PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Half the county's third-graders are not proficient at reading.

 

The Berkshire United Way is continuing its efforts to change that percentage.

 

For the last five or so years, the organization has run a number of programs and projects aimed to bring that percentage close to 90 percent proficient by 2020 and this year the efforts are ramping up even more. 

 

"This year, because that is how we are, we are going bigger and we're going better," CEO Kristine Hazzard said on Monday when the organization announced details on the installation of 50 "bookhouses" throughout the county.

 

Employees at Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corp. volunteered to build the houses that will store around 100 books for parents and youth on a "take one and leave one" basis. Those will be installed in various places in 22 of the county's 32 towns.

 

"We really want families and kids to have access to books 24/7. When school is not in session, they can still have access to books. In the summer, when they are trying to figure out what to do, 'hey, let's take a walk down and leave one and take one book.' It could be a family event." Hazzard said.

 

"We really want the community to embrace this. We want the community to really help young people understand that reading is fundamental."

 

The "Little Free Libraries" movement began in 2009; by January, more than 36,000 bookhouses have been installed across the world.

 

Jack Driscoll from Geary Buildings designed the bookhouses for Berkshire County and they are being constructed by employees at SABIC and JRL Construction from materials provided by L.P. Adams. The organization has sought out community representatives to help find locations.

 

"They were amazing in identifying locations and zoning, installation regulations and stuff like that. Then we said, 'we've got that covered, now what do we do to get these things actually in the ground on posts or on walls?' " Michael Wynn, co-chair of the project, said.

 

In Pittsfield, the city offered in-house resources and in other areas local companies are volunteering time to put the houses in the various locations — either posted in or on walls of existing structures.

 

Those community leaders and businesses will then be taking on the task of making sure the houses are stocked with books and the installations are maintained. Sponsors are also holding book drives. More than 40 volunteers have joined the effort to install and maintain the houses. 

 

"This has not been a simple endeavor. But, it has been a broad communitywide endeavor," Wynn said.

 

The houses will all be installed by May 20, which is the "Day of Caring," a national United Way event to celebrate volunteerism.

 

On the "Day of Caring" a total of 10 businesses have also signed up to donate a percentage of their profits that day — or give a one-time gift — to support the United Way's efforts. Those businesses will be giving "We Care" decals to hang on the windows. 

"It's really a robust event and a great way to end the Day of Caring," Barrett said. 

 

She said such a "fun event" is designed to recognize the good work volunteers in the community do that is often overlooked. Barrett says recognition events will play a part in building the social engagement of people in the community, particularly with young professionals to keep them in the area.

 

The Berkshire United Way's effort this year builds on previous programs. In the past it's organized river cleanups, installed learning trails in city parks, and given presentations to help build youth aspirations. Overall, the focus remains on building the community effort to improve literacy.

 

Hazzard said keeping tabs on the progress has become more difficult with the recent changes to school assessments. She said she has seen a "slight uptick" in Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System scores in the third grade. 

 

But, maybe more importantly, she's noticed a significant improvement in combating the "summer slide." Hazzard said during the summer most students lose ground in their reading abilities but since the United Way's efforts began, that's started to level out.

 

"Over 90 percent of the kids have maintained or improved over the summer," she said of the programs the organization have launched.