TCLP

About the organization

The Community Library Project (TCLP) is a library organization that runs three free community libraries in Delhi NCR. Through this initiative, it seeks to create free access to libraries and books for everyone. 

TCLP is a low-cost, volunteer-driven, citizen initiative committed to the work of building a movement for a publicly owned library system that is accessible to all. TCLP’s libraries are based in Delhi NCR and have over 30,000 books and over 5000 members across three branches. 

TCLP runs various programs to build engagement with books, reading, and thinking. Such programs include Read-Aloud, Honour Roll Program, Book Report Clinic, Cyber Project, and the like. TCLP has an online branch, Duniya Sabki, that reaches members of the TCLP community and educators over WhatsApp and a YouTube channel, featuring content created and curated in Hindi, English, and Dari. 

In terms of strategy, we aspire to build free community libraries to create access to books and reading. Design interventions to build engagement with reading and thinking. And uild community ownership and develop a leadership program so the library is community-owned.

Location of work

Delhi NCR – Khirki Extension – Sikanderpur – South-Ex Kotla Mubarakpur

Project updates

One of our main programs is the Reading Fluency Program. The program aims to help students read with accuracy, speed, prosody, and stamina, and explore a wide range of literature beyond academic books. Each child needs a balanced literacy intervention and daily reading practice from multiple books of their choice to become a fluent and thoughtful reader. 

The program is a seven-week-long literature-based reading intervention. Various reading strategies are introduced to build fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. Different reading materials and genres are used to engage with books and build reading stamina. Students are assessed before and after the intervention. The data is used to analyze the growth and identify a change in reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension. Book record is maintained to analyze what kind of books students read during the program. 

The program has been implemented in all three branches and some neighborhood schools. In 2022-23, 257 students graduated from the Hindi RF with an average gain in reading speed of 18 words and an average gain in accuracy of six percent. Eighty-nine students graduated from the Hindi RF with an average gain in reading speed of 14 words and an average gain in accuracy of seven percent. Students read 7,804 books throughout the year. Fifty students graduated from the Hindi Learn to Read Program, a three-week intervention to support students who struggle to read words with or without matras.

Learning

Some of our learnings are encapsulated below. 

• Community Libraries can help schools bridge the reading gap by creating programs that support members in their reading journey. 
• Our education system (on policy and practice levels) must reduce the gap between research and classroom practices. 
• Quality instructions help children read better in three months and at the same time.
• There needs to be enough exposure to reading and literature outside of the classroom to sustain the learning. 
• Exploring research on phonological awareness and incorporating it into our curriculum is important. 
• The teacher’s interest in carrying the learnings from the program beyond the intervention is necessary for the sustainability of the program.
• Teachers’ affirmation and acknowledgment of students’ reading habits can encourage more children to work persistently and use the library frequently.

Challenges

The systemic problems in our education are too deep and they are impacting students’ learning. This includes the lack of teachers in school, lack of proper infrastructure, overload of administrative responsibilities on teachers that prevent them from focusing on classes, and finally, additional duties for government schoolteachers such as election duties, COVID-related, data collection, and the like. Apart from this, there is also a lack of research on Hindi reading fluency and assessments to measure reading levels.

Plan of action

TCLP will do four batches of English and Hindi Reading Fluency across four quarters at the library and in government schools. TCLP will conduct the Learn to Read Program in schools. TCLP will organize read-aloud and library curriculum training for free community libraries in India. TCLP will develop and implement the Adult Literacy Program, Read-Aloud for Diversity and English For All Program. TCLP will produce Reading Fluency and Headstart Manuals and publish them on its website as an open-sourced curriculum.

TCLP wants to attend workshops on Early Childhood Education, Adult Literacy, English as a Second Language, and Reading, Writing, and Literacy workshops. The curriculum team and information Specialists will attend these workshops. These workshops will be useful in strengthening our curriculum and best practices.