Volunteer Readers

The Volunteer Reader Program connects volunteer readers with children in local child care settings and provides book bags and support.  The program is part of Curtis Memorial Library's involvement with Success by 6, a United Way initiative dedicated to ensuring that all area children get the best possible start in life with the support of their families and the whole community.

 Here's how it works:

Success by 6 matches the volunteer with a participating child care site. Who are the volunteers?  Members of the community - business people, retirees, college students - who are interested in sharing books with young children.  (A state background check is conducted on each volunteer.)

The volunteer visits the child care site on a regular basis (usually weekly) to read to the children.   The reader picks up a Success by 6 bag of books at the library and the bag is left at the site for children to enjoy until the reader's next visit.  Some volunteers like to supplement the bags with their own book selections, and the library's Youth Services staff are happy to offer suggestions as well.

Training sessions for volunteers are offered periodically, as are "volunteer sharing sessions" where volunteers exchange ideas, advice, and good food!

If you're interested in particpating as a volunteer reader or as a child care provider, contact Success by 6 at 442-7440, or contact the library's Youth Services staff for more information: 725-5242 x225.

Program Goals:
The Volunteer Reader Program aims to 1) supplement reading activities at area child care centers and homes, 2) expose children to more adults in the community who demonstrate a love for reading, and 3) provide library resources and additional books to the children at child care sites.  The program is based on research that shows that reading aloud to a child starting from birth stimulates the brain's healthy development and that children who are read to regularly in their pre-school years are more successful in school.