The Pleasanton Public Library will be celebrating the Paws to Read program’s 20th anniversary.
The program provides students in first through fifth grades the opportunity to read one-on-one with one of Valley Humane Society’s Certified Canine Comfort teams. The celebration will begin with a brief ceremony and opening remarks, followed by a reading of Paws Goes to the Library by the author, KPIX 5 journalist Juliette Goodrich.
Attendees of all ages will be invited to experience the Paws to Read program by participating in a 15-minute reading session and the opportunity to meet and greet with the Paws to Read dog teams.
The Valley Humane Society will have a booth at the event for those interested in volunteering and becoming a Pet Therapy team. The event will feature various other activities, including interactive Bingo.
This event is open to the public at the Pleasanton Public Library, 400 Old Bernal Ave., on Jan. 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Pleasanton Library was the first library in California to offer this program when it began in November 2002. It has since inspired many local and national libraries to implement similar programs to help children improve their literacy skills. The program removes the pressure of reading in the classroom, and studies show it leads to other positive results such as improved reading scores, decreased absenteeism, improved confidence and self-esteem. More than 15,000 children in first through fifth grades have benefitted from the Pleasanton Library’s Paws to Read program over the past two decades.
