June 2008

To the Editor: Encouraging Literacy
The New York Times
[...] As a librarian in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, I know firsthand how excited children are to receive free books from the R.I.F. program. Many of them might not otherwise be able to own their own books, and most of the program's participants become more interested in reading as a result. Although Laura Bush has served on R.I.F.'s national advisory council, President Bush has eliminated all federal funding for R.I.F.'s book distribution program in his proposed 2009 budget. 

If Laura Bush truly wants to show her dedication to literacy, she should come out in favor of reinstating R.I.F.'s federal funding to the 2009 budget.

Congress: Don't Close the Book on RIF
The Huffington Post
[...] A recent National Endowment [for] the Arts report notes that good readers do better in school, get better jobs, make more money, and are more active citizens. RIF's programs are based on research that shows when children have access to books and learn to read for fun they perform better in school. There are 13 million children living in poverty. Sadly, many of these children don't have books in their homes. These are the children RIF's programs target. These are the children who will be left behind if RIF is not funded by Congress and the President.

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