March 3, 2008 – Read to Me, Charlotte!, two Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) facilities and Presbyterian Healthcare have partnered to enhance the Born Reader Program at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC).

All babies born at CMC, CMC-University and Presbyterian Hospitals (Main, Huntersville, and Matthews), 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.
“Many people may not realize that it’s never too early to read to children,” said Amy Kukla, family literacy coordinator at PLCMC. “Literacy research shows that reading, singing and talking to your baby aids in healthy language development and emergent literacy skills. Basically, reading with your child beginning at birth is a wonderful activity.”

Young children learn best if parents are constantly doing things like talking, singing, naming things, asking questions and reading and telling stories. PLCMC, along with the Carolinas Medical Centers and Presbyterian Healthcare, hope that by providing new families with the start of a home library, they will encourage reading at an early age. The Born Reader program is made possible by a grant from the Triad Foundation and donations from Elevation Church in Charlotte.

PLCMC offers a special library card just for the youngest readers - those ages birth through 5 - as a way to invite families to discover all the library’s amazing resources for families with young ones. Visit www.readtomecharlotte.org for more information.
“Patient teaching is such a vital part of nursing,” explained Jean Peterson, RN with CMC-University’s Maternity Education Department. “Nurses are role models to their patients and their families; what better tool than a book to help promote what can be the beginning of a life-long gift of reading. Our nurses are so excited for our CMC University community to benefit from such an excellent program!”

Read to Me, Charlotte! is a community-wide initiative coordinated by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County.

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 premier 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.