Raising Readers Partners with the Maine Family Literacy Initiative and Public Libraries to Support the Literacy of Maine Families

Reading is one of the best ways parents can help their children develop a love of books and reading and prepare them to learn to read. However, access to books and the parent’s own literacy level can be barriers to making that happen. A new partnership between Raising Readers, the Maine Family Literacy Initiative, and select public libraries is designed to help overcome those barriers.

Combining the Raising Readers books with access to family literacy services offered by Maine Family Literacy Initiative (MEFLI) grantees is the concept behind the new partnership. MEFLI programs across the state work with families to address the learning and literacy needs of both adults and children. Integrating the books that families receive from Raising Readers into family literacy services deepens their impact and helps families get the most out of them.

Cara Sawyer of Cherryfield Public Library with young reader.

Eight public libraries will provide access to the books by family literacy programs and others. The Maine State Library facilitated a process to identify one library in each of eight counties to house the Raising Readers book collections and collaborate with MEFLI on family literacy services.

Raising Reader MEFLI Libraries with former First Lady,
Mrs. Barbara Bush and Maine First Lady, Karen Baldacci

The participating libraries are: Belfast Free Library, Camden Public Library, Cherryfield Public Library, Paris Public Library, Skowhegan Public Library, Strong Public Library, Waldoboro Public Library and the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft .

A complementary collaboration with the state’s Resource Development Centers provides access to Raising Readers books in the remaining eight counties.

Raising Readers: Celebrating 10 Years

Rasing Reader Stories: Taya at 2 Months

Raising Readers has touched Mom Lora in different ways - first, as a site coordinator for the Raising Readers program and now as a new Mom. Watch for posts from Lora and daughter Taya about their experiences with Raising Readers books.

Taya's 2 Month Well Child Visit
"Taya received Babies on the Go from her doctor at her 2-month visit today. When we got home to read it she followed my finger as I pointed to all the little babies. It was so nice to see her enjoy the book." -Mom Lora

NOTE: Share your Raising Readers Stories as well by emailing us at info@raisingreaders.org. Send quotes, stories, pictures, or whatever you would like to share about Raising Readers. (Please put 'Raising Readers Stories' in the subject line of the email.)

Books in the Home

166,000 individual Maine children have received books from Raising Readers for their home libraries in the last ten years. We all know intuitively that this is a positive thing for the children of the state, but a new national study confirms the positive link between books in the home and children that do well in school.

A University of Nevada, Reno study showed that children raised in a home where they were exposed to 500 books would go 3.2 years further in their education, on average. 500 books? Who has 500 books in their home?

The importance in not the number of books but that there is a relationship between school success and books in the home. By the time your Maine child reaches the age of five, she will have received up to twelve books from Raising Readers. How do you expose your child to more books beyond her home library? Use a Maine library.

If you took two picture books home from the public library each week started when your child is a toddler, think of how many books would pass through your home. Use that library card to turn your home into a learning rich place for your future student to grow up in!