The School of Library and Information Science recently launched a $6 million effort to help wipe out illiteracy in South Carolina. The Children, Libraries and Literacy Initiative comprises three key components and incorporates a variety of statewide partnerships with major retailers, a major book publisher, elementary schools, First Steps of South Carolina and other related literacy advocacy groups.

Children, Libraries and Literacy Components include:

Cocky's Reading Express

Cocky’s Reading Express™ continues to roll across the state as a collaboration between the university’s Office of Student Government, School of Library and Information Science and the SC Center for Children’s Books and Literacy.

Cocky’s Reading Express™ inspires children at underserved elementary schools to become reader leaders in their homes by reading to moms, dads, pets and friends. Student volunteers accompany the university’s mascot, Cocky, as they read to students and encourage them to do well in school. All children receive books of their own from Cocky to take home. More

The research component of the Initiative, a $3 million endowed chair will allow us to recruit a full-time scholar who will be devoted to children’s literacy research. The Augusta Baker Chair is the first chair at the University named for an African American female. Baker was the former head of children’s services at the New York Public Library who went on to become the storyteller-in-residence at the Library School. More

The BEST Center not only has a new name but a new mission as well. The Center is set to expand its offerings by adding a satellite center at USC’s Child Development and Research Center. This opportunity will allow USC library students, education students and faculty to work in a lab-style environment to conduct unique research projects in the area of early childhood literacy and parenting.

To continue the Initiative’s outreach efforts, the School will operate a ReadMobile that will systematically visit communities across South Carolina and help to open young minds to a world of reading, books, libraries and more. More

Along with the other components the Library School plans to enhance its current offerings of workshops, seminars and classes through satellite and Internet communication. Through these programs parents, families and childcare workers can gain insight into literacy skills and techniques that will aid in the decrease of childhood illiteracy.

You, too, can help inspire young readers by contributing to the endowment for the Children, Libraries and Literacy Initiative. If you would like to play a part, please contact the office of Development at the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies at (803) 777-6898.