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Originally Posted by faithbw
I honestly don't get the point of this program. It's redundant. For some poor youths in very isolated, rural getting to the nearest library may indeed be a struggle. However, I'm not sure if this is an issue for poor youth in most of the country. Also, many libraries will mail library cards to people. Here in Ohio, the State Library will mail a library card to any Ohio resident. This allows you to have access to all of their e-book collection.
I think the bigger issue with getting poor youth to read is NOT access to books but addressing other issues such as overworked parents, literacy issues (there's no point in throwing books at a kid who struggles to read in the first place without), chaotic homes, food insecurity and so many other problems that the poor often face.
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As I posted above, the excerpt from
the article clearly states: "the White House sees the modest plan as part of a strategy to address
inner city problems [...]" (Emphasis is mine.)
Yes, SOME libraries will mail cards; some others require one to apply in person. And I wonder, since this program targets "low-income children":
- What percentage of the target audience lives in homeless shelters or other temporary housing for homeless people?
- Would libraries mail cards to people who don't have permanent addresses?
I concur with your statement:
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I think the bigger issue with getting poor youth to read is NOT access to books but addressing other issues such as overworked parents, literacy issues (there's no point in throwing books at a kid who struggles to read in the first place without), chaotic homes, food insecurity and so many other problems that the poor often face.
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But again, the excerpt in the OP from the article clearly states: "Working with publishers and libraries, the White House sees the modest plan as
part of a strategy to address inner city problems[...] (Emphasis is mine.)
The article specifies some partners or categories thereof: the White House, publishers ("including from the five major publishing houses: Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and HarperCollins"), libraries, and "private sector help from companies including Apple, which pledged $100 million in devices to low-income schools".
It's perfectly legitimate to ask questions about the program, or to be skeptical based on ineffective past programs, but it's not legitimate to rush to judgment or to dismiss
this program out of hand, without knowing the bigger strategy or associated tactics.