Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Atlanta’s ‘Library Dads’ Are Helping Kids Fall in Love with Reading

When Khari Arnold started taking his infant daughter to the library, he wasn’t just teaching her to love books — he was building a foundation for something much larger. His simple Instagram reel inviting other fathers to join them sparked the Library Dads, a growing brotherhood of men who gather with their children for story time, laughter, and what they call “tickle time.” Arnold’s insight runs deeper than literacy statistics: “It’s one thing to have men in your circle; it’s another thing to have men in your corner,” he says, naming the dual gift these gatherings offer: fathers finding community while their children are exposed to hundreds of thousands more words by age five. In a culture where half of American adults read below a sixth-grade level, these dads are proving that the antidote to isolation and illiteracy might be as beautifully simple as sitting down together and turning pages.

Be The Change

Invite someone into a space filled with books — a library, bookstore, or even your own bookshelf. Let them choose something that catches their eye, and then read it together without rushing. The gift isn’t just the words on the page; it’s the uninterrupted presence, the shared discovery, and the message you send by simply being there.