Bookstart
Books open up a magical world for babies and children
Bookstart is a national programme that works with local librarians and health visitors to deliver FREE books to babies.
Bookstart is a "gift for life" aiming to give children a lifelong love of books
It is about pleasure, not learning to read, however an early introduction to books has many positive effects
- Sharing books is fun for parents and children
- Bookstart families use the library more
- Bookstart babies develop better listening skills
- Bookstart babies go on to become three times more likely to enjoy reading when they start school
Scottish Borders Council Library & Information Service administers Bookstart throughout the Borders working with Health Visitors. Children get their Bookstart FREE cloth bag from the Health Visitor at their 8 month check. These are funded by the Scottish Executive
A second FREE bag is handed out at around 20 months. These red satchels are funded locally by Surestart.
Every child should receive both bags. The bags contain early books, advice on sharing stories and books with young children, and library and health information.
Storytimes, teddy bear picnics and the Bookstart Bookcrawl are held in libraries across the Borders.
Unified Solutions.