Small Wins and Feeling Good: An Innovative Book Distribution Program

Many of our children continue to live in book deserts, neighborhoods bereft of reading materials. It is an educational problem that, at times, may seem unsolvable. In this article, my colleagues and I approach the problem from a perspective of a small win, a term first coined by organizational theorist Karl Weik. Small wins act like micro-innovations, tackling big problems by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable projects which can demonstrate promise. The article describes an innovative book distribution program through vending machines in a neighborhood, and provides examples of the ways in which a small win can lead to progress in our understanding of reading and its importance in a community.