So Every Child Can Access Beloved Stories
For many families, the magic of childhood lies between the pages of a book. Reading sparks imagination and helps us to understand the world around us. Not to mention, it also plays an important role in fostering education, literacy, community engagement, and lifelong learning. When children read they build confidence, creativity, and empathy. With the right book, every child can learn to love reading. That’s why we’re excited to grow our collections for children and teens.
Thanks to one-time funding of $100,000 from the City of London’s Community Investment Reserve fund, we have expanded our collection of high-demand books for children and teens to keep pace with the increasing use of these collections.
In 2022 alone, our children’s and teen items were borrowed 1.1 million times by Londoners, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and showing continued demand. As a result of this additional funding, we can continue to provide high-quality reading materials to meet the rising demand. By growing our collection, we ensure that London remains affordable for families and that all residents have access to the content needed for personal growth and enrichment.
Starting this month, our branches will begin to offer more copies of beloved titles like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, Amulet, and Baby-Sitters Club. These additional print copies of sought-after books ensure that every child has a better chance of finding the stories they love at our Library.
As Kevin Davidson, Coordinator of Collections Services, puts it, “By adding more of these popular books for children and teens, we’re opening the door wider for every child to discover the stories they love. Our goal is to ensure that every visit to the Library is a chance to find a new adventure or a beloved classic.”
But that’s not all! We’ve also enhanced our digital collection on OverDrive with the Summer Series Sizzlers list. This new selection includes simultaneous use ebooks, allowing up to 100 readers to enjoy titles like Dog Man, Cat Kid, Baby-Sitters Club, and many more at the same time. You can find these ebooks on the front page of lpl.overdrive.com and in the Kids section at the top.
We’re committed to providing engaging and accessible reading materials for everyone, and this new funding allows us to continue doing just that. We can’t wait for you to explore our expanded collection and enjoy all the new reading adventures that await.