Read Grow a City of Readers

Reading is an important part of Canadian life, not just as a source of lifelong pleasure or as a creative or cultural pastime. Reading is the foundation of learning. It increases emotional intelligence and helps people navigate diverse opinions, ideas and experiences. Children who are good readers are well positioned to overcome many of life's challenges. Reading helps people make sense of the world, sparks ideas, and transmits one generation's experience to the next. Readers are more likely to be engaged and to volunteer.

Toronto children are generally engaged readers, but too many struggle. Recent studies have shown that children's reading enjoyment levels are dropping, and one in four children entering school in Canada lack the numeracy and literacy skills to succeed. Four out of ten adults in Canada have low literacy skills, and the situation in Toronto is predicted to worsen in the next two decades.

The Toronto Public Library is uniquely positioned to support readers of all ages by offering broad and easy access to books and reading in a variety of formats, expertise that supports literacy and literary exploration, and a wide range of reading programs that introduce and promote the joy of reading to all Torontonians.

These are our goals

• Build the library's digital and e-collections, and co-created content to expand the digital frontier and advocate for equal access to all digital content for public libraries
• Champion the joy of reading and connect readers, authors and creators
• Support readers in building print literacy skills as an essential foundation for future achievement, especially for children at critical stages in their development