Community-Wide Reading Breathes New Life With All Pikes Peak Reads 2003 Funded by Verizon SuperPages $20,000 Grant

Colorado Springs, CO -- In a special book unveiling event held this morning at the Penrose Public Library, the Pikes Peak Library District and Verizon SuperPages kicked off All Pikes Peak Reads 2003 (APPR). Children and adults alike will read Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein this year as part of the program. A $20,000 grant from Verizon SuperPages will help fund APPR, which encourages residents of El Paso County to read and discuss the same book in an effort to improve community literacy and foster community dialogue across social, cultural and generational lines.

The Pikes Peak Library District and Verizon SuperPages kick off All Pikes Peak Reads 2003 with a $20,000 grant from Verizon SuperPages. (l-r: PPLD Executive Director Jose Aponte; Community Chairperson Cal Otto; Miss Colorado Morgan O'Murray; SuperPages Sales Manager Sal Salgado)

"Frankenstein was selected this year because it's a suspenseful, thought-provoking novel that residents of all ages will enjoy reading," said Pikes Peak Library District Executive Director José Aponte. "Sharing a good book is inspiring and it helps improve literacy, which is one goal of our program."

Members of the community are invited to get involved in the project and check out one of the 1200 copies of Frankenstein that have been purchased for APPR 2003. Book discussion groups, children's programs, film screenings and other events will be held surrounding the themes selected from Frankenstein for the project.

"As a national literacy advocate, Verizon SuperPages promotes reading programs that bring families and communities together," said Sal Salgado, general sales manager for Verizon SuperPages, Colorado Springs' newest phone book. "We know that literacy positively affects everyone -- here in Colorado Springs and throughout our country."

Frankenstein

Written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1818, this classic novel focuses on character Victor Frankenstein and his curiosity about the human form and the controversial prospect of creating life. The book is popular among readers of all ages and has been the theme for a number of plays and movies.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee was the official book for APPR 2002. The Pikes Peak District Library circulated the book in its many forms more than 7,000 times during the program. Thousands of area residents participated in the events and activities.

Verizon SuperPages sponsors community outreach programs across the nation to increase literacy among people of all ages and to help them gain the skills they need to be successful in the workforce. These programs contribute to Verizon's commitment to increasing U.S. literacy levels.

Recently, Verizon www.SuperPages.com added two new community and literacy sections to its Web site: Enlighten Me for families and caregivers, and the Internet Learning Tutor for adults. Enlighten Me features SuperThinkers, a children's section with games and challenges specifically designed to help children develop critical thinking skills in a fun setting.

About Pikes Peak Library District

The Pikes Peak Library District is an award winning library system celebrating 100 years of building a community of libraries. It serves a population of 465,000 with a budget of $18 million, and has 360 employees, 11 branches, 2 bookmobiles, and a collection of over 1 million items.

About Verizon Information Services and SuperPages.com

Verizon Information Services is the world's leading print and online directory publisher, a content provider for communications products and services, and the largest publisher of Hispanic directories in the U.S. With operations in 14 countries and annual revenues of more than $4.3 billion, Verizon Information Services publishes more than 1,200 U.S. Verizon SuperPages directories and nearly 400 international directories with a total circulation of approximately 150 million copies worldwide.

Based in the Dallas area, Verizon Information Services produces and markets SuperPages.com, the Internet's #1 online directory and shopping resource. SuperPages.com receives as many as 15 million visits and 9 million unique visitors a month and powers directory services on MSN, InfoSpace, Excite, Lycos, Univision.com, Terra.com, YupiMSN.com, Ask Jeeves, HotBot, BigFoot, Tripod and Angelfire as well as more than 2,500 affiliate Web sites.

Verizon Information Services is a unit of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Through its signature Verizon Reads program and the Verizon Literacy Network, Verizon is leading the fight to increase U.S. literacy levels by creating community and corporate awareness, raising funds, encouraging collaboration among literacy providers and engaging employees in supporting literacy programs.

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