A lady with a book is a powerful thing, a lady with a book AND a dog is unstoppable. The South Carolina State Library is excited to welcome Katie to our staff. Katie is a certified therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International. She serves the community visiting hospitals, nursing homes, schools and libraries! Katie’s handler, Ellen Dunn, is the Public Information Coordinator for the South Carolina State Library. The two are committed to helping libraries start and grow a Tail Waggin’ Tutors program where young people read to and with therapy dogs. The program helps improve a child’s self esteem when reading aloud. The calm, reassurance from therapy dogs allows children to relax when they read and associate reading with something positive. The result is a child’s joy associated with reading and an excitement about reading to their own pets. Schools that utilize the program often report higher reading scores in response to the positive motivation. If you are interested in starting a Tail Waggin’ Tutors program at your library or school, please contact Ellen Dunn at edunn@statelibrary.sc.gov or (803) 734-0462.
