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Monday, December 9, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nestor A. Diaz
(301) 699-3500 x6155
nestor.diaz@pgcmls.info
Largo, Maryland – This December, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is celebrating the major milestone of sending over a million free books to children in Prince George’s County as part of its Books From Birth program in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Since 2017, thousands of children and their families have benefited from the free books, helping to build their home library and establishing a solid foundation for their lifelong journey of literacy and reading.
The Library also partners with two hospitals in the county to give parents immediate access to the information needed to register for the program right when their babies are born. PGCMLS has been working with the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center since December of 2022, and most recently, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital since June of 2023.
PGCMLS CEO Dr. Mark Winston and COO Megan Sutherland, along with Books From Birth program leads, visited the MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to meet with organizational partners and leaders and present forty early literacy “baby bundles” for the institution’s Newborn and Women’s Center.
“I truly appreciate the partnership with MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital,” said Pamela Hamlin, the Library’s family literacy specialist. “The team has helped share our program with so many families. They are a pleasure to work with and understand the importance of books for babies!”
These bundles, intended for the families of newborn babies, are a gesture of both celebration and gratitude for the shared achievement of reaching so many young minds in Prince George’s County. The bundles include items to help families get a jump start into early literacy such as a bilingual board book, an egg shaker, a finger puppet, information on local early childhood education, and more.
Charlene Lopez, the coordinator of Lactation Services and Child Birth Education for the hospital, helped solidify the current relationship with PGCMLS and has her own personal experiences with the life changing potential of early literacy.
Having a child who is neurodivergent, she “realized that early literacy actually made [Lopez’s daughter] do better in school.” Having access to books as a child helped Lopez’s daughter develop her own unique skills that helped her find her own way to excel in school.
Joyously, Lopez shared: ”and that daughter, who's dyslexic, just had a baby two weeks ago, and I was very happy to sign him up for Books From Birth.”
Books From Birth, launched in July 2017, has become a cornerstone literacy initiative in the region. Currently, 16,912 Prince George’s County residents are enrolled, and an impressive 19,042 children have graduated from the program. The Library receives financial support for the program from the Prince George’s County Government, Maryland State Library Agency's Young Readers Matching Grant Program, and the PGCMLS Foundation.
A parent of a Books From Birth participant, who is also a public school reading teacher, recently shared: “I am proud to say that my son is a strong reader with a diverse range of interests, and he is currently scoring above his grade level in reading. This achievement is a testament to the early and continued exposure to the written word that programs like ‘Books from Birth’ provide.”
In continued celebration, PGCMLS is hosting themed library events during the month of December to welcome young readers and their families into the larger, wondrous world of public libraries and literature.
About the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation. It reaches more children than any other early childhood book gifting program, and mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth until age five, no matter their family’s income.
About the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System
The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) helps customers discover and define opportunities that shape their lives. The Library serves the 967,000+ residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland through 19 branch libraries, a 24/7 online library, and pop-up services throughout the community. PGCMLS is a responsive and trusted community-driven organization. Programs, services, and outreach activities serve book lovers, immigrants and refugees, job seekers, children, young professionals, seniors, and families alike. PGCMLS is the recipient of the 2021 Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator Award for Workforce and Economic Development. Learn more at pgcmls.info/about-us.