Donna Forbis, Illinois Prairie District Public Library – PAWsome Reading Dogs are making a big impact at Illinois Prairie District Public Library, helping young readers gain confidence with non-judgmental, furry listeners.

Today we hear from Donna with the Illinois Prairie District Public Library about their PAWsome reading dog program in their library system. Donna says, " We work with an organization called WOOF (We Offer Our Friends) Therapy Dogs in central Illinois." She says, "WOOF has both certified therapy dogs and in-training therapy dogs, so participating in events like Reading to Dogs is beneficial for both our patrons and the dogs.  Beginning and emerging readers get to practice reading aloud to a very non-judgmental audience, and dogs who are still in training get to practice remaining calm and collected amid (often a large group of) chaotic children!