Long Beach Public Library Foundation Named First Champion for Early Literacy Efforts

First 5 LA Commissioner Nancy Au presented the award to the foundation’s Executive Director, Sara Pillet and remarked, "First 5 LA is thrilled to celebrate the work of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, which supports early literacy by fostering a love of books and reading together as a family. Its Raising a Reader program reminds parents that they can make a difference in their children’s lives by visiting local libraries to discover the joys of reading together."

A study released this month by the National Endowment for the Arts concluded that teen and young adult Americans read less often and for shorter amounts of time compared with other age groups and with Americans of previous years. The "To Read or Not To Read" study is a call to action for all Americans to take a more active role in remedying this situation. Organizations such as First 5 LA and The Long Beach Public Library Foundation have a history of fostering a love for literacy and supporting school readiness in ways that engage parents and caregivers in L.A. County in their children’s early literacy development.

"We are honored and delighted to have our efforts at increasing preschoolers’ reading readiness recognized by First 5 LA," Pillet said. "We thank them for this honor. But the real 'stars' are the Long Beach parents participating in our Raising A Reader program. Their dedication to bettering their children’s futures is awesome."

The Long Beach Public Library Foundation‘s Raising a Reader program has graduated more than 6,900 parents and preschoolers. The program is a citywide effort conducted in 40 locations that makes lap reading and sharing storybooks a family ritual in homes with preschool children. The 12-week reading program requires participants to visit their local library weekly, where they receive bright red book bags filled with award winning children’s books. Over the three-month period, children are introduced to more than 120 colorful books featuring distinctive stories and artwork, age-appropriate language and multicultural themes. The vision of the program is to see that all preschool children arrive at kindergarten in love with books, healthy and ready to learn.

During Child Literacy Month, First 5 LA’s "Read Early Read Aloud" public education campaign conveyed the importance of early literacy all over L.A. County. Efforts included media outreach, a partnership with local Barnes & Noble stores to raise funds for books for local families, and event participation at the Festival of Readers at Mission College, which reached over a thousand families.