Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Party Draws 800 Fans to NSU’s Library, Launches “Read for the Fun of It” Initiative

(Photo caption: Celebrating at Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Party are Lydia Acosta, vice president for Information Services and University Librarian, along with young readers Kourtney Major, Madison Valencia and Alexandria Major, joined by Erwin and Barbara Mautner Foundation namesake Barbara Mautner, and beloved Dr. Seuss characters Thing 1, Thing 2, and The Cat in the Hat.)

More than 800 Dr. Seuss fans recently visited NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library to celebrate the anniversary of the famed author’s birthday, and to help the library launch its new literacy initiative: Read for the Fun of It.

The March 2 birthday party featured Dr. Seuss-themed tasty treats, art projects, a magic show, special story time activities, face painting, and a goodie bag of Dr. Seuss books for families to take and enjoy as a way to encourage literacy in the home.

Additionally, the celebration served as the kickoff to NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library’s new Read for the Fun of It initiative, developed through the generosity of the Erwin and Barbara Mautner Foundation which recently gave the library a $250,000 gift to fund literacy projects.

According to the Literacy Coalition of Broward County, nearly 22 percent of Broward’s residents are illiterate. Additionally, according to a Jumpstart report, children from low-income families have limited access to books and are entering kindergarten without basic early literacy skills – which predict future academic ability.

With its gift and the creation of the five-year Read for the Fun of It initiative based at NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library, the Mautner Foundation aims to help change these startling statistics.

The ultimate goal of Read for the Fun of It is to create a legacy of reading and a life-long love of learning and literature, while addressing much-needed literacy issues for Broward County preschool, elementary, middle and high school aged children and young adults.

To reach more families, the initiative will also include partnerships with other educational institutions and community organizations. In addition, Read for the Fun of It will help the library launch new programs and enhance existing programming such as the Dr. Seuss Birthday Party, outreach efforts, Families♥2Read, the summer library reading program, and a creative writing program for teens.

For more information about future Read for the Fun of It events and activities, please visit www.nova.edu/library/main.