Loutit District Library (Grand Haven) to Host Prime Time Family Reading Time®

Lansing— The Michigan Humanities Council is proud to announce that Loutit District Library in Grand Haven has been selected as a Prime Time Family Reading Time® host. This brings the total number of Michigan Prime Time host libraries to 16.

“Families that read together, succeed together. Children love when their parents read with them and the benefits not only help the child do better in school, but the time spent together sharing stories strengthens the parent-child relationship. Prime Time is an amazing opportunity for parents to help their children and the whole family become lifelong readers,” said Katie Wolf, executive director of the Michigan Humanities Council.

“The Michigan Humanities Council is very pleased to partner with the Loutit District Library to bring this nationally recognized family reading program to Grand Haven. The Grand Haven community is very fortunate to have a library staff willing to go above and beyond to bring such high-quality programming to local families.”

Prime Time is a literacy program directed toward families with young children who are non-active library users. This six-week program includes the reading of a child’s story and facilitated discussion on themes presented in that night’s book. Through family reading, Prime Time breaks multi-cultural and multi-generational barriers.

According to Loutit Library Director John Martin, the first Prime Time session will start in March 2012 and conclude around mid-April, incorporating Reading Month and National Library Week. Staff has already begun brainstorming ideas and planning programs for 2012 and beyond.

“Literacy is always important, and working with the whole family is especially important,” Martin said. “We believe that success in school, and life, is tied inextricably to the ability to read. Successful readers become tomorrow’s successful leaders, and the Loutit District Library has a long history of working with area organizations to improve reading skills in the Grand Haven area.

“The staff of Loutit District Library is excited to collaborate with local groups and volunteers to improve literacy rates in the Grand Haven area,” Martin continued. “Through the awarding of this grant, the Michigan Humanities Council recognizes the quality of service Loutit District Library strives to provide Grand Haven area residents. …We see Prime Time Family Reading Time as an opportunity to learn effective methods for enhancing service and improving lives in our community.”

Prime Time was developed by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH), and is made possible in Michigan by the Michigan Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, LEH, American Library Association, and Grand Haven Area Community Foundation – W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Additional participating libraries include those in Alpena, Cassopolis, Charlevoix, Muskegon, Hamtramck, Highland, Jackson, Adrian, Monroe, Saginaw, South Haven, Morenci, Mt. Pleasant and Marquette. Kalamazoo Public Library has hosted Prime Time since 2000.

About the Michigan Humanities Council

The Michigan Humanities Council is a private, nonprofit organization created to foster a better understanding of each other and our state through local cultural, historical and literary experiences for all. The Council was founded in 1974 and is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and individual donors. For more information on future programs, upcoming grant opportunities or how you can support these efforts, please visit www.michiganhumanities.org or call (517) 372-7770.

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