San Antonio Public Library officials on July 17 announced the roll out of read-along devices in all SAPL locations to help enhance efforts for early childhood literacy.

According to a news release, devices from manufacturers Vox and WonderBook are now available for select children’s titles in SAPL’s collection.

The read-along devices pair an audiobook player with print books to provide audio narration in an easy-to-use, accessible, all-in-one device, the release states.

The new devices are attached to the printed book, each of which comes with instructions in English and Spanish, and controls may guide readers to quickly start listening, the release states.

Library system officials said any library visitor may borrow a device from the read-along shelf in the children’s section at any SAPL location. They can use the device with or without headphones, and choose titles that are available in English and Spanish. Every SAPL location offers 75-80 read-along titles in the children’s collection, the release states.

SAPL officials said while read-alongs have long been a staple of library collections for years, the new devices simplify the format into one easy-to-use item to provide children with a chance to independently read during early literacy development.

Additionally, SAPL officials said with titles available in English and Spanish, children learning how to read in either language have the added benefit of hearing words out loud even if they or their parents are not native speakers of that language.

“It is our goal to continually provide our community with the most up-to-date resources,” SAPL Director Ramiro Salazar said in a statement. “By incorporating this new type of read-along device into our collection, we demonstrate our commitment to nurturing literacy at a young age.”

For more information about read-along devices at SAPL, call 210-207-2500.