Library sells books to improve local literacy

Brawley Public library staff said local literacy could be better.

Librarian Jameson Roher said, “The last time California did a literacy study as a state was 2003 and this area was 41% illiteracy.”

The library often holds book sales on Saturday every other month hoping to encourage people to read more.

“This area needs a reading culture and having book sales and having the libraries out in the community is a great way to promote literacy,” Roher said.

Recently, Roher tried putting together a community book club.

“None of the people showed up over a period of time I decided to cancel it,” Roher said.

He said it might be a sign of people not reading enough.

“The illiteracy rate, the poverty rate, all those things combined, i think is the reason why there isn’t a reading culture here like there needs to be,” Roher said.

He said literacy levels often show in the way people write.

“Especially on social media, where you can’t even put together coherent sentence or your spelling is terrible,” Roher said.

Javier Katzenstein, BPL Adult Literacy Coordinator, said reading and writing matters.

“We have high unemployment rates, and we know that literacy can be that key to open many doors, many opportunities,” Katzenstein said.

“Employers do check your social media,” Roher added.

They said public libraries are there to help you.

“Where a public library is the tool of self-discovery, and self-discovery could be learning to write better,” Roher said.

Katzenstein explained that said a library “provides the space, provides material, provides all these resources needed for that to happen.”

Roher added, “Without the public libraries in this area, I feel the illiteracy rate would be way worse.”

They encourage anyone wanting to improve their literacy level to contact their public libraries and ask for the free literacy programs.