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Community Corner

First Library free book program available to Chatham newborns at firstlibrary.org.

New Chatham Borough and Chatham Township first time parents are invited to register their child to receive up to sixty free books from the early childhood literacy program, First Library (firstlibrary.org), at no cost or obligation to their families.

First Library, founded by Chatham Township resident, Catherine Goldberg, offers a new, age-appropriate book each month to newborn children of the Chathams, from birth to age five, free of charge. All they ask of parents is to read to their child daily. 

The idea of the program started when Goldberg’s friend, Diane, had her first child. She wanted to give her love of reading to Diane and her family. She decided to send her some children’s books as a gift for her to read to her newborn son. 

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Diane had told her that she was having a hard time finding English language children’s books to read to her son and that books would be the perfect gift for a new mother from The United States living in France. 

Goldberg began mailing her a new children’s book every month. Many of the titles were the childhood favorites of her own children. Diane would call or write to tell her how she, and later her son, Lubin anticipated the arrival of their monthly book and the joy they received reading it together. Or how they looked forward to reading time. She especially enjoyed the comfort reading a book before bedtime brought to her son, Lubin. Her husband, Pascal, a native Parisian, started to read to their son and was learning to read and write English.

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Soon, Lubin, who was now reading his gift books by himself, began proudly displaying and sharing his ever-growing first library with friends and family that came to visit.

Goldberg decided that if one book could bring so much happiness, joy and comfort to just one child she would bring it to multiple children. In January of 2007, the First Library program was founded.

After researching ways to implement the program on a larger scale Goldberg discovered Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. Ms. Parton created the program in 1996 for Sevier County children in her native Tennessee. Each child registered in the Imagination Library program received a book each month until the age of five, paid for by Ms. Parton’s Dollywood Foundation. For the first three years the books were distributed only to these Tennessee children. In 2000, she allowed the replication of the program to other states.

First Library’s mission, in conjunction with the Imagination Library, is to give the love of reading to first born children through educational support and book ownership.

First Library gives a free, brand new, age-appropriate book each month to every child under the age of 5 registered in their literacy program. From the first book very child receives, The Little Engine That Could, to their last book on their 5th birthday, Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come, each book is carefully selected by a panel of professionals. The program is intentionally composed with each book leading to the next. For those children 3 and older, every book has title specific reading tips for the parents to help them maximize their reading experience.

Books are mailed to the child’s home and are marked with their first and last name. If a child is registered as soon as they are born they can receive up to sixty free books for their own personal First Library.

All parents are invited to donate to First Library’s sister program, First Library Plus. First Library Plus (formerly First Baby) offers first time mothers educational support and monthly books plus additional weekly children’s books and educational toys. Please visit First Library’s Amazon.com Baby Registry page for details.

Unlike the First Library program, which is complimentary to all children enrolled, First Library Plus is open to low income, first time mothers only and provides 52 books a year. The program has more than four times the amount of books offered by the original program.

New first time parents of Chatham newborn children can request an official registration form from First Library at 973-583-2243 or email a request to firstlibrarychatham@gmail.com.

Further information about First Library and First Library Plus can be obtained at firstlibrary.org. Additional information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library can be found at imaginationlibrary.com.

First Library, since its inception in 2007, has delivered over 4000 books to almost 300 NJ preschool children, all at no cost to their families.

In 2013 the original program was redesigned to serve newborn children only, thus allowing it to reach more children in surrounding communities in the future.  

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