In August 2025, the Library Foundation funded a pilot partnership between CHPL and Barbershop Books, a national literacy program that works to provide reading opportunities to black boys directly in their local community barbershops.
Ten local barbershops are participating in this pilot program, including Ed Barnes of Barnes Barbershop in Madisonville. He shared that before the program, kids would come into his shop and flip through magazines, trying to read them. When he heard about Barbershop Books, he knew it would be a great partnership.
On the first day Ed’s shop had Barbershop Books reading material available, a brother and sister came in and ran right to the shelves. Each of them picked out a book, and Ed said that they each read to one another.
Ed shared, “Every time they come in, they grab a book. That was the very first day, and the first children that came in, but all the children seem to do it.”
The ten local shops included in this pilot program are:
- Barnes Barbershop: 3241 Woodburn Ave., Evanston
- G’s Perfection Plus Barber Shop: 3120 Harrison Ave., Westwood
- Todd Cutts: 3349 Harrison Ave., Cheviot
- Irby’s Barber: 2828 Vine St., Corryville
- Supreme Styles Barber Shop: 1569 Chase Ave., Northside
- Distinguished Cuts: 5826 Bramble Ave., Madisonville
- Barnes Barbershop: 6016 Madison Road, Madisonville
- Bo Barber Shop: 7607 Perry St., Mt. Healthy
- Forever Cuttin Up: 945 Hempstead Rd., Finneytown
- Razor 1 Kutz Barbershop: 7218 Montgomery Rd., Silverton
Check out WCPO 9’s news segment in August 2025 about this partnership:
