By Anna Johns
If you are looking to strengthen your reading skills you now have more options at your fingertips with the Kent District Library’s addition of its new SPARKS Collection.
Now available at all 19 KDL branches, the SPARK collection contains books for adult beginning readers. SPARK is a collaboration between the KDL and the Literacy Center of West Michigan. This collection has been in the works since last winter and is now available to the public.
“Literacy is a foundation for a full adult life, providing not only a connection to the world around us but also the independence to make our own choices,” said Samantha Hodge, Collection Development Librarian at KDL. “With the SPARK collection, KDL will be a proud partner for adults working to improve their literacy skills and reach incredible goals.”
Hodge said she has always wanted to create a collection of books for beginning adult readers. In the past, the library had a small collection however it never received much attention. She came up with the idea for SPARK after discovering the High/Lo collection at other libraries across the nation. The High/Lo collection of books with a high-interest level and low vocabulary and readability levels. This way the materials do not intimidate new readers and provide them with interesting subjects.
The Literacy Center of West Michigan guided Hodge in the process of picking books for the collection. This is not the Center’s first time working with the KDL, they have been working with them for the past four years.
The Literacy Center of West Michigan runs an adult tutoring program designed to help non-native speakers learn to speak English. It is the organization’s goal to make West Michigan the region with the highest literacy levels in the nation. Previously, learners would pick up books from the library at the Center but staff at the Center also wanted to have materials available for learners at the public libraries.
“The partnership between KDL and the Literacy Center is supporting adults and children in West Michigan,” said Community Literacy Initiative Director Mike Nassar, . This is a great step to help adult learners in the community.”
According to information provided by the Literacy Center of West Michigan, one in eight West Michigan adults struggle with low literacy. It is the organization’s goal to make West Michigan the region with the highest literacy levels in the nation. The Literacy Center offers one-on-one tutoring, work-related classes, and family literacy programming to students.
“The library wants to partner with you if you want to increase your learning skills or start from the beginning,” Hodge said. “We want to be your partner.”
The collection has had a slow take-off because of the COVID-19 pandemic but the KDL staff is working hard to make the public aware that it is available at all 19 KDL branches and the Bookmobile. For more information visit www.kdl.org
