First comes reading…then comes everything else.

“Reading is the gateway to all other learning,” says Destini Barbee, “and creating opportunities for children to regularly engage with books helps build a strong literacy foundation that carries into long-term learning outcomes.”

A former elementary school teacher, Barbee has seen firsthand how access to books can help close literacy gaps. Now, as Little Bit’s Academic Enrichment Coordinator, she organizes programs designed to grow both students’ personal libraries and their love of reading. This school year alone, students in Little Bit partner schools have received more than 47,000 books through free book fairs and the Books and Buddies program. A new partnership with the St. Louis Education Fund—just beginning to take shape—will expand that reach even further.

“Home Libraries,” a joint initiative of St. Louis Education Fund (formerly St. Louis Public Schools Foundation), Little Bit, and other community partners, aims to spark excitement for reading by providing books, programming, and incentives. The initial goal is to supply every student in five St. Louis Public Schools with about 10 new books before the summer break, when students can lose months of reading proficiency without daily practice. From there, pilot programming may involve tutoring, home visits, and parent training to support reading at home.

Barbee emphasizes that these are not just any books. Each one is intentionally selected to reflect themes like resilience, cultural identity, and respect, with characters who mirror the diversity of the students they serve. “This is core to the approach we take with all of our book procurement,” she explains. “We seek out stories in which students can see themselves.” The team has also responded to specific needs, providing braille and sign language books to ensure accessibility for all learners.

“The best part of my job is seeing students excited about choosing their own book and knowing that we’re having an impact on their lifelong love of reading.”