Launched in 2016, Books for Dallas Babies is growing families of readers and library users with the introduction of pre-literacy skills to over 10,000 newborns annually in partnership with Parkland Health & Hospital System.

Based on evidence that reading aloud to children is the single most effective parent practice for enhancing language development, and that having books in the home boosts a child’s grade level attainment beyond other factors like the parents’ education level or occupation, Books for Dallas Babies leverages existing library resources to make a lasting impact on families.

Giving books to children is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to promote the Dallas Public Library role in language and literacy growth while reinforcing the precept that books are a critical feature of every child’s intellectual development.

Through this program, parents are given an important tool that will help their babies develop language skills and teaches them more about their role as their child’s first teacher. Books for Dallas Babies’ positive impact is sustainable far beyond infancy through a lifetime’s worth of resources that already exist within our robust library system.