Library Dads started in Atlanta to help fathers and kids connect through books. Explore how it’s growing into a powerful literacy and bonding movement.
Kids love reading, but that love needs to be nurtured and allowed to grow. When parents bond with their kids over a love of great books, the power of literature grows even stronger – it is both a driving force for a lifelong love of reading and also a galvanizing influence, fostering unbreakable bonds between family members.
This is the thinking behind the Atlanta, Georgia-based Library Dads. These guys are a group of dedicated parents seeking to help their own kids improve their literacy and explore new adventures with reading.
It’s an inspiring project, and it’s making real waves in Atlanta right now.
The Beginning of Something Amazing
When Atlanta’s Khari Arnold became a father, he knew he wanted to create a special bond between himself and his baby daughter. But he also wanted to do something more than this – he wanted to give his daughter a gift she would keep with her throughout her whole life. This gift was a love of reading and literature.
So he began taking his daughter to the library with him, finding books she could enjoy, and then reading them aloud together. It was a joyful experience, and the pair got so much out of it that Khari decided he wanted to share this joy with the world.
He took to social media, reaching out to local dads in his area. With an Instagram reel that showcased how much fun Khari and his little daughter were having, the Library Dads group was born.
Library Link-Ups
It didn’t take long for Khari to find other like-minded fathers in the area. Local dad began joining in the fun, bringing their kids to the library and sharing in some special moments together with their fellow Atlantans.
These sessions became known as Library Link-Ups – a chance for dads to spend quality time and do something special for the next generation.
But they also brought some unexpected positive effects.
In addition to creating special bonds with their little ones, these Atlanta dads found they were also building bonds with one another.
“One of our favorite sayings is, ‘It’s one thing to have men in your circle; it’s another thing to have men in your corner,’” Khari said. The bonds the Library Dads are creating together are already something special, but this is only the beginning.
The Future of the Library Dads
The Library Dads is still a growing project. While there has already been a great response to the group that Khari set up, there is still plenty of room for it to grow and develop. There are Library Link-Ups penciled in every other weekend across 2025, and this is likely to continue far into next year and beyond.
But Khari has hinted at far greater plans – albeit, plans that he himself might not be so closely involved in. He’s talked about how he would like to see more Library Dads chapters opening up in locations across the US, following the example of the Atlanta guys and bringing the power and positivity of the project to other locations around the country.
For this, other people will need to take the initiative. Khari has a lot on his plate back in Georgia, and he’s already done so much for his local community. But the project is so inspiring and so exciting that it’s surely going to catch on elsewhere, too.
If you’re located in the United States or anywhere else, watch this space. You might find a Library Dads session starting up somewhere near you in the not-too-distant future. Better yet, you might feel inspired enough to start one yourself.
A Truly Special Project
Passing on literacy skills to a new generation is always valuable, but in Atlanta, this is a particularly important project. A recent study found that less than half of Atlanta’s third-graders are proficient in reading, so any initiative that helps to reverse this is going to be very helpful indeed.
But the implications are even broader than this. Building bonds with kids can be tricky in the digital age, but sessions like Library Link-Ups are helping to forge lasting connections between parents and little ones. And parenting itself can be hard too, with many feeling isolated and disconnected. The opportunity to meet up on a regular basis with other dads in the local area is huge for many people.
It’s clear that this is a great project, and one with a bright future.
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John Burns
John has been writing ever since he was small, and is delighted to be able to make his living as a writer now he’s not quite so small. Literature has always been a big part of John’s life, and he loves sharing this passion with readers from all over the world.
