Hillsboro Library Donates 675 Books to Washington County WIC

Sponsored by: Health and Human Services Department, Division

"The children are so excited to have a book of their own for their parents to read to them," says Tara Olson, senior public health dietitian with WIC. "We are promoting early reading and bonding among families 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 675 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 non-fiction."

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. Lee and Croninger's study, reported in the American Journal of Education, states, "The availability of reading material in the home, whether owned or borrowed from the library, is directly associated with children's achievement in reading comprehension."

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 to low-income pregnant women and families with young children. It includes breastfeeding support groups, nutrition education and vouchers for healthful foods available locally.