SELBYVILLE, Del. - Delaware’s First Spouse Tracey Quillen Carney visited the Selbyville Public Library to promote early education and literacy, sharing copies of her new children's book, Books for Blue.
Carney emphasized the importance of starting early with brain development and pre-reading skills to ensure children meet the critical third-grade reading benchmark.
“We know that if we want to hit that critical third-grade reading benchmark, we’ve got to start working with kids on their brain development and pre-reading skills long before kindergarten. We can’t start in kindergarten and get to that third-grade benchmark,” said Carney.
The Selbyville Public Library is receiving $7 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to create an entirely new library. This library will be 9,000 square feet larger than their current library. The new facility will feature dedicated sections for various age groups, enhancing the library's ability to serve the community.
Ana Calles, a library staff member for over seven years, expressed her excitement for the new building. “I’m very excited because we have a lot of patrons that come in here and a lot of events. So just having a bigger space is going to allow us to provide even more services for our patrons,” Calles said.
Alongside the new library, Carney’s Books for Blue is set to inspire children to explore their passions through reading. The book, available in both English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, which aims to encourage children from all backgrounds to embark on their own journeys of discovery.
“Kids are inspiring. They literally embody hope, which I think is a basic need for all of us. So there’s nothing better,” Carney added.
The new Selbyville library is expected to open to the public this November.
