National League of Cities
http://www.nlc.org/news-center/nations-cities-weekly/articles/2012/january/newsbriefs-january-9
Newsbriefs January 9, 2012
by Laura Turner
To stress the importance of reading to children, the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library, in partnership with the St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, has launched Books for Babies New Mexico.
Beginning with the first baby of the new year, every child born in the hospital is going home with a brightly colored canvas bag containing a book, compact disc (CD) of lullabies, innovative die-cut brochure on the importance of reading to babies (which can be folded into a box), application for a library card and information on community resources.
“I Read to My Baby Every Day” is printed on the side of the bags. An estimated 1,600 babies will receive the gift bag and their first book in 2012.
The project was suggested by a local children’s author and is based on a similar program in San Antonio.
Students in a graphic design class at Santa Fe University of Art and Design created the logo and designed the brochure. Local businesses did the imprinting of the bags and created the brochures.
The lullaby CD, by a New Mexico singer, was produced in cooperation with the Santa Fe County Maternal and Child Health Planning Council under a federal grant administered by the New Mexico Department of Health.
Books for Babies New Mexico ties in with other local efforts to promote early literacy, including a program at two library branches. The hope is to expand the program to other communities, eventually going statewide.
Details: Director of Libraries Patricia Hodapp at (505) 955-6788 or pchodapp@santafenm.gov.
