Every year, the Book Institute’s bookstart project consists of three stages:

1. Stage 1: aimed at newborns and their parents, who receive a free reading pack in the maternity ward (more than 90% of all hospitals in Poland participate in the project, and more than 200,000 children receive books every year).
2. Stage 2: aimed at pre-school children (3-6 years old), who can receive a reading pack (a book and a brochure for parents) together with a Little Reader’s Card when they visit one of the 700 public libraries across the country. Around 150,000 books are donated to children every year.
3. Stage 3: aimed at all children starting the first grade in primary school (13,500 schools). Approximately 380,000 children receive a book and a brochure for parents.

Each year, we provide more than 800,000 reading packs to children in different age groups.

These activities are accompanied by an extensive media campaign aimed at reminding parents about the role of reading in their child’s life, as well as encouraging family reading and reading to children from birth.

As part of the 2024 promotional campaign, we:

1. Implemented an educational programme and a competition for primary school students, in which 1,000 classes participated.
2. Prepared events (workshops, author meetings) at the most important festivals in Poland – both literary and music festivals – and participated in industry events.
3. Organised a tour of 100 reading workshops for children in three age groups.
4. Recorded a TV spot and radio spot, as well as 30 professional internet reels. The media campaign was present on TV and the radio, as well as in the press and online. We invited well-known celebrities and influencers to promote family reading. This year’s campaign slogan was “Read to your child from birth!” due to the launch of a new baby book.
5. Organised a training programme for 1,000 midwives, who are the very first reading ambassadors.
6. Organised, together with one of Poland’s biggest children’s hospitals, a conference to celebrate World Prematurity Day (reading corners were set up in the hospital and a reading bus – a yellow school bus – with read-alouds and games was waiting for the little patients in front of the hospital.
7. Prepared a series of online training courses for reading promoters working with children (teachers, librarians, educators), from which 2,500 people benefited.
8. Recorded an audio version of the book in our reading pack, with the participation of professional actors.
9. Managed our website (400,000 visits) and social media (57,000 followers) throughout the whole year.