Culver-Stockton added a new section to its library in hopes of getting more kids reading. People from all over Lewis County can take advantage of the children's wing for free.
Librarians and professors at Culver-Stockton say kids are reading less and less every year, so Culver-Stockton spent about $5,000 to add this new section in hopes to get kids excited to read.
Kids, parents, and students wasted no time to get to the new children's wing of Culver Stockton's library. And mother Tammy Ellison said having this available helps both the community and the college.
"Not only does it give experience to the students that might be getting an education but it gives my children someone else to learn from," Ellison said.
Library Director Sharon Upchurch said the reason they've been able to open this wing is because more space became available when they went more technological. And Upchurch says they know not everyone in Lewis County has a library to come to.
"So we're very much aware that there's a lot of kids in the area who are not served by the local public library by law, there just shut out," she said.
Which is one reason Upchurch said she's seeing more kids read less, but Professor Dr. Terry Sherer said while the problem isn't limited to Lewis County, it's essential that kids have the option of going to a library.
"The problem is universal. It's not limited to rural or urban but we have to work a little bit harder in rural areas to make sure all children have access to good literature," he said.
Ellison agrees, and said the is new wing is important for kids all over the county.
"I think that it's vital that we have an opportunity to come into a space for free to bridge the summer reading gap and to promote reading and literacy because without literacy there's nothing," she said.
