A national nonprofit, Barbershop Books, has collaborated with the Wilmington Library to bring mini-libraries to 20 barbershops throughout Wilmington, Delaware. The goal of this initiative is to inspire young boys to read and focuses on children ages two to ten.

The initiative kicked off this past weekend on April 13 with the help of Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Councilwomen Michele Harlee and Rysheema Dixon. This initiative will last one year and is expected to increase family literacy throughout Wilmington, Delaware.

About Barbershop Books

Barbershop Books is the debut program of Reading Holiday Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy organization in New York City. Developed in Harlem, Barbershop Books is a community-based program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers across America. We leverage the cultural significance of barbershops in Black communities to increase boys’ access to culturally relevant, age-appropriate, and gender responsive children’s books and to increase out-of-school time reading among young black boys.

About the Wilmington Library

The Wilmington Public Library connects people, builds community, and transforms lives through the power of information and the power of stories. They are one of the oldest libraries in Delaware with over 270,000 visitors each year. The library circulates over 130,000 items, has over 32,000 reference transactions, provides programs and activities for children, teens, adults, and families.