August 15, 2007 – Read to Me, Charlotte! and The Maternity Center at Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) have partnered to launch the Born Reader Program TODAY. Read to Me, Charlotte! is a community-wide initiative coordinated by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC).

All babies born at CMC will receive a copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle along with a library card application as part of the program. English and Spanish versions of the book will be given out.

The program’s goal is to encourage families and caregivers to read to their babies from the very first day. “It is never too early to begin reading to your baby,” said Amy Kukla, family literacy coordinator at PLCMC. “Reading 20 minutes a day with your child helps in forming a close, comforting bond and fosters a love of language and books.”

One of the most important challenges that young children face is the learning and understanding of language, Kukla added. Young children learn best if parents are constantly doing things like talking, singing, naming things, asking questions and reading and telling stories. The library and CMC hope that by providing new families with the start of a home library, they can encourage reading at an early age. The Born Reader program is made possible by a grant from the Triad Foundation.

PLCMC offers a special library card just for the youngest readers - those ages birth through 5 - as a way to invite families to utilize all of the library’s amazing resources for families with young ones. Visit www.readtomecharlotte.org for more information.

Founded in 1903 as a Carnegie Free Library, PLCMC provides community service and outreach to the citizens of the Charlotte area. It is one of the premiere libraries in the country – named winner of the 2006 National Award for Library Service – with 24 locations, 1.6 million volumes, and 28,000 videos, DVDs and CDs. The library sponsors a variety of community-based programs – from computer- and Internet-education workshops to the award-winning Novello Festival of Reading, a celebration that accentuates the fun of reading and learning. The library is dedicated to its mission of expanding minds, empowering individuals and enriching our community.