Atlanta fathers step up for literacy as “Library Dads” for the community

Khari Arnold is just a dad in Atlanta that wanted to bond with his baby daughter and instill a love of reading into her. After a year of taking his daughter to the library and reading to her aloud, he posted a reel on Instagram to recap his weekly trips. He wanted his fellow fathers in the community to share this joy, so he stepped up to create Library Dads.

Library Dads is a community of Atlanta fathers that get together on weekends twice a month to take their children to the library. At these “Library Link-Ups” the dads get to bond with their children and participate in read-aloud story time. It’s not only a bonding experience from father to child and a promotion of literacy, but a “brotherhood” of dads looking for community and friendship.

“One of our favorite sayings is, ‘It’s one thing to have men in your circle, it’s another thing to have men in your corner,’ said Arnold. Arnold wanted to foster a group of dads that can teach, learn, and encourage one another in their paths in fatherhood on top of providing a spot for their children to read and grow.

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Illiteracy is a pressing issue in the United States, and not just for children. According to a 2022–2023 study conducted by the National Literacy Institute, 130 million adults are unable to read a simple story to their children. Along with that, approximately 50% of adults read so poorly that they cannot achieve simple tasks such as reading the label on their prescription drugs.

When it comes to kids, 40% of students throughout the United States are unable to read at a basic level. Young students in elementary school that struggle with reading are shown to have several emotional, social, and societal struggles compared to kids that are literate within their age range or higher.

Communities like Library Dads present an opportunity for both children and adults to get more involved with reading to offset those issues. It also provides a great social space for dads to make friends with fellow dads to help them find kinship in men that aren’t family members nor friends that don’t have children.

You can be a part of a group of reading dads, too!Photo credit: @thelibrarydads

Arnold’s hope is for Library Dads to open chapters throughout the country, spreading this idea around to help fathers with their kids, along with addressing those literacy issues. However, you don’t have to wait for him.

If you want you can start your own dad or parent reading group trip to your local library. Create a group on Facebook, post a date on a community cork board, and chat with your local library for resources to make a group like Library Dads in your area. If not the library, grab some children’s books and meet up at a local state park near picnic tables or at a community center to foster a group.

Illiteracy may seem like a personal issue for a parent or a child, but it’s a community problem that can be resolved if enough people gather together to help and encourage one another.