Back to school @ your library!

Backpack? Check. Pencils? Check. Folders? Check. Paper? Check.

Library card?

Check!!

Parents wouldn’t think of sending their children off to school without the tools they need to learn and grow, to become readers and thinkers and doers. But those tools are not limited to just pencils and paper. One of the most valuable tools you can send your child off to school with is a library card from your local public library. This simple plastic card doesn’t cost a thing and can help you open up your child’s mind to a whole world of possibilities.

Children can read about what it might be like to live in another time or place, they can travel to the stars or battle a dragon, they can learn about real-life heroes or how their world works. They can find a book for information or just for fun. They can type up a paper or do research on the Internet or one of the library’s many databases. Long after the pencils have been sharpened to stubs and the ink in the pens has run dry, a library card will still be there, the tool that will help your child unlock the doors to a lifelong love of learning.

September is the nationally observed Library Card Sign-up Month and the occasion reminds parents that a library card is a vital educational tool for children. As the ALA cites, many studies have proven that children who use library services will perform better in school.

Visit the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library to give your children the key to tomorrow-- a library card!