Waldo Reads

09/16/2025

Shining a Light on Literacy: Maine Communities Rally for 2025 Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

From September 15–19, the nation will observe Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the critical importance of literacy in helping individuals, families, and communities thrive. Across Maine, the week highlights urgent challenges and inspiring opportunities in addressing adult literacy, led by organizations including Literacy Volunteers Androscoggin, Literacy Volunteers of Bangor, Literacy Volunteers of Franklin & Somerset Counties, Literacy Volunteers Kennebec, Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County, and Midcoast Literacy.

According to the Barbara Bush Foundation, more than 1 in 10 adults in Maine struggle with basic reading, writing, and math skills. These challenges ripple through families and communities, affecting employment opportunities, financial stability, access to healthcare, and children’s educational success. The ability to read confidently is not only a personal achievement—it is also a pathway to stronger communities, a more prepared workforce, and brighter futures for generations to come.

How to Help: Join Your Local Literacy Organization in Advancing Literacy

As a community-driven nonprofit, Literacy Volunteers improves lives by providing free, confidential tutoring to adults who want to strengthen their reading, writing, English language, or math skills. During Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, Literacy Volunteers encourages Mainers to take part in this vital cause through the following ways:
-Volunteer as a Tutor or Mentor: No teaching experience is required—just patience, commitment, and a passion for helping others. Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County (LVWC) provides training and ongoing support.
-Spread Awareness: Share LVWC’s work on social media, talk to employers, community groups, and schools about the importance of literacy education.
-Make a Donation: Financial contributions directly support one-on-one tutoring, learner materials, and outreach to adults who are waiting for help.
-Promote Family Literacy: Parents who read at home model literacy for their children. Encourage family reading nights and donate books to local libraries or literacy programs.
-Partner with Employers: Local businesses can support literacy by providing time for employees to attend tutoring sessions and by investing in workforce literacy efforts.

As we recognize Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2025, Mainers are reminded that the gift of literacy is life-changing. Investing in learners of all ages is a critical step in building stronger families, a more skilled workforce, and vibrant communities across Maine.

For more information about ways to get involved in building literacy, you can contact any of the locally-supported literacy volunteer organizations across the state:

Literacy Volunteers Androscoggin | literacyvolunteersandro.org | 51 Westminster St., Lewiston Maine | 207-753-6658| Providing free, one-on-one tutoring and English conversation partners in Androscoggin County.

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor | LVBangor.org | 207-947-8451 | Serving the greater Bangor area.

Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties | westernmaineliteracy.org | 207-500-3131 | Serving Franklin & Somerset Counties.

Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec | lva-augusta.org | 207–626-3440 | Serving Kennebec County.

Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County (Waldo Reads) | waldoreads.org | 207-338-3197 | Serving Waldo County.

Mid Coast Literacy | midcoastliteracy.org | 207-443-6384 | Serving Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and northern Cumberland Counties.

In this video, Kimmel Proctor, from Beyond Literacy in Philadelphia, shares how adult literacy transforms lives.

01/31/2025

Waldo Reads Together Postponed Until 2026

Due to a change in staffing at Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County, the Waldo Reads Together program will be taking a hiatus for 2025. In order to be able to offer an organized and thoughtful community book read, we have decided to use 2025 to get a head start on planning. We are aiming to announce the next Waldo Reads book at the beginning of next year with book discussions taking place in spring of 2026. Our book selection committee will meet frequently in the coming months, and we look forward to taking this time to make some adjustments to the program based on feedback received from participant surveys. If you are interested in becoming a facilitator for our 2026 Waldo Reads Together book discussions, please reach out to Ashley Megquier at [email protected]. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We’ll stay in touch, and hope that you’ll participate in the next round of Waldo Reads Together!

11/19/2024

10/17/2024

Check out this fun challenge at Carver Memorial Library!

Patch Challenges
Carver Memorial Library encourages everyone, kids, adults, teens, and families, to take on our Reading Challenges! We encourage you to read widely and explore the library and the world around you. The challenges available are Conservation, Music, Kindness, Oceans, Animals, Fairytales, Maine History, and Searsport.

To complete each challenge, log reading and activities to earn an embroidered patch/badge. Independent readers read 3 books (appropriate to your reading level) and do 3 activities related to the theme. Family readers/children being read to/pre-readers read 5 books and do 3 activities.
All the details and log sheets on our Patch challenge page: https://www.carverlibrary.org/challenge.html

10/16/2024

Have you heard about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which is now live in Waldo County? You can enroll your child to receive a free book each month!

Waldo County parents and caregivers: You can inspire your child's love of reading with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

How it works:

~The Imagination Library program is now available for all infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Waldo County!!

~It is free and easy to register your child, simply scan the QR code to sign-up, click the link below, or call your local library for more information.

www.imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability

~In 6-8 weeks, your child will receive their first book in the mail, "The Little Engine That Could."

~Books will continue to arrive in the mail monthly until your child's 5th birthday.

~If you have any questions contact the Belfast Free Library Children's Librarian at 338-3884 ext. 26.

10/15/2024

Over the summer, LVWC's longtime program coordinator Denise Pendleton retired, and Ashley Megquier was hired to step into the role. Here is a bit about our new coordinator:

"I am pleased to introduce myself to you as the Coordinator of Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County. I have 20 years of experience overseeing various programs for nonprofit organizations, mainly in education and outreach coordinator roles. While studying at Bowdoin College, I worked for the America Reads program helping elementary students build literacy skills, and briefly worked for an educational research foundation conducting assessments on young children.

I am also the Outreach Coordinator for Friends of Sears Island, and regularly partner with the Belfast and Searsport libraries to create programs for families that incorporate and promote literacy. A few years ago, I worked to create a StoryWalk trail on Sears Island, which now has permanent display boards we use to feature several books each year, building excitement around reading while also encouraging movement in nature.

I believe that building skills that lead to increased literacy – in any area of life, at any age – is a worthwhile endeavor. Knowledge is incredibly empowering and can unlock doors to so many different realms of life. I look forward to supporting our amazing tutors and learning partners in their important and rewarding work, and making connections in our community to strengthen the impact of our mission."

01/26/2023

Oliver James is a TikTok star who pledged to read 100 books this year. He has had a lot of difficulty with reading since he was a child and is now teaching himself at age 34.

01/26/2023

Aren't we lucky we can READ this inspirational story about the power of books for someone who's just learned to read!

Oliver James is a TikTok star who pledged to read 100 books this year. He has had a lot of difficulty with reading since he was a child and is now teaching himself at age 34.

01/19/2023

Literacy Volunteers with the Waldo Reads Together Committee is delighted to announce, after much deliberation, the 2023 WRT book selection title. If you're not on our list, contact me as noted in the flyer below or message me. We listened to our 2022 WRT participants who wanted a book that captured the Maine and/or Native American experience. This one does both!