Get your questions answered during an Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® Facebook Forum

CHICAGO – At 1 p.m. CST on Jan. 18, the Public Library Association (PLA), in partnership with the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), will host a live, hour-long Facebook Forum with guest Saroj Ghoting, early childhood literacy consultant, on the Every Child Ready to Read Facebook page.

The 2^nd Edition of Every Child Ready to Read® (ECRR) @ your library® was released in Summer 2011. Whether your library is already putting the workshops into practice or is considering purchasing this early literacy resource and program, the upcoming Facebook Forum offers an easy opportunity to learn more. No registration is necessary. Simply visit the Every Child Ready to Read Facebook page at 1 p.m. CST on Jan. 18 to follow along and join in with your own comments and questions.

This Forum is a wonderful companion to the upcoming ECRR webinar, “Every Child to Ready: New Conversations on Research, Relationships and Partnerships,” with consultant Elaine Meyers, offered (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST) Feb. 16, (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST) Mar. 8, and (6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. CST) Apr. 12.

The ECRR program provides public libraries and other early literacy centers with tools to help prepare parents/caregivers for their critical role as their children's first teachers. The "2nd Edition" toolkit includes a series of customizable workshops that demonstrate how parents, grandparents, childcare providers and preschool teachers can use five simple practices—talking, singing, reading, writing and playing—to develop language and pre-reading skills in children from birth to age 5. For complete details and to order, please visit the online ALA Store. The 2nd Edition was researched by Dr. Susan Neuman, professor in educational studies, University of Michigan School of Education, and Dr. Donna Celano, assistant professor, Communication Department, LaSalle University.

For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA’s website at www.pla.org. PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

ALSC is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit its website at www.ala.org/alsc.