by Brianne Anderson

Did you know that almost 1,200 babies are born at Mary Greeley Medical Center (MGMC) every year? That seems like a strange statistic to read in a library’s news column, but every one of those babies left MGMC with a connection to Ames Public Library (APL).

There’s almost an unlimited number of services the public library provides beyond the materials on our shelves, but one of my favorite programs APL sponsors is one that has thrived since its creation in 1998. The Books for Babies program doesn’t get a lot of hype and runs mostly silently in the background, but is an amazing touchpoint for all 32,400 babies who entered the world in our community. 

Through this wonderful partnership with MGMC, every baby born here at Birthways receives a welcome packet from APL. The Books for Babies packet has gone through many variations over the last 27 years, but the core kit has always remained the same. Every family goes home from the hospital with a free board book to build their home library, a list of suggestions for other great books to check out and read together, tips for parents on building early literacy skills with their new baby, and an invitation to come into the library to pick out another free board book of their choice. 

Becoming a parent is one of the most amazing—but also stressful—times in a person’s life. I remember walking out of that hospital thinking I was the luckiest person in the world to get this sweet baby to care for, but also scared out of my mind not knowing how to do it. The Books for Babies packets are intended to give parents support during this stressful time. You don’t have to know everything as a parent, but if you at least talk and read to your baby every day, then you are doing awesome, and APL wants to support you on that journey.

It’s always incredible to hear from new parents coming into the library who read about the library in their packets. Not all services the public library provides are well-known or promoted a lot, but these full-circle moments bring so much joy and it’s programs like Books for Babies that help support reading and early literacy everywhere.