2016 ESS Adopt A Rural Library Project Executive Summary

Reading is fundamental for a meaningful and productive life. Numerous research studies have found that reading is best learned in the early years. It is essential to cultivate children’s interest, habits, and skills in reading during elementary school years, and it is one of the goals of ESS’ SERC project “Providing Reading Material and Information Resources” to achieve in the past 28 years.

In 2015, ESS collaborated with Professor Wang Zi-zhou of Beijing Information University to develop and promote the concept of “Library Corner” in five schools. In 2016, our Adopt a Rural School Library project has shifted its focus fully from school to classrooms. In order for students to gain better and easier access to books, instead of establishing a school library, we decided to deliver books directly to classrooms, making library corners for students. Each elementary school received three packages of books for three different reading levels: lower grades (1-3), middle grades (3-4), and higher grades (5-6). These books will rotate in classrooms of the same grade level to allow all students benefit from reading these books.

A total of 66 schools in Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Yunnan, and Hunan Provinces received donation books for library corners in 2016. As in the past 28 years, ESS will continue to strive for innovative ways for better services. (Project Coordinators: Minwen Chia, Xiao An)