PITTSBURGH — Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital partnered to distribute ‘Best Books for Babies’ bundles and library cards to new and expectant families.
Librarians and hospital employees handed out books from the award-winning “Best Books for Babies” list at the UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital lobby on Monday.
This is the first year the hospital and library have partnered for an event like this.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting families in their child’s earliest growth and well-being,” Director of Community Outreach at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, Bonita Pannell, said.
The list is updated annually and evaluated against 25 criteria, including age-appropriate content, rhythm and rhyme and authentic representation of diverse families.
“Our list has been put out for 26 years, so we’re really proud to have a wonderful foundation of bringing learning, beginning at birth,” said Erin Zambataro, Library Administrator, Children’s & Teen Services, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
The initiative, part of Love Your Library Month, marks the 26th year of the Carnegie Library’s event.
“Even in a baby’s earliest days, learning and reading can begin with the comfort of a caregiver’s voice and the joy of a first book,” said Zambataro.
Zabataro added that the early reading will have a long-lasting impact.
“It actually puts the building blocks for learning, understanding, comprehension, so reading to a baby can affect them during school and even into adulthood,” said Zabataro.
Families received carefully curated book bundles, each containing eight titles from the 2025 list, along with resources and a library card ready to be activated in their baby’s name.
The event is part of CLP’s ‘Literacy Takes Flight’ initiative, which aims to inspire confidence and curiosity in readers of all ages and develop practical solutions to strengthen literacy rates across Pittsburgh.
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