Today is International Literacy Day! To help give you a better idea of what that means and how you can get involved, here are a few quick answers about today.
What is International Literacy Day?
UNESCO began International Literacy Day in 1965 as a way to raise awareness of the importance of worldwide literacy and education. UNESCO uses the day as a time to update the world on the progress of literacy and the state of education.
What is the state of literacy and education?
Today, 757 million adults still lack basic literacy skills. Two-thirds of the 757 million are women. There are also more out-of-school children today than there were in 2010. Of primary school-aged children receiving an education, 250 are still not mastering basic literacy skills. There has been overall progress in literacy since 2000 when worldwide education goals were set. However, only a third of countries reached these goals, and a lot of work needs to be done to better reach the goals set for 2030. (Source: UNESCO)
What can I do to help?
Find ways to get involved in your community and local library programs to support literacy. Check out our literacy partners to see ways to get involved in the work they are doing. Read books to children in your life.
You can also help by buying books from Better World Books. Every book you buy from us results in a book donated to someone in need. Additionally, our literacy partners receive funding from every book we sell. To make it a little easier to buy books and support these causes, we are offering an International Literacy Day Sale all week. Shop now to save big on four or more used books from our bargain bin that ship from us.
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