Stock Photography Books Recycled to Teach Reading

As online stock photography services and libraries have expanded in recent years, stock photography books have become more and more obsolete.

Advertising and communications corp JWT recently came up with an idea to breath new life into these dying books by transforming them into tools to help teach disadvantaged children to read.

My First Book Project” started in JWT’s Cape Town, South Africa office, and has spread worldwide through the organization.

To help solve the massive literacy problem the country faces, we have created “learner books. ” By writing descriptions of what is displayed on each page we can help children in these communities learn to read. For example if there is a photo of a man sitting on a chair, we simply write “man” and “chair.” JWT has partnered with the worldwide organization, The Global Literacy Project (GLP) to bring these educational materials to children and adults in Africa as well as India. It’s a simple, yet impactful solution that allows us to give these books full of beautiful images a second life.

As the Internet becomes more and more accessible for those around the world, the same concept could be applied to Creative Commons photographs online, which can be used as a learning tool to improve literacy.


Image credit: Photograph by My First Book Project

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