PARENTS are being urged to sign up their newborn babies and young children for library membership as soon as possible.
For the next three months, all Worcestershire parents of newborns will be given a golden ticket when they register their child’s birth.
It can be exchanged at any Worcestershire library for a Bookstart Baby Pack containing two board books, a rhyme sheet and a booklet of tips and ideas for sharing books.
Parents will also be encouraged to take out library membership for their child during the library visit.
Library membership is free and there are no library fines on children or young people’s books.
The Bookstart Baby Packs are provided by the children’s reading charity Book Trust with the aim of helping parents develop a love of reading with their children from an early age to support early language development in children.
Kathy Kirk, the strategic libraries, learning and arts manager, said research showed it was never too early for parents to enjoy books with their babies and children loved the sound of their parents’ voice, repetition of words and phrases, looking at pictures and singing songs and rhymes.
“Sharing books is also proven to help babies develop vital language skills and boost early learning, but best of all it’s great fun as babies are just so curious and really enjoy the pictures and colours of books.”
The Golden Ticket scheme, organised in conjunction with Worcestershire County Council, runs until July.
