The free mini-library at the Claymont Community Center (CCC) is a vibrant hub for kids of all ages! Originally established by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, these shelves have become a go-to resource for the many families who visit the CCC every week.
With help from Success Won’t Wait, the mini library is regularly restocked with new titles, from pre-K board books, to elementary school picture books, to popular novels and non-fiction for teens, plus more. And this week, the Claymont Community Center (CCC) received yet another infusion of more than 300 books, thanks to dedicated volunteers from Success Won’t Wait.
While this mini-library originally began as a temporary display in celebration of Black History Month, it has turned into a much-loved permanent fixture. The books are strategically located in the heavily trafficked entrance lobby. Whether a child is visiting for a class, attending a program, or just stopping by the center, they can also browse the shelves, pick up a book, and take it home (no card or sign-out required). And when they’re done? They can keep it, bring it back for someone else to enjoy, or replace it with a favorite title of their own to share.
The success of the CCC mini-library is a powerful reminder that when books are accessible, kids respond. Resources like the CCC mini-library are especially important during the summer months, when many children do not have easy access to books and may easily fall prey to “the summer slide.”
According to a recent article at Scholastic, “The concept of the summer slide has been on researchers’ radar since at least 1996, when one of the first comprehensive studies on the phenomenon was published. The study showed that kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year. A more recent study of children in 3rd to 5th grades also showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading … during summer break.”
Want to help support this important literacy project? Success Won’t Wait is always accepting donations for literacy efforts like the mini library at the CCC! Your gently used books could find a second life, ready to inspire the next reader who picks them up. Contact us!
Pictured above (left to right): Success Won’t Wait co-founder Susan McNeill and longtime volunteer Amanda Gonye.
About Success Won’t Wait
Founded in 2002, Success Won’t Wait is a not-for-profit literacy organization based in Wilmington, Delaware. Want to learn more about Success Won’t Wait’s literacy projects or volunteer your time? Click on the About Us tab above.
Read now, because success won’t wait!