Access to engaging, diverse texts encourages young readers to understand others' lives that are different from their own; it empowers them to start to share their own stories.  Reading is not a spectator sport, and we strive to actively engage in and support the many ways wide book access can encourage reading engagement.

A central aim of CLE is to increase awareness of current inequities in book accessibility and our nation’s literacy crisis. Not only do we share the research around book access and reading engagement, we aim to add to this research and support ongoing research projects. We use such research to inform policymakers and stakeholders.

We believe that the power of our coalition comes to fruition when we network, learn from each other, and connect – both virtually and face-to-face. We offer the following: monthly think tank meetings, virtual book clubs, and an annual conference. Stay tuned for announcements!

We applaud the book banks, mobile libraries, and book distribution programs across the country. We connect organizations so that our efforts might be as impactful and efficient as possible.