Libraries for Literacy

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind marked the inauguration of an exciting literary achievement, campus-wide libraries designed to provide students with additional reading resources in their classrooms.

Through the generosity of 10 generous sponsors, $48,000 was raised for the classroom libraries that include, braille books, large print books, graphic novels, talking books and other reading materials in adaptive formats to promote literacy for deaf/hard-of-hearing, blind/visuallyimpaired and sensory multi-disabled students.

Before the implementation of the classroom libraries, 38% of SCSDB’s early elementary students maintained their reading skills or showed growth following summer break. This year, 60% of early elementary students maintained their reading skills or showed growth following summer break.

Thank you to the sponsors of the classroom libraries: Aflac Charitable Foundation, Ball4Good, Believe in Reading, CW & Dorothy G. Love Foundation, Downtown Spartanburg Sertoma Club, Episcopal Church of the Advent, International Paper Foundation, South Carolina Ports Authority, Spartanburg County Foundation and State Farm. "We are thrilled to see the Libraries for Literacy program come to fruition at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind," said Sam Hook, Executive Director of the SCSDB Foundation.

"By placing libraries in each classroom, students and teachers have these resources close at hand, and we hope these books help foster a love for reading and learning that knows no boundaries."