How My Very Own Library Works

The University of Chicago’s My Very Own Library Program is a literacy initiative that provides access to books and learning resources for students in public elementary schools. We partner with Scholastic, a publishing, education and media company, as well as local nonprofits to provide students with educational programming and book fairs at no cost to the students or schools.

Types of Programming

Access to Books

Book ownership is a critical aspect of our program, because we believe a large part of encouraging independent reading is rooted in the excitement of choosing and owning a book during a Scholastic book fair.

Community Engagement

When families are engaged in their child’s reading and are connected with their child’s teachers, the results are students with strong language and literacy competencies. We actively sponsor community engagement by providing grants and additional programming throughout the school year. 

Educational Resources

We ensure educators and parents have the tools to encourage growth as readers and writers, both in and out of the classroom.