Katz, Ari2025-09-242025-09-242015American Library Association (ALA) (2011-2015). Every child ready to read @ your library. Retrieved June, 2015 from http://www.everychildreadytoread.org/ Borgonovi, F. (Ed.). (2011). PISA in Focus: What can parents do to help their children succeed in school. Retrieved June, 2015 from http://www.peopleforeducation.ca/document/pisa-parents/ Gove, A. & Cvelich, P. (2010). Early reading: Igniting education for all. A report by the Early Grade Learning Community of Practice. Research Triangle Park, NC: Research Triangle Institute. International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX). (2015a). Beyond Access: Libraries, literacy and technology. Retrieved June 2015 from http://beyondaccess.net/services/libraries-literacy-technology/ International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX). (2015b). Beyond Access: The role of public libraries in addressing literacy. Retrieved June 2015 from http://beyondaccess.net/resources/the-role-of-public-libraries-in-addressing-illiteracy/ Melhuish, E., Phan, M., Sylva, K., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggart, B. (2008). Effects of the home learning environment and preschool center experience upon literacy and numeracy development in early primary school. Journal of Social Issues, 64(1), 95-114. Shipman, M. (2012). NC State News: Study parenting more important than schools to academic achievement. Retrieved May, 2015, from https://news.ncsu.edu/2012/10/wms-parcel-parents/ United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2015). Education for all movement. Retrieved June, 2015 from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/ UNESCO Institute of Statistics. (2015). Education: Literacy rate. Retrieved June, 2015 from http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?queryid=166# USAID. (2015). Improving early grade reading. Retrieved June, 2015 from http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/education/improving-early-grade-readinghttps://repository.ifla.org/handle/20.500.14598/5560Despite the natural link, most public library systems in the developing world are not formally connected to large-scale literacy initiatives led by either the government or international donors. This gap represents a significant missed opportunity for both sides. Libraries are missing a chance to increase their relevance and attract new resources, while literacy programs struggle to find a sustainable mechanism for supporting the essential community support element of literacy achievement. This paper discusses a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded program Beyond Access which has developed and recently published a new training module for public librarians that is meant to be a first step towards addressing this disconnect.enAttribution 3.0 Unportedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Articlehttp://conference.ifla.org/ifla81open accessPublic librariesearly literacytraining