Studies show that children who learn to enjoy reading at an early age continue to read throughout their lives. One way to foster a love of reading is to provide kids with access to exciting, high quality books.

The Lopez Library just received a grant from the Libri Foundation that enriches the children’s book collection with $1000 worth of new titles.

The Libri Foundation was established in 1989 for the sole purpose of helping rural libraries acquire new, quality, hardcover children’s books they could not otherwise afford to buy. Since October 1990, the Foundation has donated over $3,500,000 worth of new children’s books to more than 2,600 libraries in 48 states.

Library director Lou Pray selected 64 books valued at $1000 from Libri’s 700-title fiction and nonfiction booklist. The majority of books on the list have been published within the last three years, but old favorites are also offered. All of the titles have been highly recommended by recognized authorities in the library and education fields.

Lopez Library received this same grant in 2006. “We’re really lucky we got it again so soon. They’ve got really greats titles to pick from,” said library assistant Rosie Sumner.

A local organization can contribute from $50 to $350, which the Libri Foundation matches on a 2-to-1 ratio. In 2006, the Friends of Lopez Library matched the $350; this year it was the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Washington State Library.