Barbershop Books Brings the Library to Local Barbershops
The Library District has partnered with the award-winning nonprofit literacy organization Barbershop Books, in our joint mission of inspiring area youth to discover the joy and wonders of reading.
The Barbershop Books program encourages children to engage with age-appropriate books, offered in the safe, welcoming spaces of their neighborhood barbershops. The partnership was kicked off at a pre-Super Bowl event at our Clark County Library branch on Flamingo Road, where children received haircuts and their very own book to take home, along with visits from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Legends Players, team cheerleaders, and mascots!
The Library District will be distributing children’s books to barbershops that are popular for young ages, as well as providing early literacy training to barbers. Each barbershop will be outfitted with a colorful, kid-sized bookshelf that will feature 45 books, curated based on recommendations from children ages 4 to 8, as well as tablets for those who prefer to read in digital formats. Look for these programs to spring up throughout the Las Vegas Valley!
Barbershop Books was founded by former elementary school teacher Alvin Irby, who has been named one of CNN’s Top 25 Heroes of 2023 for his work in literacy. The program is part of the NFL Inspire Change social justice initiative, which is collaborating with Barbershop Books and the Library District. Generous support was also provided by Microsoft, which contributed $100,000 in hardware and software, enabling the Library District to incorporate Minecraft-Education Edition into our digital literacy programming.
Check out the growing list of participating barbershops, below!
"The ability to read awoke inside of me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive." — Malcolm X
