Ready2Learn Five Years Later

In July of 2013, the first Ready2Learn library card was issued in Eastern Oregon. At the time, Project Ready2Learn had the support of the Library Services and Technology Act, Governor Kitzhaber, Oregon College Savings Plan (OCSP), Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc. (GOBHI) and a committed team of librarians ready to prove that frequent library use is directly connected to success in school. Fast forward to today and what you have left is GOBHI, the librarians, and some pretty compelling evidence that what we are doing is working.On paper, the purpose of Ready2Learn was to increase kindergarten readiness. However, the program had a larger goal: to demonstrate that the services already being provided in libraries for children ages 0–6 were giving kids a leg up when they entered kindergarten.This article provides an overview of the program from its launch in 2013 to its evolution in 2016. As a longtime member of the Ready2Learn coalition, I will outline the struggles and successes of the program, concluding with the results of the Kindergarten Assessment conducted this fall.