily routine (33 per cent vs. 39 per cent), somewhat more likely to report very strong satisfaction with life (61 per cent vs. 57 per cent).” (Hill Strategies, 2010)

“Raising a country’s literacy scores by one per cent relative to the international average is associated with an eventual 2.5 per cent relative rise in productivity and a 1.5 per cent rise in national income per person.” (Literacy in Ontario, 2013)

Speaking personally, I can say that my own love of reading from an early age was the single most determining factor in my ability to succeed in school and, ultimately, be able to support my family and enjoy a full and happy life. Thank you, Mom!

At the Creston Valley Public Library, we support literacy from the cradle to the grave.

Every Tuesday morning at 11 a.m., we offer a free drop-in program for parents and babies up to 18 months to engage in songs, rhymes and stories, the basic building blocks of early literacy and healthy brain development.

Family story time is held every Thursday morning at 10:30, and is a great opportunity to exchange books, meet other parents and have fun with songs and stories.

We support an array of teen and adult programming throughout the year, including author readings, book clubs, film nights, teen drop-ins and more.

For those who are unable to make it to the library, we will even deliver books to your home through our volunteer-run home service program.

Reading matters! For more information about the national reading plan, and to share your stories about why reading matters, visit www.nationalreadingcampaign.ca.

Aaron Francis is the chief librarian at the Creston Valley Public Library.