FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           
CONTACT: Jennifer Keohane
(860) 344-8777 - work
(203) 915-2465 - cell
(860) 344-9119 - fax
jkeohane@ctlibrarians.org
 
 
TAKE YOUR CHILD TO A LIBRARY - ANYWHERE:
Connecticut Librarians’ Grassroots Movement Grows to National Campaign
 
December 12, 2012 - Take Your Child to the Library Day, an annual event created by Connecticut children’s librarians Nadine Lipman and Caitlin Augusta, has now become a nationwide campaign dedicated to bringing more children into their local libraries. Thanks to an innovative partnership among the project’s original creators, library promotional publisher Upstart©/Highsmith, children’s book illustrator/author Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, and the nonprofit Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC), Take Your Child to the Library will reach libraries, librarians and library users everywhere beginning this month.
 
Take Your Child to the Library Day was launched in February 2012 as a Connecticut library community event. With over 120 libraries and 15,000 attendees participating nationally, the grassroots movement was a tremendous success. Now, less than a year after the original event, posters, bookmarks, a programming guide and other promotional materials are available for sale to libraries everywhere via Upstart©, a Highsmith brand. Royalties from product sales will be returned to libraries and children via CLC and a donation to Read to Grow, a Connecticut-based nonprofit committed to building literacy from birth.
 
The national Take Your Child to the Library project represents the collaboration and efforts of a diverse group of library supporters. Children’s book illustrator/author Nancy Elizabeth Wallace donated the iconic artwork. “I am thrilled and honored to have my art be the logo for Take Your Child to the Library Day,” says Ms. Wallace. “It is a way I can say a BIG ‘thank you’ and pay homage to children's librarians and to libraries for the essential role they play throughout our lives.” Matt Mulder, Director, Highsmith Brands, states, “Our mission at Upstart© is to help libraries reach every reader, and we can’t think of a better way to begin than to encourage families to read together.” CLC Executive Director Jennifer Keohane concurs. “We are happy to support any program that raises awareness of libraries and their value to their communities,” says Ms. Keohane. “Our organization is proud to help this local idea reach a national audience.”
 
For information about the Take Your Child to the Library Day event to be held on February 2, 2013, visit www.ctlibrarians.org or the Take Your Child to the Library Day page on Facebook. To learn more about the Take Your Child to the Library products available from Upstart©, visit www.highsmith.com/upstart/pages/take_child_library or call 1-800-448-4887. For information about Read to Grow, visit www.readtogrow.org.
 
About the Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC)
The Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC) is a statewide membership collaborative serving all types of Connecticut libraries by helping them strengthen their ability to serve their users. CLC, a nonprofit organization, has initiated and facilitated cost effective-services, created educational and professional development programs, and fostered innovation for their over 800 member libraries since 2003. Visit www.ctlibrarians.org.
 
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