Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund for Children’s Literacy Project

Elgin County Library Receives Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund for Children’s Literacy Project

Elgin County Library is pleased to accept this grant and acknowledges the support of the Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund towards expanding our Wonderbook collection. Eight new Wonderbook titles will be received and offered to our library communities with the provision of this fund. 

Wonderbooks are print books for young children that have pre-loaded audio players built in to the front cover. They play out loud or connect to headphones and include both a read-along and learning mode, as well as a narrator-led question and answer session.

The Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund grants of up to $500 per year are made available from the Rural Learning Association (RLA) to Ontario rural libraries, and urban libraries that serve rural community members. The purpose of the grant is to support children’s literacy initiatives and considers the benefit and level of need in the community, sustainability, as well as the relevance to literacy through the promotion of the love of reading. One goal of the Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund for Rural Ontario children is to enhance awareness of the valuable public service that rural libraries perform.

Sarah Rosalind Badgley never learned to read, but she adored books and loved visiting her local public library. In July 2001, at the age of three, Sarah was tragically killed in an auto accident. Her parents, Susan and Kerry Badgley of Kemptville, Ontario, initiated the fund through the RLA.

 “We are pleased and honoured to be selected as recipients of the Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund grant,” stated Library Coordinator, Natalie Marlowe. “This fund will allow us to grow our collection of Wonderbook materials to benefit young children and provide our library communities with more resources to support early literacy and the joy of reading.”

Wonderbook titles are available to borrow with your Elgin County Library card. Find our Wonderbooks on our catalogue and place a hold or call your library branch for more details.