Hawai‘i’s First Lady Expands ʻOhana Readers Program to Garden Isle

Hawai‘i’s first lady Dawn Amano-Ige, together with state and non-profit partners, has expanded the ʻOhana Readers program on Kaua‘i. ʻOhana Readers is a literacy program that focuses on reading with family.

The program will offer high-quality, age-appropriate Imagination Library books each month to children on Kaua‘i who are 4 years old and younger. Children who register for the program will receive one book each month via the US Postal Service beginning approximately eight to 10 weeks after their registration form has been submitted.

“Research shows that children are ready to learn in their earliest years, and this program provides no-cost opportunities for learning from birth through age 4,” said Amano-Ige. ʻOhana Readers encourages family read-aloud time, an activity that increases the vocabulary and language skills of our children and contributes to their growing knowledge of the world.”

The program operates through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and is free of charge.

The program is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the Office of the Governor, the State Department of Human Services (DHS), the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, and nonprofit partners The Dollywood Foundation, Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i, Learning to Grow and the KIUC Charitable Foundation.

“This program encourages the youngest members of our community to develop a love of reading that will be important throughout their entire lives. The Hawai‘i State Public Library System is very excited to partner with the ʻOhana Readers program by being a place for families to sign up their little ones for storytimes at the Waimea Public Library to complement the books being mailed out,” said State Librarian Stacey Aldrich.

The Hawai‘i State Public Library System is encouraging families to register for the ‘Ohana Readers program. Families who live in Waimea (96796) and Kekaha (96752) can register their children at the Waimea Public Library.

For more information about the ʻOhana Readers program on Kaua‘i contact Michelle Young, branch manager at the Waimea Public Library at 808-338-6848.