Do You Live in a “Book Desert?”

What is a “Book Desert”?

Did you know that you can live in the middle of a desert and not even realize it? When most people hear the word “desert,” they think of an area like the Sahara, where the ground is covered with sand or rocks, and there aren’t many plants because there’s very little rain. But there are other kinds of deserts, too. 

Food Deserts

Maybe you’ve heard the term “food deserts.” The website Food is Power  says, “Food deserts can be described as geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient travelling distance.” It’s estimated that “about 2.3 million people (or 2.2 percent of all US households) live more than one mile away from a supermarket and do not own a car.” That makes it difficult for those families to eat the nutritious food they need to stay healthy. 

Book Deserts

Another kind of desert you may not have heard of is a “book desert.” Those are areas where children and their families have very limited access to books and other reading material. For instance, one study mentioned in The Atlantic magazine found that “In a (Philadelphia) community of concentrated poverty… there was only a single age-appropriate book per 300 kids—or about 33 titles total, all of which were coloring books.” 

Why Does it Matter?

Just like living in a food desert makes it hard for people to have healthy bodies, living in a book desert makes it hard for people to have healthy minds. 

Many studies have shown that having access to books, and especially books in the home, helps ensure that kids have the tools they need to succeed – not just in school, but in life. As we mentioned in an earlier BookGive blog, “A growing body of evidence shows that growing up with home libraries boosts adult literacy, adult numeracy (math skills), and adult technological competence.”

Unite For Literacy devised an interactive map showing the estimated percentage of homes with one hundred or more books. Much of the Denver-metro area falls into the book desert category. Take a look for yourself and see if your neighborhood is a book desert.

How BookGive Helps

As an important Denver book charity, we that there are huge, life-changing benefits to having a home library.

The BookGive vision points to a world where everyone has as many books as they want. We’re starting here in the Denver area book desert to convert as many homes as possible to owning at least a hundred books.

You can help! Donate now.

This blog post contributed by BookGive volunteer writer, Leah Welborn. Click here to join our volunteer writing team.