Research from around the world shows that early literacy maps directly to a child's cognitive development, academic success and even their life expectancy. Improving literacy doesn't have to be complex. The first step is getting books into children's hands. All children. That's why we've affiliated with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to help the children of Berkeley build excellent personal libraries before Kindergarten.
Starting as early as birth, children receive one carefully selected book every month, no strings attached. Available to any child under age 5 living in Berkeley, CA.
Here's a quote from our August 2018 Survey I love because it shows parents recognize the quality of books selected for Imagination Library. Many parents commented on the quality of the IL Collection.
"We look forward to each new book. When we find a book that my son really likes, we find other books by the author. Please keep this program running. Many Thanks!"
* "Welcome Baby" book bags: For two small programs serving expectant mothers we supply tote bags containing books for infants and a copy of I Love You Like Sunshine for parents.
HATCH Community Doulas in Oakland serve very young women emerging from difficult circumstances. Berkeley's Black Infant Health program serves expectant mothers in Berkeley and surrounding communities. Both these programs include the importance of nurturing literacy from the start; we supply their clients the tools to do so, from the start.
*Demographically Targeted Books for Events: We purchase books that feature children/families of color and/or are bilingual-Spanish for our Baby Book Club table and for events at partner programs Healthy Black Families and Black Infant Health. Our intention is to make books available to children who are woefully under represented in the children's book publishing world: over 70% of new children's books feature only or nearly only white children/families (when characters are human).
It is a powerful thing for a very young child to see themselves reflected on the pages of a book in their hands. We want this experience to be part of every child's life, repeatedly and from the start.
Meet and play with other book-loving children from Berkeley. Enjoy a wide variety of hands-on activities, story reading, and snacks.
We've received 128 surveys so far - over half with comments!
all children benefit from excellent books in the home. Children love getting mail, regardless of their parent's income - the excitement delivered with each book is impossible to buy in a store. We want that excitement about books to be available to all our community's children.
Early literacy is empowering. It's tempting to try and sign up as many children as we can, as quickly as possible. But we plan to help Berkeley's children amass great personal libraries for generations to come. In order to do that, we have to start small, and expand with success. The community response has been outstandingly positive, and we're excited for the road ahead.
Here's what we've accomplished so far, in numbers:
Since the creation of The BBBP, over 200 children have aged out of the Imagination Library program.
Our numbers are growing steadily by word of mouth, and our goal is to serve the entire community.
Since we began in 2015, our Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program had delivered thousands of books.
There are plenty of ways to help get books in the hands of Berkeley's children. If you're a parent, register your child for Imagination Library or join us for a Baby Book Club. If you've got skills you're willing to lend, volunteer with us. If you'd like to support our mission, make a donation or see how else you can help us grow.
One hand-selected book, delivered to any child age 0–4 living in Berkeley. All you have to do is sign up. We take care of the rest.
Meet and engage with other book-loving parents and children from Berkeley. Enjoy complementary refreshments and hands-on activities led by our team of volunteers.
Help us improve The BBBP by providing much-needed assistance with book mailing, Baby Book Club activities, event photography and more.
