BOOKS FOR NEWBORNS PROJECT

In Story County, the "Books for Babies" program provides parents of newborns with books and information about the importance of reading to children daily. It is sponsored by the Friends of Ames Public Library who purchase and assemble the materials and deliver the bags to the Birthways unit at Mary Greeley Medical Center. The contact person is at the Ames Public Library.

Each weekday trained community volunteers visit parents of newborns in the hospital to deliver the bags. The nursing staff assists at other times. The program's goal is to create future readers. The objectives are to increase parent's awareness that reading to babies is a critical developmental need, to provide easy reading material, to inform parents about local resources, and to promote library usage.

"Books for Babies" bags, including books, printing, supplies, and the materials to be given to parents, cost $8.00 each. There are approximately 1,200 births a year in Story County, so the total annual cost is about $10,000

"Books for Babies" bag contents in 2005

  • "Babies & Books-A Joyous Beginning" by Baby TALK, Decatur, IL.
  • “The Relationship Begins” by Baby Talk and MGMC Auxiliary, Ames, IA
  • Ames Public Library Bookmobile schedule book mark
  • Ames Public Library Youth Services booklists: "Good Books for Babies," “Good Books for 24-month-olds,” “Life with Baby,” and Parenting: A Selected List of Resources”
  • Board book, “Clifford’s Animal Sounds” published by Scholastic, to read to the baby
  • Coupon redeemable at any Story County library for an additional board book gift
  • Raising Readers enrollment card and research form
Parents sign up as participants in Raising Readers during the hospital visit. Based on these voluntary enrollments, a confidential database is maintained with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of parents of newborns who stay in the community. A second Baby Talk newsletter is sent when a baby is 3 months old and a third newsletter is sent at 15 months. Other communications may keep parents informed of local family-friendly opportunities.