DES MOINES, Iowa — Long before she was pink, fuzzy and a fiend for books, Rosie Reader was bringing the joy of the library to kids across Des Moines – one visit at a time.
The recognizable book monster is known for her voracious love of learning, and the program in her name has been running in the metro for decades, long before she was a character of her own.
"Rosie was has such a history pre-mascot .... [she] goes back [more than] 30 years. So, this is nothing new," said Des Moines Public Library Director Sue Woody.
The Rosie Reader outreach program brings the library into the community with visits to second grade classes, Drake Early Headstart classrooms, DMPS preschools and after-school care sites.
"We've been doing this for years, yet we have never done it at this level," Woody said.
Originally, two people — a driver and a storyteller — facilitated the Rosie Reader visits. But budget cuts pinched the program down to a team of one: Woody.
Driving from school to school, visiting classrooms under the alias of Rosie Reader and instilling passion for reading in kids, Woody took her first steps at the Des Moines Public Library.
But Woody had aspirations to reach. When she left to pursue further education, the Rosie visits were pushed to the wayside for a few years. The familiar character came back to life when Woody returned as director.
“When I came into the position of director, I know how important that program is," she said. "I know what a huge difference it makes to these kids. And that was one of my top priorities, was to bring Rosie back."
And bring her back she did. Using her own experience with the kids for reference, Woody made sure the library's patron saint of literacy got a new look: A decidedly pink, cuddly one.
"I went through 25 different iterations of what Rosie could be. But I had, I did a lot of storytelling with puppets back in the day, and there was one particular pink fuzzy monster puppet that I just loved using that the kids loved as well," she said. "So I asked our graphic designer at the time to come up with some versions of a big mascot, of a big puppet. And that's how Rosie came into being."
So, what does a book monster do? Woody and the Rosie Reader team say their clever creature is helping tackle a major problem in the metro.
"Des Moines public school kids, we are way behind. Our literacy rates are not where they should be. And so we want to be a part of the solution," Woody said.
Des Moines Public Schools' "on track" goals for the 2021-22 school year were consistently not met for grades K-2, and 2022 data revealed literacy rates across Iowa fell during the pandemic.
"It takes a village, it takes a library, it takes parents takes caregivers, it takes teachers, it takes schools," Woody added. "We want to be a part of the solution because it's a really big problem. And it will remain a problem for a long time."
Luckily, Rosie's not fighting this issue alone — her team exploded in size only a year ago after City Manager Scott Sanders connected the program with $1 million in ARPA funding, something Woody credits to the city.
"I never would have dreamed we'd have four full-time people. Even five years ago, I never would have dreamed that would have been a possibility," Woody said.
Within the program's first four visits, Rosie's Readers show children different ways to consume literature, whether it's audiobooks, graphic novels or a handheld book.
"What our intentions are is to really meet the community where they already exist — where people already are — and try to meet them and help them reach their goals. And, you know, try to, of course, engage them with literacy and try to make it a really fun experience that they can remember," outreach library assistant Damian Herrera said.
And the team has watched young minds grow right in front of them.
"There is just this sense of vigor that you're filled with, because this child who probably rolled their eyes when you first walked in, when they first heard that the library was coming to visit," said Ashley Molzen, DMPL's community engagement supervisor. "Now they are making up stories about how they have their own Rosie at home and how much they love to read."
For outreach library assistant Deseure DeBerry, who moved to Des Moines only a few months ago from Washington, Rosie's role in the library is a new concept — and a welcome one.
"There wasn't like a big figurehead of literacy. There wasn't really a mascot to reading or loving reading. So, that was the first thing I was like, 'Wow ... this is like the missing link to all of the challenges that we've faced and where I came from,'" DeBerry said.
The team hopes to expand the Rosie Reader program even more in the future, with Woody emphasizing the already incredible growth over the past few years as well as the literacy gaps still needing filled.
But with a pink book monster by their side, developing a hungry love for learning is just another adventure for kids.
"There's usually a child who will ask me, 'Is Rosie real? or is like, 'I know Rosie is not real.' And they'll say that to me ... " Herrera said. "I tell them that what is real is that there's somebody at the library who cares about you very much and wants you to read some fantastic books and wants you to have a good time doing it."
For more information on volunteering for DMPL, click here or stop by one of their six locations across the city.