Press Release: ALA and PRH Partner on 2nd Annual Readathon

CHICAGO—January 13, 2016—The American Library Association (ALA) today announced that they have joined with Penguin Random House to support the second annual National Readathon Day, which will take place on Saturday, May 21, 2016. It is a day dedicated to the joy of reading and giving, when readers everywhere can join together in their local library, school, bookstore, and on social media (#Readathon2016) to read and raise funds in support of literacy. This year, Readathon Day is presented as part of ALA’s Libraries Transform campaign, and will benefit ALA's Every Child Ready to Read initiative, a program that supports the early literacy development of children from birth to age five in libraries across the nation.

"We are thrilled to partner with Penguin Random House on National Readathon Day 2016," said Sari Feldman, president of ALA. "Not only does Readathon Day present an opportunity to generate excitement amongst readers of all ages, but it also enables children and students everywhere to get involved in an effort that supports youth literacy. The transformational power of reading is fundamental to the value that libraries provide to their communities each and every day."

Penguin Random House is dedicated to creating lifelong readers by supporting programs such as ALA’s Every Child Ready to Read. As part of its commitment to #Readathon2016, Penguin Random House has announced its Library Awards for Innovation, where libraries across the country will have the opportunity to apply for grant awards in support of creating the most innovative community-based programs in 2016. Libraries are encouraged to use Readathon Day as a jumping off point for submissions to the Library Awards for Innovation.

Leading up to and during #Readathon2016, individuals can contribute to ALA and Every Child Ready to Read by visiting the Firstgiving Fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/5066/national-readathon-day and sharing with their friends and family. All readers are encouraged to join in Readathon Day fun on social media, using the hashtag #Readathon2016. Visit the official website, www.readathonday.com, for more information on how to get involved online and in person, including sharing images and videos, and hosting local reading parties.

Last year’s inaugural Readathon Day put the national spotlight on reading in support of the National Book Foundation’s literacy programs. This year, #Readathon2016 shines a light on libraries and early childhood literacy through ALA and Every Child Ready to Read.

Visit www.readathonday.com for more information.

About the American Library Association, Libraries Transform, and Every Child Ready to Read ® @ your library®: The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

Libraries Transform is designed to increase public awareness of the value, impact and services provided by libraries and library professionals. The campaign showcases the transformative nature of today's libraries in creating individual opportunity and highlights the critical role libraries play in the digital age.

Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® is a national research-based program, developed in 2001 and updated in 2011, that empowers library professionals and other early childhood allies to build relationships with parents in their communities and model parent-child engagement activities to build early literacy skills. The initiative makes the road to school readiness and success less mysterious for parents and more fun for children while incorporating the latest early literacy research and strategies for developing pre-reading skills. The initiative’s core message speaks directly to any busy parent: “Talk, sing, read, write, and play with your children!”

Penguin Random House is dedicated to nourishing a universal passion for reading as the world’s first truly global trade book publisher. It was formed on July 1, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively. Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and South Africa; DK Worldwide; and Random House’s companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Central America, and its Portuguese-language company in Portugal. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.