Our Story

Growing up the ninth and youngest child of a young widow, my father died when I was six weeks old, was like being the first born child of a single (first time) mother in need.

I didn't have any new clothing, toys or anything special chosen just for me.

And even though we lived three blocks from the library I rarely went there until I was a student at the neighboring elementary school.

In fact, I was one of the "61% of children from low income families that do not have any age-appropriate books in the home during their childhood".

After I became a first time mother myself I decided to make reading, books and the library a constant and permanent part of my child’s life.

I would read aloud to him daily and regularly took him with me to bookstores and the library to buy or borrow books. A practice I continued with my subsequent children.

Throughout their preschool years I also gave them educational, non battery operated toys to expand their imaginations and develop their fine motor skills.

I thought if the practices I had introduced during my children's childhood (reading aloud to them daily, visiting the local library weekly/monthly, buying them books and educational toys plus utilizing healthy parenting techniqes) had benefited my children so greatly, was there a way could I offer such a program to first time mothers in need, who were in many ways like my own mother.

I created First Library®, an free reading program for new and expectant first time mothers, the majority in need.

First Library promotes daily reading and monthly library patronage while offering first time mothers the opportunity to earn essential baby items with participation.

I found a national free book gifting program already in operation but not available in the State of New Jersey.

I decided to offer this program as part of my program.*

This part the First Library program was originally available to all preschool children, not just newborns, until the age of five.

But after much thought and consideration, input by parents, and especially research on my part, I decided to make that program available to first born children only.

I wanted to recreate the happiness, joy, and comfort first time mothers and their child felt reading their first books together plus the gratitude the first time mothers expressed sharing the "First Library program" with their newborn children.

And I wanted to give new first time mothers, like Diane, an opportunity to "earn" books, educational toys, and supplies aside from the free book program through free reading related activities tailored to their wants and needs.

The program, an incentive and reward program, was called First Library®.

Beyond the encouraged daily reading of the free book gifting program, First Library® parents could also earn points for free gifts (books and related items) with monthly library patronage to “shop” for more books at our First Library Shop®.

The First Library Shop offered first time mothers additional free books and educational toys during their child's first year of life by performing various free reading related activities through the First Library program.

An ADDED BONUS: First time mothers received gifts for continued participation.

After the birth of my first child I decided to made books and the use of the library a constant and permanent part of his, and any future children's, life.

I created First Library®, a new book, toy and clothing program for new first time mothers in need.

I found a national free book gifting program already in operation but not available in the State of New Jersey.

I decided to offer this program as part of my program.*

Just like the original First Library program was designed to fit my vision and mission, to include daily reading and required monthly library visits, I redesigned the First Baby program, now also First Library®, with the expanded new vision of the original and first First Library program, with an emphasis on healthy and responsible parenting.

I wanted to recreate the excitement, awe and inquisitiveness my children experienced with their continued and ever increasing exposure to books and literature while giving their parents the opportunity to "earn" educational toys and clothing during their child's first three years of life.

This new improved program better prepared children, the majority in need, for a lifetime love of reading and books.

And I only began to regularly visit the library and purchasing books after I started working as a young adult.

When I married, I decided to break the pattern set in my home growing up and make books and the use of the library a constant and permanent part of my, and my future children's, life.

As I prepared for the birth of my first child I attended parenting classes and regularly read early childhood development educational books; most borrowed from the library.

During my pregnancy and after the birth of my first child, I read aloud to him daily.

I also took him regularly, starting at birth, to bookstores and the library. A practice I continued with my subsequent children.

Today, he and my other three children are voracious readers with extensive home libraries.

Throughout their preschool years I also gave them educational, non battery-operated toys to expand their imaginations and develop their fine motor skills.

I thought if the practices I had introduced during their childhood, (the early introduction of reading aloud daily (and before birth), continued exposure to literature, book ownership and library patronage, the usage of educational toys plus healthy parenting), had benefited my children so greatly, was there a way could I offer such a program to first time mothers in need, in many ways like my mother.

I, once again, began researching ways to implement such the program on a larger scale (for first time mothers in need only) and discovered Prevent Child Abuse America and Nurse Family Partnership. Their (and others) home visiting programs are especially designed for expectant and/or new parents (NFP is for first time mothers only) and are designed to teach them healthy parenting skills and ways to nurture their child's literacy skills.

I created Most First Library (formerly First Baby) and the Most First Library Shop and later Most First Library Too Shop to compliment these existing programs. It would expand on the model of the First Library program with the focus on first time mothers in need only.

Most First Library is designed to help first time mothers in need bring the love of reading and library patronage into their child's home at birth and to help them learn the importance of early childhood development, healthy parenting and, especially, reading.

CatherineThe idea to start "First Library" came after my friend, Diane, had her first child. I wanted to give my love of reading to her and her newborn child. I sent Diane some books as a gift for her to read to her newborn son, Lubin. I also sent her new clothing and educational toys).Later her husband, Pascal, a native Parisian, began to read to their son and was learning to read and write in English himself.

After a few years, Lubin, who was now reading his gift books by himself, proudly displayed and shared his ever-growing first library with friends and family.

After over ten years of being a Free Book Gifting program affiliate and serving sixteen communities throughout the State of New Jersey, First Library refocused its efforts to promote library patronage.

The newly redesigned would put more emphasis on the essential baby items mothers were requesting: clothing and toys.

educational toys, supplies, children's clothing AND gifts from local businesses and professionals to expectant and new single first time mothers in need only enrolled in their program.