My First Books Community Partner Information Form 2025-2026

My First Books Community Partner Information Form

(for Program Year 2026-2027)
Thank you for your interest in participating in the My First Books program with your local library.

My First Books is sponsored by Read to Me, a program from the Idaho Commission for Libraries, a state agency. Books and program materials are funded with state funds, as well as funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

In order to be considered as a partner for the 2026-2027 school year, please provide the information requested in the form below and sign in acknowledgment of the partner requirements. (No private information about individual children or families will be collected, and any information obtained from this form will remain confidential; information is used to ensure program eligibility, as well as your understanding of all program requirements.)

Once submitted, this information will be sent to your library partner, who will transfer your enrollment information to their official application. They must submit their application no later than April 20, 2026. Note: Your public library partner cannot submit their application in full until this partner info form is submitted. Failure to submit the following information before this date may jeopardize your eligibility to participate in the program for the upcoming year.

A copy of your submission will also be sent to the Idaho Commission for Libraries in order to ensure a signed copy of your submission is on file with the library's application.

To learn more about the My First Books program, visit our My First Books program website.

If you have questions about this process please contact staci.shaw@libraries.idaho.gov.
Note: Please do not use the "Enter" button to navigate through this form. It works best if you use either the "Tab" button or simply move your mouse from place to place.
Public Library Information
Please select the public library with whom you will be partnering:*
Town where public library is located:*
*Library* contact's email address, provided by your public library partner (please double-check for accuracy):*
Please re-type library's email address to ensure accuracy:*
A copy of your submission will be sent to the email address you submitted above, to be included with their library application.Please make sure the email address is correct so that they receive this submission.
Community Partner Information
NOTE: For the purpose of the My First Books program, a "Partner" is considered as one location/site. Several programs and classrooms can participate at one partner location. Only one Community Partner form should be submitted, containing enrollment numbers for all classrooms that will be participating.

Examples:

Garden View Elementary School runs a Developmental Preschool program, a standard preschool program, and contains grades K - 6, all at one location. The library plans to partner with the school to serve DPS, Preschool, and Kindergarten.
- Submit ONE form on behalf of this site, listing the total number of classrooms, the total number of preschool students, and the total number of kindergarteners. Choose one person at the school to submit the form, such as the principal.
Mountain Valley School District offers Head Start programs at three of its elementary schools: Pine Elementary, Cedar Elementary, and Aspen Elementary. The library would like to partner with each Head Start program, as well as one of the school's kindergarten classrooms.
- Each school is a separate partner. Submit one form for each school, listing the number of Head Start classrooms and number of students; include the kindergarten classrooms and number of students if the library plans to serve those children as well.
- The school district is not a partner, and should not submit a form. We prefer that the person submitting the form is the site director, principal, or another designated contact person within the school such as a teacher or school librarian.
Rocky Mountain Preschool has 5 locations throughout the area.
- Each location is a separate partner. Submit one form per site/location, up to three locations.
Specific name of your school/organization (i.e. "Mountain States Early Head Start" or "Washington Elementary" - Please do not simply enter "Head Start" or "School District"):*
School name, Preschool, Daycare, Head Start, etc.
School/organization primary contact (choose one administrator or teacher to submit on behalf of all participating classes at this location):*
First and last name
Contact's Title or Role in school/organization*
Contact's email address:*
Your library partner will use this email address to communicate with your organization
Your school/organization's phone number:*
Include area code
Your school/organization's physical address:*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Name of School Principal or Organization Director, if different than Primary Contact Name:
Email address of School Principal or Organization Director:*
A copy of the completed form will be emailed to this address upon submission of this form.
Private/for-profit daycarePrivate/for-profit preschoolSchool district preschool (funded by school district) (Note: If kindergarten classes are also participating, submit only ONE form to include both preschool and kindergarten.)Public elementary school (Note: If preschool classes are also participating, submit only ONE form to include both preschool and kindergarten.)Head StartEarly Head Start (on-site program)Early Head Start (home visiting program)Public High School (if Teen Parent Program)Other
***Note that home visiting Early Head Start programs are not eligible for this program. A requirement of My First Books is that library staff have face-to-face contact with the children each month during book distributions.
Year-round (including summer)Aug/Sept through May/June (school year)Other
Children in lower-income familiesEnglish Language LearnersChildren of teen parentsTeen parents themselves (you offer a formal "Teen Parent Program")Refugee childrenChildren with developmental delays or disabilitiesChildren in daycare who have limited access to books and print materialsChildren living in rural areas in which the library is a great distance awayAmerican Indian childrenPlease check this box if your organization would benefit from having the monthly parent newsletters available in Spanish.
Public schools/school districts: Please list current Free/Reduced Lunch Rate:
YesNoNot sure
Private daycare or preschool: Please list the percentage of families currently using ICCP funds for your program:
(Idaho Child Care Program assistance funds)

Please estimate the number of children in each age group for ALL classrooms at this location that will be participating in the My First Books program in 2026-2027:*

Rows	Estimated # of children
Babies/Toddlers (generally up to 35 months)
Preschool (generally ages 3 to 5, have not yet entered kindergarten)
Kindergarten (ages 5 and 6, attending public/private kindergarten program, non-faith-based)

How many LEAD/HEAD teachers are participating at this location? (all participating ages/grades)*
This number will tell ICfL staff how many My First Books program calendars to print for your site.
Any comments/clarification about enrollment estimates?
My First Books Program Description and Requirements:

We want to ensure you have a complete understanding of each component and requirement of this program. If you need clarification for any of these requirements please contact your library partner before submitting this form. You may also contact Staci Shaw, Youth Services Consultant, at the Idaho Commission for Libraries: staci.shaw@libraries.idaho.gov.
Children are enrolled in organization's or school's program on a daily or consistent basis from September through May. Drop-in programs or summer programs do not qualify (i.e., Boys and Girls Club, Migrant Seasonal Head Start, etc.*)A representative from the library will visit the organization on a monthly basis to conduct storytimes, distribute free books to the children, and provide information about early literacy skills for teachers and parents. There is no financial obligation on the part of the partner organization.All children in the classroom (school, daycare, or preschool) must be included in the monthly distributions, rather than just a subset of identified children (i.e., struggling readers, ELL, etc.).Books are distributed to the same children every month. Organization’s staff will notify the library of changes in enrollment as early as possible in order to ensure every child receives the title of the month.Organization’s staff remains present during monthly library visits and assists with book distributions.Organization’s staff ensures the monthly parent newsletter, The Bookworm, is sent home with the book.In August/September, a representative from the library and all participating teachers will meet to discuss storytime and book distribution structure, schedule visits for the year, and acknowledge all program requirements and expectations.Each library must provide one early literacy workshop for parents of participating children, or one family event held for My First Books families. The partner organization will be asked to support this event by promoting it to parents. In addition, partners may also elect to attend, host, assist in planning the event, etc.This project is evaluated annually by the Idaho Commission for Libraries. Partner organizations agree to distribute and collect the “My First Books Parent Survey” at the end of the program (April/May) and return to the library representative.Submission of this form does not guarantee participation in the program. Your library's application will be reviewed and scored according to specific qualifiers. The number of applications that will be funded is determined by available funding. Your library will contact you in May/early June regarding its application status.
By typing your name in the box below, you are agreeing to the following statement for your organization: "I/We agree to participate in the program as outlined in the Program Description and Requirements" (above):*
Should be Empty:

My First Books Community Partner Information Form

Public Library Information

Community Partner Information

My First Books Program Description and Requirements: