Hillsboro Library Donates 1,479 Books to Washington County WIC

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, August 18, 2015

The Hillsboro Public Library recently donated 1,479 new books to Washington County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) for families to take home. This more than doubles their previous donation to WIC in February of this year. English, Spanish and bilingual books were all donated. Hardbound and paperbound books feature popular characters such as Charlie Brown, Legos, Olivia, Frozen, Curious George, Thomas the Train and many more.

"The families can't wait to read the book to their children," says Tara Olson, senior public health dietitian with WIC. "We are promoting early literacy and school readiness with each book we hand out."

Hillsboro Public Library's Reader Services Manager Carol Reich coordinates these donations with various local agencies. "We distribute books to children outside the library walls, reaching out to families who may not come to the library on a regular basis and may not be able to provide books at home for their children," says Reich. "We purchased 1,479 books from our library vendor for children birth to five, with an emphasis on bilingual titles. We included board books for babies, early readers, picture books and easy nonfiction."

The Hillsboro Library actively encourages families to have books in the home and to read early and often with children. They work with agencies such as WIC and support families in building home libraries because many studies show that the presence of books in the home is a key indicator of successfully raising a reader who goes on to experience school success.

Washington County serves 19,000 individuals per year at its three WIC locations in Hillsboro, Beaverton and Tigard. The WIC program focuses on nutritional education and support for low-income pregnant women and families with young children. It includes breastfeeding support groups, nutrition education and vouchers for healthful foods available locally.

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