Growing Young Reading Promoters together with Young Readers-LIS School’s Immediate & Long-Term Impacts in Bridging the Urban-Rural Children’s Reading Gap

Abstract

Bridging the urban-rural reading gap among children requires both improved access to quality reading experiences and the preparation of future reading promoters. Since 2022, Sun Yat-sen University has worked with libraries and local partners to develop a practice-based initiative that combines LIS education, volunteer service, and research on children’s reading.

Through Reading Volunteer Service & Research@ SYSU and National Reading Research @ SYSU, the initiative brings university students into real community settings to explore children’s reading needs, design and deliver reading programmes, and reflect on their practice. At the same time, it provides rural children with engaging reading experiences that integrate books with sports, science, arts, and local culture, while collecting children’s voices to inform programme improvement.

The initiative has delivered 40+ reading promotion activities and reached 2,000+ children and family participants. Pre- and post-activity surveys showed that children’s willingness to participate in similar activities increased from 88.02% to 93.23%. Through continued practice, resource development, and collaboration with local partners, the initiative supports more sustainable reading services for rural children and helps cultivate future reading promoters.