Librarians always look for ways to encourage early literacy skills and learning in the home. Teachers consistently ask for a dozen or more copies of certain titles to read aloud in classrooms or materials in support of specific lesson plans; providing enough copies can be a challenge. Additionally, book clubs frequently need help selecting suitable titles, gathering copies and prompting discussion. The Sprout Backpacks, Book Club Bags and Baby Lit Kits afford an opportunity to provide high-touch service that is convenient, appealing, enriching, workable and affordable for specific core customers including parents, teachers, homeschoolers and book discussion groups.

Themed Sprout Backpacks contain picture books plus toys, games, puzzles and a list of related activities for ages 1-3 or ages 3-8. Displayed on shelves, these eye-catching packs pique the interest of children who check them out and wear them home. Branded Book Club Bags hold 15 trade paperbacks, plus discussion questions and author information. About 20 new adult titles are added yearly, while children’s titles are those most requested by teachers. Baby Lit Kits are excellent for parent groups or day care centers/preschools. Patrons simply scan once to check out the bags and their contents for six weeks.

The convenience of having books and support materials together in one handy, circulating container is appreciated and popular. Children love to wear the Sprout Backpacks. The 350 offered have circulated about 2,500 times. They fly off the shelves, with teachers using them in learning centers as well as families who use them at home. The most popular of the 85 Book Club Bags are requested quickly when they appear in the catalog. The Baby Lit Kits (launched June 2016) contain 15 board book titles with activity sheets designed especially for babies and toddlers.