Babies Love Books program launch

Released 9 August 2016

There is never a time too early, or late, in a child's life to start reading and exploring the wonder of books.

Babies Love Books is an early childhood program which promotes the benefits of reading to children and teaching children to read.

Every newborn baby born at the Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital will receive a special Babies Love Books library bag, complete with a voucher for a free board book to redeem when they visit Wagga Wagga City Library, and information on a variety of services available for new parents.

Wagga Wagga City Library Manager Claire Campbell said the years 0-3 were critical years for establishing pathways for literacy and reading. 

"The Babies Love Books program places a free book in the hands of new mums and dads to read at home. They can also borrow 50 books at a time from the library," Mrs Campbell said.

Wagga Wagga City Library has an extensive range of books for babies and parents, as well as entertaining early literacy activities and programs and e-library resources for young families.

Wagga Wagga Speech Pathologist Rachael Lawrence said learning to, and knowing how to read was one of basic building blocks for life.

"Books help build a child's imagination, thinking, talking and listening skills. Children also get to explore colours, shapes and patterns in books, have fun pointing and patting pages, learn to turn pages and listen to sounds and rhythms of words,"

Babies Love Books is a partner program between the Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga, Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Friends of the Wagga Wagga City Library and The City of Wagga Wagga.