Can you picture Bruce Springsteen, surrounded by parents, babies, and books, belting out "baby, I was born to read"? If you can, and you're an ALA publicity person who decides to pursue this idea, remember--when you're writing paychecks--where you got it. Born to Read, a good introduction to literacy outreach programs, offers a couple of models for viewers to ponder: a partnership with a local health care provider to nurture newborns' physical and mental growth, and an outreach program in which librarians meet with at-risk parents and children, providing incentives (stickers, bookmarks, etc.) for attendance. Interviewees discuss the importance of literacy to a child's future success in the world, planning and promoting the "Born to Read" program, attracting funding and volunteers, and evaluating the program. The accompanying manual addresses each of these topics in more detail. Our local library recently formed a partnership with a health care provider and asked Boeing for an initial $500 grant (the Boeing secretary said, "oh, this is much too good for $500, let's ask for $1,000!"). Whether we are reading books, subtitled French films, or text hyperlinks on the Web, literacy is a fundamental need in our society; the library has a vested interest in promoting literacy, and Born to Read suggests many workable ways to do so. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Born to Read
(1997) 31 min. $89 (manual included). ALA Video/LVN. PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-56641-041-X. Vol. 12, Issue 4
Born to Read
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