A partnership between C.H. Booth Library and Newtown Public Schools will offer library cards for all kindergarteners entering the district next school year.

“I’m really pleased with the partnership and the willingness from the Booth Library pertaining to Newtown Public Schools, particularly with the early childhood initiative,” said Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, during the Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, February 17.

For the first time, Dr Erardi announced at the meeting, kindergarten packets are being sent home to families with a co-signed letter from the district and from Booth Library Director Brenda McKinley.

The letter, the superintendent continued, will offer all kindergarteners the opportunity to start their educational career with a public library card.

“I think that is really important to put in the hands of the parent of that child,” Dr Erardi said.

The superintendent also said he is impressed with the work by Booth Library’s Children’s Department, which, he pointed out, offers a prekindergarten reading program.

This week, with the Children’s Department at the library reopened after flooding shut it down last month, Ms McKinley and Children’s Librarian Lana Bennison spoke about the new program.

Ms McKinley said the new effort will build on the existing programs at the library, including programs for babies and toddlers.

“It’s our biggest population, our birth to 5, I would say, which use the library,” said Ms Bennison, “which is the point.”

Working on literacy early, according to Ms Bennison, is important.

Ms Bennison said an initiative by the American Library Association, called Every Child Ready to Read, promotes talking, singing, and reading with children and giving them opportunities to write and play.

“All of those things we try to incorporate in our programming,” said Ms Bennison. “At the very earliest we have Mother Goose, and we have lots of rhymes, and singing, and movement, and puppets, and repetition, and then we move on to Mother Goose 2, where we introduce some story books and some more participatory [activities.]”

Children between the ages of 3 and 5 are introduced to more books, according to Ms Bennison.

“I think our message is that it starts early,” Ms Bennison said. “We’ve got the programs here for you to participate in.”

Offering library cards to each kindergartener in the district, Ms Bennison explained, offers a link for children who have gone through the younger programs to use library resources throughout their school career.

“We definitely have the resources,” Ms Bennison said, adding later that she believes the library’s mission is to make people aware of the resources available and to make sure people take full advantage of those resources.

Ms McKinley said it is encouraging that Dr Erardi has been “a big library supporter,” and said building the relationship with the district is nice.

“I think we are lucky in our town. I think a lot of our kids entering kindergarten will have their card, but this will be a really great way to reach every parent,” said Ms McKinley, adding that it will also reiterate the support the library can offer for students throughout their education.

Dr Erardi noted recently that he is “really excited about the library partnership program,” and an informational evening for incoming kindergarten parents is being planned for April, which will offer an opportunity to share information about the new library card program and other aspects of kindergarten.

“But most important [it will be] an opportunity for us to talk about the love of learning,” said Dr Erardi. “And the love of learning in many cases, early on, centers around a child’s willingness and wanting to read.”

Dr Erardi said the logistics are being worked on to “put a library card in the hand of every parent of every incoming kindergarten student.”

Press releases and notifications from the district will be sent out to parents of incoming kindergarteners, according to Dr Erardi.

Ms McKinley also said parents will receive a list of resources and contact information for the library when the packets are released from the district.

“I think parents will get pleasure from reading with their kids,” said Ms McKinley. “I always enjoyed reading with my kids, because of the good books, good stories…”

“And,” Ms Bennison finished for her, “great opportunities to have real life discussions, and I think that is what good literature does. It promotes real life conversations between peers, between generations… and provides pure pleasure. I think that is the other message: reading is fun. Reading is enjoyable, reading is your friend for the rest of your life. Nobody can ever take that away from you, and if you have your public library card, you don’t have to have any money to fulfill those needs.”

Handouts about a “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” program and “100 Picture Books to Read Before Kindergarten” are available at the Children’s Department at the library.