Free Books For Newborns Delivered At UMD Capital Region Medical Center

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George’s parents with newborns delivered at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center have a special opportunity to kickstart a love of reading for their children thanks to a new partnership between the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, the PGCMLS Foundation and University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.

Families of newborns delivered at the hospital can now enroll their children in PGCMLS’ Books from Birth program before returning home and for a limited time can receive a baby bundle tote as a thank you while supplies last. The totes include early literacy resources, library information, a board book, rattle and finger puppet.

Books from Birth provides a free book by mail to children in the county until they turn five years old. The program encourages reading at an early age and prepares young children for kindergarten by cultivating essential literacy skills. Made possible by PGCMLS and the Prince George’s County government, Books from Birth started in July 2017 thanks to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and funding from the county government. To date, more than 23,700 children age five and younger in Prince George’s County have received free books mailed to their home to build their home library. There are currently more than 13,500 participants, the highest number of Books from Birth registrants for a public library system in Maryland.

"The staff of PGCMLS are thrilled to be able to work with the UMD Capital Region Medical Center to reach new families with our Books from Birth program. We hope that the materials inside of the Baby Bundle totes will encourage parents in their role as their child's first and best teacher. The totes can serve as a baby bag and a reminder to think of the library as a resource for the whole family,” Pam Hamlin, family literacy specialist at the Program Services Department of PGCMLS said.