Book Deserts

Thank you to anyone who sent a contribution to The Reading Connection, the volunteer organization I wrote about in one of my December posts.  I recently received an email from them indicating that they were able to raise $30,000. in December to help address "book deserts."  This is a hard concept to imagine around here.  Despite the lamentable closing of Borders Books a few years ago, within 15 minutes of my house in metropolitan D.C., there are at least 5 libraries and 5 book stores.  Go a little further out, and there are even more.  This is not true in many places, however.  I think of the small town in North Carolina where my in-laws live with a population of around 20,000.  The closest book store is in Charlotte, a 45 minute drive.    Even around here, despite the access to books, there are many people who do not have the disposable income to buy them and maybe not even the means to get themselves to a library.  The TRC referenced an article in their email that appeared in the New York Daily News that points out that some people might suggest that concern about the availability of   grocery stores in inner city neighborhoods is far more crucial than  complaining about a dearth of books, however the research linking reading to later success is compelling.  Here is the link to the article that coined the phrase "book deserts":

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/neighborhoods-parched-books-article-1.2933407