Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report Shares New Data Underscoring the Importance of Libraries

New and exclusive findings from the 8th edition of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™ have reconfirmed the crucial role libraries play in increasing book access for children. To parallel this data, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ National Student Poets co-wrote a poem that exemplifies what book access means for young people.

The research found that the majority of children (63%), get their books from public, school, and classroom libraries, while on the flip side, 54% of children who do not have a school library say they have trouble finding books they like.

Mirroring the sentiments expressed by these findings and further communicating just how essential libraries are to young people everywhere, the 2023 National Student Poets—the top five youth poets from across the nation—recently collaborated on a one-of-a-kind poem. The poem itself serves as an ode to libraries, the books they house, and the power they hold to increase book access to young people everywhere. 

The poem was recently performed by the National Student Poets at a congressional reception in Washington, D.C. in celebration of National Poetry Month. Hosted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the United States Senate Cultural Caucus, the reception allowed the National Student Poets to engage with elected officials in the spirit of youth involvement in the arts. 

To check out the full poem, which was exclusively published in Literary Hub, click here!