The Amarillo Public Library announced that it was the recipient of a Texas Book Festival Collections Enhancement Grant. Through this grant, APL will have the opportunity to purchase additional interactive reading material for young readers.
Each year, the Texas Book Festival awards grants to support the improvement of Texas public library collections. This funding enables libraries to share the diversity and breadth of literature with their communities. Funding comes from book sales at the Texas Book Festival and other generous donors.
“This means a lot to all of our libraries; it will allow us to enhance our collection of interactive audio picture books and non-fiction books for our five locations,” said Melody Boren, Youth Services Coordinator at the ‘APL. “They come with a device built into the book that allows it to be an audiobook and a regular book in one, and no external device is needed. We know kids love having it read to them, and now they can get it from the book and go at their own pace….We can’t keep them on the shelves.Parents and kids love them, so this will be a very meaningful Texas Book Festival giveaway.
The library will use the prize to purchase additional interactive reading titles, such as “Captain Underpants”, “Dinotrux”, “The One and Only Ivan”, and more. These books will be used by local children through integrated talking book technology. Readers will have the option to read the story and turn the pages like a traditional book, follow an audiobook, or switch to a learning mode, allowing them to challenge themselves and get help read only when needed. The grant will enable APL to purchase approximately 50 of these child-friendly interactive titles that will be accessible at all five APL branches.
Announcing the APL as one of the grant recipients, Texas Book Festival School and Community Programs Coordinator Michelle Hernandez wrote in a press release: with books that meet their needs and interests.
Boren talked about the benefits for a child of using audiobooks to improve their reading skills and how it’s been shown to build vocabulary and improve comprehension when a child re-reads their favorite story, as well as build confidence in reading. a new reader.
“Audiobooks are great for helping emerging readers gain confidence and comfort with following text and text direction, and help them become aware of the stages of reading a book, including including turning pages and following images, while interpreting what they hear with what they see, so it develops a lot of skills for young readers,” Boren said.
To find a library near you or to view a specific audiobook, visit APL online at www.amarillolibrary.org.
