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WASHINGTON (AP) — Major book publishers are going to provide more than $250 million in free e-books to low-income students. The initiative was announced today by President Barack Obama at a library in an economically-depressed neighborhood of the nation's capital.
He's looking for commitments from local governments and schools nationwide to provide library cards to all students. The White House already has commitments from 30 cities and counties, ranging from Baltimore to San Francisco.
Obama says providing millions of e-books online will help children who "maybe don't have as many books at home or don't always have access to a full stock of reading materials."
Speaking at a virtual town hall sponsored by Discovery Education, Obama told the students that how well they do in life is going to depend on whether they love reading and learning, and whether they know how to find information and use it.
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222-w-36-(Sagar Meghani (SAH'-gur meh-GAH'-nee), AP national security correspondent, with President Barack Obama and a student named Hannah)--On a visit to a Washington library to promote reading and technology, President Barack Obama was taken back to his days in school. AP National Security Correspondent Sagar Meghani reports from the Pentagon. (30 Apr 2015)
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208-a-10-(President Barack Obama, speaking to students at virtual town hall)-"use that information"-President Obama says all the technology in the world will not help if kids do not want to learn. (30 Apr 2015)
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206-a-12-(President Barack Obama, speaking to students at virtual town hall)-"books at home"-President Obama says major book publishers are coming together to allow low-income students more digital access to books. (30 Apr 2015)
<<CUT *206 (04/30/15)££ 00:12 "books at home"
APPHOTO DCSW113: President Barack Obama, shakes hands with 6th-grader Osman Yaya, a student at Wicomico County Public Schools' Bennett Middle School in Salisbury, Md., during an event at Anacostia Library in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2015, following a live "virtual field trip" with middle school students to announce two initiatives to improve education through digital connectivity. Linking reading to technology, the White House marshaled major book publishers to provide more than $250 million in free e-books to low-income students and is seeking commitments from local governments and schools across the country to ensure that every student has a library card. Yaya moderated the event. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (30 Apr 2015)
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