One Book, Every Young Child – UPDATE #6
Posted in
Services - Youth Services on June 29, 2007 by Carrie
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From: Commonwealth of PA: Public Libraries on behalf of Mcalister, Annette M
Thank you for all of your efforts in support of Pennsylvania’s One Book, Every Young Child program! On Monday, June 25th at the American Library Association Conference Commissioner for Libraries Clare Zales and Youth Services Advisor Susan Pannebaker accepted a prestigious John Cotton Dana award for the 2006 One Book program. The successful 2006 program has now been followed by an even more successful 2007 program. The 2007 partners include six state agencies, libraries, museums, nonprofit organizations and associations, school districts and higher education institutions.
We can all be proud of what was accomplished. In 2007, through the enthusiastic commitment of Boyds Mills Press, the program was able to offer not only English hardback and paperback formats, but also Spanish language hardbacks and paperbacks, and a Big Book. The multiple formats and the deeply discounted prices enabled new opportunities for participating.
- The Chambersburg School District purchased 680 copies to give to families at the school district’s kindergarten registration day. The books served as a warm way to welcome young children to school and emphasized to families the importance of reading to their children. Several other school districts did a similar distribution.
- The Armstrong County Community Foundation purchased a large quantity of copies to distribute at library programming and other events throughout the county. Paula Rummel commented — The early literacy program in Armstrong County is just taking off, and I can hardly keep up…what a great problem to have!
- The One Book partners contracted with The National Braille Press, Inc. to produce a limited number of copies with Braille adhesives applied to the text. These copies were placed at Pennsylvania’s two Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, at the two schools for the blind in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and each District Library Centers will soon have a copy. As a result, children with visual limitations can now participate and parents unable to see print can share the book with their children.
We also heard from the early care and education community:
- Our community librarian came into our classroom and read this great story to our kiddos. She gave them an activity to do at their homes with their parents. We really enjoyed this book. Thanks! (Canton Head Start, Bradford County)
- We are working on an animal unit so we discussed the animals, their habitats and physical characteristics. We also used the word splendid ALL week! The children seemed to like the way it rolled off their tongues. (This Head Start program went on to say that a Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh staff person visited and read the book to the children.)
Some Fast Facts about the 2007 Program:
- Program activities took place in all 67 counties.
- Nearly 90,000 copies of A Splendid Friend, Indeed reached libraries and the early care and education community and were put directly into the hands of preschoolers.
- Author/illustrator Suzanne Bloom visited 51 sites and presented 56 programs. There were, on average, 31 adults and 70 children per presentation.
- A sample of 1,200 home-based childcares and class-based early care and education programs told us that they read A Splendid Friend, Indeed to 18,000 children. Many used activities from the One Book poster and website.
- 62 Department of Education and Public Welfare staff and 226 additional volunteers read to 988 adults and 8,506 children at 520 early learning sites.
- During April and May public libraries reported the Traveling Trunks filled with puppets, toys and games were used 290 times with 3,444 children.
The One Book Committee is already planning for 2008. Stay tuned for more information in the fall.
