Tell us more about who you all are and what you all do.

I’m Khari Arnold, the founder of The Library Dads. We’re a community of dads in Atlanta who get together on the weekends and take our kids to the library. We call them Library Link-ups. Reading aloud to our kids is at the center of what we do because a vast amount of research proves its benefits. The most underrated benefit is the bonding experience. 

We recently had a guest attend our Link-up and she shared that one of her favorite memories growing up was going to Cascade Library with her dad every weekend. She’s now a 30-year-old traffic engineer and says reading indeed helped her thrive academically, but the bonding she encountered with her dad was the benefit she cherished the most. 

As The Library Dads, we want to empower those types of bonds, expose kids to the power and joy of books and establish a supportive brotherhood of active fathers.

What inspired you to start The Library Dads? 

When my wife was pregnant, I was given a book called “The Read-Aloud Handbook” by Jim Trelease, the seventh edition. I discovered so many gems in the book and it inspired me to read to my daughter each day and take her to the library each week. 

A year later, I created a reel to post on Instagram to recap our weekly library visits. I just wanted to share something I love doing. But before I posted it, I thought about how cool it would be if other dads could experience this feeling, too. That’s when it hit me to start the community.

What are three things you want your members to take away from being a part of your community?

I want them to adopt our three pillars: Bonding, Books & Brotherhood. 

• There’s nothing like the father-child bond. We read, play, sing, dance and do arts and crafts at the library, but we also have linked up to bond with the kids outside the library. Dads are busy, but we remember to prioritize bonding time.
• From a books perspective, I want our dads to take away the importance of reading aloud. I want our kids to connect reading with pleasure and become lifelong readers. 
• Lastly, we want this to feel like a brotherhood. When I became a dad, my conversations, desires and priorities shifted. I wanted to be around others who could relate to what I’m dealing with. Our Link-ups provide that. We even had our first dads’ night out recently at a bowling alley and it was therapeutic in a sense. We’re planning the next one now.

Why do you feel it’s important to have a community as dads while spending time with kids?

For us specifically, I think it’s great for kids to see a community of men reading. Generally, women tend to read more than men. The majority of daycare providers and school teachers are women. So, at what point do kids see men active in this area? It’s very important our young boys see this image and not tether reading to a specific gender. We aren’t reading history books either — we’re reading fun books that spark their interest. It’s also important for dads to feel connected in the process since it’s not something we may have seen growing up.

Any advice to dads whose kids may not be as confident reading in a group setting?

Great question. Many children lose the desire to read because they’re forced to read in front of others when they aren’t comfortable. We were forced to do popcorn reading in school growing up and looking back, it was a very useless exercise. No one is focused and some kids were mocked, thus causing trepidation towards reading.

To answer your question, I would say constantly affirm them. Don’t do it with the intention to make them a public reader but to simply maintain belief in themselves. An unconfident child will likely become an unconfident adult who will only continue the cycle if they don’t address it. But yes, we don’t believe in forcing the issue by making kids read in front of a group.

Is there a particular age range of kids who can attend or is it for everyone?

The library is for everyone. Our storytime segment is generally tailored for kids 0-7, but we have curated activities and books for kids 8+ as well. We also attend other events hosted at the library and plan fun outings that don’t require an age range.

What’s your definition of “Legacy?”

Legacy is simply how you live your life. Whether you’re intentional about creating a legacy or not, you’re creating one every day. Why not create one that pours into others so the fabric of their legacy will have remnants of yours?

Where do you see the organization in 5 years? 

I envision us having chapters in multiple cities. I also see us adding events strictly for teenagers.

How can people learn more about your meetups and activations?

Everything can be found on our Linktree, including details of our Library Link-ups.

Tell people what’s next for you, how they can follow you, etc.? 

Our Instagram is @thelibrarydads. As for what’s next, we’re about to do a 50-day read-aloud challenge to close out 2024. The challenge will run from Nov. 12 – Dec. 31. We’ll be challenging all dads, even those who aren’t local, to read to their children each day. Details will be posted via social and our newsletter.