# Choose a Reading Service Project

Part of the Reading Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/index.md)

*6. Reading in Service*

> **6.** With your counselor's and parent or guardian's permission, choose ONE of the following activities and devote at least four hours of service to that activity. Discuss your participation with your counselor.

Choose exactly one option for this requirement. The point is not just to read more. It is to use reading to help someone else. Some options focus on direct service to people. Others focus on access to books and literacy materials. All of them ask you to give your time in a way that matters.

## Your Options

- **[Req 6a — Read Aloud for Comfort](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req6a/)**: Read to someone who may be isolated, sick, blind, or homebound. You gain patience, empathy, and read-aloud skill.
- **[Req 6b — Volunteer at a Library](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req6b/)**: Support a school or public library with practical tasks. You gain a behind-the-scenes look at how libraries serve a community.
- **[Req 6c — Read to Younger Children](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req6c/)**: Share stories with younger listeners. You gain audience awareness, pacing, and confidence.
- **[Req 6d — Run a Book Swap](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req6d/)**: Help people trade books they have finished for books new to them. You gain planning and event-organizing experience.
- **[Req 6e — Lead a Book Drive](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req6e/)**: Collect books and connect them with people or organizations that need them. You gain logistics and service-project leadership experience.

## How to Choose

**Choosing your service option** — Match each option to the kind of service experience you want

- [ ] **Req 6a — Read Aloud for Comfort**: Best if you want direct one-on-one service. It fits Scouts who are patient, comfortable reading aloud, and able to follow a care facility's schedule and rules.
- [ ] **Req 6b — Volunteer at a Library**: Best if you like organized tasks and want a set workplace. It fits Scouts who enjoy helping behind the scenes and want to see how libraries support a whole community.
- [ ] **Req 6c — Read to Younger Children**: Best if you have energy, expression, and like interacting with younger kids. It fits Scouts who want to practice speaking clearly and keeping a group engaged.
- [ ] **Req 6d — Run a Book Swap**: Best if you want a short event with visible results. It fits Scouts who enjoy promotion, sorting, setup, and helping people discover books that are new to them.
- [ ] **Req 6e — Lead a Book Drive**: Best if you want a larger planning challenge. It fits Scouts who like organizing collections, coordinating with a partner organization, and leading a service effort from start to finish.

A quick way to decide is to ask where you want your time to go. Choose **6a** or **6c** if you want face-to-face reading service. Choose **6b** if you want to support readers through library work. Choose **6d** or **6e** if you want to organize books and create a community event or donation effort.


> **Tip**
>
> Choose the option that gives you the best chance to complete four solid hours of meaningful service. A simple, realistic project beats an exciting idea that falls apart halfway through.

If you already enjoyed [Req 1](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req1/), library volunteering may be a natural fit. If you liked [Req 3c](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req3c/), one of the read-aloud options may play to your strengths.

Now look closely at the first option. Even reading aloud can become an act of comfort and connection when you do it with care.

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- Previous: [Read the Wider World](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req5/index.md)
- Next: [Read Aloud for Comfort](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/reading/guide/req6a/index.md)