Learn to Read at Your Library: Decodable Books for Families

What if a public library helped families teach decoding—not just borrow books?

In Bartholomew County, that “what if” became a plan.

The Bartholomew County Public Library (BCPL), in partnership with Cummins, Inc. and community leaders, has launched a research-aligned Learn to Read collection—decodable books and caregiver guides designed so families can support real decoding at home.

Librarians and community partners built the collection to serve caregivers at the crucial moment when children are learning to read and “break the code.”

By pairing source texts that explain how reading develops with decodable books aligned to a child’s current phonics knowledge—the collection removes guesswork, meets a locally identified need, and reflects broad community collaboration you’ll see in the next section.

Part 1: How the Library Built a Learn to Read Collection

In Bartholomew County, two threads finally came together: caregivers asking for decoding support and librarians—with Cummins and community partners—ready to build it.

BCPL has long been a champion of literacy and a trusted resource for families, serving a diverse population and offering a vibrant children’s section, satellite branches, the Bookmobile, and BCPL Express.

And in recent years, more and more parents and caregivers in Bartholomew County turned to the local library for help. Their most common question? How can I help my child learn to read? (It’s a concern that’s only grown since the pandemic and continues to echo through community discussions.)

Reading experts in the U.S. and Australia speak of this as an important shift in conversations and resources around reading.

Librarians say parents in the county already understand the significance of reading aloud to children. They instead want more specifics about supporting that time of life when children are learning to read.

Parents like Heather Riegle, a parent of three.

She serves on the School Ministry Board of a local private school just down the street from the library. This school has also focused its attention on building evidence-based instruction.

After diving into early reading research and being directed by school staff toward resources her son might benefit from, this mama learned some things –

The importance of sound-based decoding—connecting sound and symbols tightly for early reading,
The critical role of presenting phonics in a structured sequence, and
Decodable books as a tool to support instruction—helping students practice what they are learning with feedback from adults.

So, naturally, she turned to the library for help but—found a shortage of the type of book she was after.

Here’s Heather…

When we identified that our son was not grasping reading concepts being taught in our school, we were looking for reading material focused on decoding that wasn’t available at the library.

She’d already scoured websites and had titles in hand. But when she showed up, she found only one structured, phonics-based book series on the shelves and a lot of books that her child couldn’t access, or that she feared produced habits that prevented accurate decoding.

Heather’s experience underscored a clear need—one that aligned with the library’s vision and Cummins’ mission—so this project gained momentum immediately.

Recognizing this growing demand, and the shifting tide of instruction in our local schools and state initiatives, the library staff began dreaming up a solution — curating a “Learn to Read” collection with research-backed books and resources available across all library access points, including satellite locations and mobile services.

But the library needed funding.

That’s where Cummins Inc., a global engine manufacturer headquartered in the midwestern U.S. with a long history of community engagement, got involved to do what community development grants are supposed to do:

Someone comes forward with a need (in this case, parents and librarians) →
The community partner that can fill the need is identified (Bartholomew County Public Library) →
The community partner approaches an engagement team that can provide a grant (Cummins, Inc.)

Cummins is a global power leader dedicated to making a lasting impact in the communities where employees live and work. Through initiatives like CARE – Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity, and Cummins launches new global education strategy to encourage STEM opportunities, the company invests in education, workforce development, and community engagement to create sustainable, meaningful change.

Cummins has had many opportunities to invest in projects around evidence-aligned reading and support the local library in past initiatives as well. Read more about Cummins' efforts around reading in Bartholomew County, Indianapolis, and nationally:

A Call for Action—and a Library–Community Partnership in Motion

Heather’s experience underscored a clear need — one that aligned with the library’s vision and Cummins’ mission, so this project garnered excitement out of the gate.

Mostly because this need was solvable, sparking action – focused discussions, research, collaboration, and ultimately, a grant application.

Here is an overview of our activities beginning in the summer of 2024, leading up to the launch of the collection.

An online call was set up, where stakeholders brainstormed what was already in rotation, what was missing, and what goals we needed to reach.

We compiled an extensive list of resources to reference.

How we built it

Librarian-led research to narrow options for BCPL patrons.
In-person, hands-on review of decodables, high-low titles, and caregiver materials—plus myth-busting on decodable vs. predictable.
Logistics & funding: space, organization, pricing, vendors → funding request.
Employee engagement plan (a Cummins requirement) finalized.
Go time: order, display, signage, outreach.