The Windsor Public Library Book Buddy program will unveil plans for 2015 and kick off the latest form of the popular community service at a Wednesday, February 25 celebration at Central Branch (850 Ouellette Avenue) at 11 am in the Children’s Learning Centre on the main floor.
The Book Buddies Program at the Windsor Public Library is a unique program offered to school-aged children in the City of Windsor. The program provides a volunteer adult tutor for elementary school children (ages 6-11) who are experiencing difficulties with reading. The pair works one-on-one together focusing on phonics and other literacy skills with the aim of promoting life-long reading to the child. The volunteer becomes a mentor, reading and being read to by the child using children’s books and activities.
The Book Buddies Program has existed since 1997 as a summer program and in 2003 became a popular year round program due to the addition of standardized testing in Ontario schools. Over 1,200 matches (volunteer/child) have been made since the beginning of the program.
Windsor Public Library is making changes to the Book Buddy Program because of a lengthy waiting list for children. While the Book Buddy Program will continue to be free, the guidelines are changing in order to make the program more accessible to all those persons interested in taking advantage of this WPL service.
