Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced January 11 that he wants to launch an ongoing project in FY 2005 that would give every preschool child statewide, regardless of household income, a personal collection of 60 books by his or her 5th birthday. Noting that Illinois would become the first state in the nation to offer such a program, Blagojevich stated, “That’s exactly the kind of commitment children deserve.”
The proposal drew praise from Reading Is Fundamental President Carol Rasco, who said in the January 12 Chicago Tribune, “The families that most need this reminder and this assistance are not families that are going to go to the library.”
The governor’s plan, slated to launch in July if lawmakers approve it, would be a collaborative effort with entertainer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Libraries literacy organization; the latter would provide the list of books for parents to choose from and ship the titles to participating families’ homes. Organizers would also try to enroll all preschoolers born before July 1.
However, librarians from cash-strapped systems were soon voicing concerns over where the $26 million will come from. “A lot of kids who don’t have a library at their school can’t go to their public library anymore” because of reduced hours, Illinois State Library spokesperson Pat McGuckin asserted. “Not only can you get one [book] a month, but in most cases, you can get as many books as you can carry for free” at a public library, emphasized Naperville Public Libraries Deputy Director Mark West in the January 13 Chicago Sun-Times.
“Reading is very important to Gov. Blagojevich,” countered spokesperson Rebecca Rausch, adding, “This governor is not in the business of cutting library funds.”
Posted January 15, 2004.