Books for Babies is a collaborative effort between the Washington County Reading Council, Washington County Free Library and Washington County Hospital. The parents of every baby born at Washington County Hospital receive a book for their child and information on the importance of reading to their baby. To date, approximately 4,000 books have been provided to new parents. The hope is to improve literacy in Washington County.
Funding for the books comes from one fundraiser per year. Reading to Make Cents is held during Children's Book Week. This year the date is Nov. 13 to 20. Before this week, all elementary students are asked to take pledges for the number of books read during this week. To date, about $10,000 per year has been earned. All proceeds go to purchase books, wrapping materials or literature to place inside. Prizes are donated by area businesses and are awarded to students at both the school and county level.
