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Wash and Learn



Look what I found on Columbia Patch!


Come join us for a fun-filled afternoon of giving back and getting creative!

Bring along new or gently used adult and children's books you would like to donate to our book drive, and help us spread the love of reading to others in our community.  In return, create your own special bookmark to take home.

Whether you're a book lover, a craft enthusiast, or just looking for a way to give back, this event is perfect for all ages.  Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a difference and have a great time doing it! Please note the multiple dates to donate and the drop off locations on the flyer: February 28,2025 from 12PM-3PM, East Columbia Library Branch- Marvin Room and March 1, 2025 12pm-3pm, Central Library Branch - Collage Room.

Here’s the bit that caught my eye:

Books will be donated to the Howard County Reading Council's Laundromat Literacy Program.

Back when the community was contemplating the proposal for a Lakefront Library, I shared my enthusiasm for library programs in other places where patrons can do laundry and connect with literacy programs.

Libraries and Laundromats: Transforming Spaces for Learning, Institute of Museum and Library Sciences

What do public libraries and coin laundromats have in common? Through a partnership called the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI), Libraries Without Borders US offers early childhood literacy, digital literacy, and information access services inside laundromats. 

What’s happening on Friday at the East Columbia Branch is a different way of getting at the same thing. A community group, Lea’s Crafters with a Cause from St. John Baptist Church, have signed up to use a room at the local library to host an event which will gather books to be placed in laundromats. They’re working in collaboration a local literacy initiative. It is named here as the Howard County Reading Council but I think it may be the Howard County Literacy Association. 

To be clear, the Wash and Learn Initiative described in the article above is a direct partnership between libraries and laundromats. It is an active and interactive initiative. The event on Friday hosted by the group from St. John Baptist Church is not an official library event. And placing books in laundromats differs from WALI in that it supports literacy in a passive way by providing materials in a place where they had not existed before: it’s expanding opportunity. 

The similarities, at least to me, are that 1) There’s a literacy/laundromat connection - - reaching people where they really are, and 2) Libraries are a place where the people can gather, learn, and make a difference in their communities. Libraries are active partners in those goals.

Even if you aren’t available from 12-3 on Friday for this particular event, you can drop off books either at the two drop off locations or you can reach out to learn more through the address listed on the flyer: Redstar12liz@gmail.com .

I wonder what some good books for reading in a laundromat might be? Any ideas?


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