Reading revival; JCPS sees library use soar in response to cell-phone ban

According to the school district, JCPS students have checked out a record number of books in the first two weeks of school.

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Something remarkable is happening in Jefferson County Public Schools, and it all started with putting phones away.

When JCPS implemented its district-wide ban on cell phones and digital devices during school hours this year, educators weren't sure what to expect. What they got was something they never saw coming: a reading revolution.

"Many students have told me that since they cannot be looking at their cell phones during lunch or any other part of the school day, they are checking out books to read instead," said Erin Reed, librarian at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, according to an update shared by JCPS. "It's wonderful!"

The numbers tell an incredible story. In just the first 17 days of this school year, PRP students checked out more than 1,200 books- nearly half of what they borrowed during the entire previous year. And PRP isn't alone.

Across the district, school libraries are experiencing a renaissance. Waggener High saw checkouts jump from 232 last August to 1,069 this year. At Farnsley Middle, the increase is even more dramatic- from 92 checkouts last August to 1,003 this year. That's more than a tenfold increase.

Dr. Lynn Reynolds, JCPS's executive director of library media services, sees this shift as proof of something educators have long believed. "Seeing students turn from phones to pages reminds me why libraries matter so deeply," she says. "Engagement with books is one of the best kinds of social activity at this age."

More than just reading

The transformation goes beyond individual reading habits. At Central High, librarian Adrian Layne describes students who once sat alone scrolling now "laughing, playing and talking with peers." Schools have started stocking board games, card games, and coloring books to meet the demand for phone-free activities.

As these Louisville students are learning, sometimes the most powerful technology is also the oldest: a good book, a conversation with friends, or simply the ability to be present in the moment. In a world increasingly dominated by screens, JCPS might have stumbled upon something revolutionary by simply asking students to power down.

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