Washing, Drying, Folding, and Reading: The Little Laundromat Library

Written by Amanda Mathis

The Barnet Room in Converse University’s Montgomery Student Center was full of laughter and young voices as Drayton Elementary School student leaders worked alongside Converse University students earlier this month. Organized by a cohort from the Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) Upstate Class 34 of The Riley Institute at Furman University, they all focused on one goal – to build a little laundromat library for those in need. 

This group of community leaders included Converse University’s Dr. Neval Ertürk, Associate Provost of Research and Engagement, who took the project’s lead to extend it from idea to action to support a place where many of Spartanburg’s parents and children go every week, a laundromat.

Standpoints on Spartanburg’s Critical Issues

Children’s first five years of life are critical for language exposure. Studies indicate that children in lower-income families often don’t experience the rich literary environment accustomed to more affluent families. Recognizing these critical issues facing Spartanburg citizens, an idea formed from the cohort of the Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) Upstate Class 34 of The Riley Institute at Furman University to create a place that was accessible to all – a free little laundromat library. 

Turning A New Page

The cohort’s goal was to jump-start children’s reading and language skills in the Whitney neighborhood, where 16% of young children live in poverty. Partnering with the Sparkle City Laundromat in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the group aimed to promote literature in an underserved population area of Spartanburg County. The hands-on art project allowed elementary and college students to collaborate and create a decorated bookshelf for the small business.

“Books can become a best friend to a child, which is why we plan to continue this program beyond this one-day initiative.”

Dr. Neval Ertürk

“A large number of families in this area live at or below the poverty level and have little access to their books,” said Dr. Ertürk. “Books can become a best friend to a child, which is why we plan to continue this program beyond this one-day initiative.”

Transformative Leadership

This project will continue after Dr. Ertürk graduates from the Diversity Leaders Initiative. With local residents visiting Sparkle City Laundromat multiple times a month, there is a recurring component that makes a long-term project like this one possible. “It’s likely that if local residents wash their laundry on Sunday, they’ll be back the next Sunday, and the next, for weeks,” said Ertürk. 

“Reading is such a gift, and if you want people to be able to read, they have to have books in their hands to do that,” said Dr. Ertürk. “Parents spending quality time with their child and with books is a sign of success.”