LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was all smiles during a special Storytime at the Shawnee Library as the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) handed out free "forever" books to preschool-aged children on Wednesday.
The $123,000 funding from the PNC Foundation is expected to help deliver nearly 35,000 books to local children from birth to 5 years old who are at risk of "falling behind in educational development."
“Our ongoing collaboration with LFPL is reflective of our commitment to help prepare Louisville’s children for success in school and life," Kristen Byrd, PNC regional president for Louisville, said.
The press release states research shows that childhood literacy and kindergarten readiness scores increase when children own books and their guardians engage in early education.
Officials say LFPL’s librarians want to bridge the gap for kindergarten readiness by delivering thousands of books to children in low and moderate income neighborhoods -- especially those living in “book deserts” where printed books and other reading materials are difficult to obtain.
"Reading to our children, starting at a young age, is essential in preparing them for future school success,” Lee Burchfield, library director, said. “And getting books into kids’ hands is one of the things the Library does really well."
The press release states that a variety of diverse titles will be available, allowing children to see themselves and their communities reflected. When children have access to print resources, it has "immediate and long-term positive effects on children's vocabulary, background knowledge and comprehension skills."
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