Library Cards and Reading Kids

This one just warms my heart, but it made me really happy when I realized it came from my home town. (Hey, I may live in Virginia, but New York will ALWAYS be home.)

Here is an excerpt from the article Rochester Elementary School Students Receive Library Cards.

This is the first time the City School District and Rochester Public Library have formally cooperated in a program that supports students in accessing the resources of their local libraries.

During an assembly at School 52 Wednesday, cards were given to students whose parents signed their children up for the program. Officials expect the students at the school not receiving library cards Wednesday, will participate in the program during the 2008-09 school year.

The hope of the program, said School 52 principal Denise Rainey, is to encourage students to develop a love of reading, by granting the means to check books out of the library.

Now that's a laudable goal, and so easy to achieve. What makes it even more attractive is that the program forgives library fines for students who have cards with overdue book balances. Wouldn't you love to see this in a city/town near you?