Read to a Therapy Dog

Copper, a certified therapy dog, is back at the Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. Library on Thursday, October 22, at 3 PM. It's part of the Free Library of Philadelphia's PAWS Read to a Dog program, and the setup is as simple as it sounds: children of all ages come in and read out loud to Copper. He's a certified therapy dog, so he's used to the attention, and the whole point is to give kids a low-pressure way to practice their reading skills and build a bit of confidence. One of the best things about it is that they can read in any language they like.

If you miss this one, it's not a one-off. The program runs every other Thursday at 3 PM, so Copper will be back on November 5 and November 19. Earlier sessions ran on September 10 and 24, and October 8, so this is just one stop in a regular schedule.

The venue itself has a fair bit of history. The Donatucci Branch, known as the Passyunk Branch until 2004, has been a South Philadelphia institution since 1914, serving neighborhoods like Girard Estate, Packer Park, Passyunk Homes, St. Richards, and West Passyunk. It opened on land given by the estate of Stephen Girard, a French immigrant who was thought to be the richest man in America when he died, and it was one of 25 libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie. In 2004, it was renamed after Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr., a local resident whose community service spanned from the 1930s until his death in 1970, when he was chairman of the 26th Ward. The building still houses several murals by Calvin Jones.

Space is limited, and places are filled first come, first served, so it's worth getting there a little early. You'll find the library at 1935 West Shunk Street, at the corner of 20th and Shunk Streets in Philadelphia, PA 19145-4234. Copper will be there at 3 PM on Thursday, October 22.