Founded in 2012, One Book 4 Colorado (OB4CO) is a statewide annual initiative that offers free copies of the same book to every 4-year-old in Colorado. In 2014, the book was Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard. More than 75,000 books were given away at more than 500 sites, including public libraries, Reach Out and Read Health Clinics, and Denver Preschool Program preschool classrooms.
LRS surveyed both caregivers and participating agencies to learn more about the impact OB4CO had on families, children, and agencies. As reported in our newest Fast Facts, overall more than 3 out of 5 caregivers agreed that they spent more time reading with their child after receiving the book (64%), their child talked more about books and reading (62%), and their child was more interested in books and reading (64%). Parents with fewer books in their homes had higher levels of agreement with those statements.
Participating agencies also shared positive feedback about OB4CO. Nearly all (99%) of agency respondents agreed that children were excited to receive Grumpy Bird. More than 9 in 10 (92%) agreed that the program helped their agencies promote reading among children, and 88% agreed that OB4CO was an effective use of their time and effort. Agencies also appreciated collaborating with others in the program, with more than 7 in 10 (71%) agreeing that OB4CO provided an opportunity to reach out to other agencies interested in childhood education.
Voting for the OB4CO selection for 2015 is underway now! Watch videos of Colorado celebrities reading the book options here, then vote for your favorite! Voting is open until March 1.
Note: This post is part of our series, “The Weekly Number.” In this series, we highlight statistics that help tell the story of the 21st-century library.