“Ready or Not, Here I Come!”: Promoting Reading and Socio-cultural Integration of Preschool and School-age Children Through Sustainability

The project “Free stone for the library! Read, discover, fly …” of the Library System (UCCb) of the Catholic University of Córdoba (UCC), Argentina, is an innovative initiative that promotes reading and socio-cultural integration of preschool and school-age children, with special emphasis on vulnerable social sectors. Although it is an academic library system, community outreach activities are carried out in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, transcending the limits of the university campus. Through playful and creative activities focused on storytelling and artistic intervention, the project seeks to enhance the role of the library in educational processes and encourage interest in reading from an early age. It involves interdisciplinary work with other academic units, student volunteers, and partners outside the university community. This chapter describes the project in detail and discusses how it contributes to the UN SDGs, especially SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, which focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable; and SDG 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goals. Its impact on promoting socially equitable practices is highlighted, such as the inclusion of children from vulnerable sectors, the promotion of social equity, and the promotion of sustainable development.