PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - While we live in the world of print, in much of the world children have little reading material. Using the model of mobile phones connecting people instantly, Worldreader, a non- profit organization, seeks to make digital books available to the developing world, putting a library of books in the hands of every family electronically.

Citing the relationship between literacy and economic growth, Worldreader subsidizes e-readers in under-served communities and measures success through increased reading rates, local content development and business creation.

Partnerships with school districts, governments and businesses, will allow digitizing local content in almost any language to bring newspapers, books and magazines rapidly at low cost — changing lives and opening enormous possibilities for children to learn and enjoy books.

A trial in Barcelona, Spain, helped to understand logistics and the iread pilot study in Ghana with 500 children at three different grade levels was launched in November. Progress reports, partners and more information may be found at Worldreader.org where e-readers, in the language of the founders (are) “… changing the face of reading around the world.”

Reported By Dr. Marciene Mattleman, KYW Newsradio