To help address the critical need to improve reading skills among the area's youth, the Los Angeles Public Library has developed several outreach programs, each of which depends on contributions raised by the Library Foundation:

Grandparents and Books (GAB)
Children's Reading Club
Teen Reading Club
Read to Me L.A.

Grandparents and Books (GAB)
GAB trains adult volunteers to read aloud to children, listen to them read, and perform book-centered activities at the Central Library and branch libraries during after-school hours and on weekends.
 
GAB volunteers help children develop reading skills by promoting a love of books and stories. They read out loud from picture books, tell stories with puppets and flannel boards, and listen to children read, helping with pronunciation and vocabulary. Often, entire families participate together.
 
The Los Angeles Public Library's GAB program is the largest in the nation. Since 1989, more than 1,500 trained GAB volunteers have read to more than 400,000 children.
 
Donors support training, books and support materials.
 
Visit the Library's GAB web page for more information or the Library's volunteer webpage if you would are interested in becoming a GAB volunteer.

 
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Children's Reading Club
Summer Reading Club is a citywide program for children pre-school to 11 years that encourages them to read for personal enjoyment and educational growth. With its focus on reading as its own reward, it demonstrates the library's ability to enrich the lives of children through books. It is one of the Library's most successful outreach programs.
 
Donors to Reading Club provide the Library with materials that are key to the program's success, including reading logs, bookmarks, parent/teacher information flyers, and achievement certificates.
 
Even more important, our donors make it possible to present special Reading Club activities for the entire family at every library. These include storytelling, wildlife demonstrations, visits with children's book authors, and puppet shows.
 
Find out how to join Children's Reading Club in your neighborhood by contacting your local branch library.

 
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Teen Reading Club
Teen Reading Club is a citywide summer program for young adults 11 to 18 years of age. It features poetry readings; book and music discussion groups; writing and crafts workshops; and music and dance performances.
 
Donors to Teen Reading Club support the above activities and help provide support materials such as reading logs, membership cards, book bags, and informational flyers.
 
Join Teen Reading Club in your neighborhood by contacting your local branch library.

 
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Read to Me L.A.
Read to Me L.A. is a free program that teaches parents and caregivers how to read to their preschool children and help them become successful readers.
 
Librarians will hold Read to Me L.A. storytimes for parents and their preschool children at the Central Library and all 71 branch libraries citywide. At the storytimes, parents will learn how to bring books into their home, how to read to their children daily, and how to give their children the skills they need to become readers. Children will learn about books, simple phonics and new words.
 
At the storytimes, parents will also receive free books, booklists, and tips so they can continue building their children’s reading skills daily.
 
For more information about Read to Me L.A. and helping your preschool child read—and succeed, contact Ilene Abramson, Director of Children’s Services, 213-228-7480, or visit your local Los Angeles Public Library.

 
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he Los Angeles Public Library has one of the largest collections of Mother Goose books in the country. There are more than 900 titles in the collection, most of which were published in the United States and England during the 20th century; several are 19th century publications, including one from 1813.
 
Watch the Gift of Gab Video (9:00)