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Family Place Libraries website

Find a Family Place Library Near You

The Core Components of a Family Place Library:
• Multimedia collections for babies, toddlers, parents and service providers
• A specially designed, welcoming space within the children’s area for families
• The Parent/Child Workshop, a unique five-week program connecting families with the library, one another, and community resources.
• Partnerships with community agencies and early-intervention services
• Outreach to new and non-traditional library users
• Developmentally appropriate programming
• Specially trained library staff

Trainings:
Check dates for upcoming training workshops where you can become a Family Place coordinator or librarian.

“At a time when supports are in short supply, Family Place Libraries are a focal point to which children and families can turn for comprehensive help. Librarians are working with parents and social service providers to assure the children are given every opportunity to flourish. It's a new and very important alliance.”
Ben Carson, MD, Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital and LFF Council Member

“It was great the way the nutritionist sat right down on the floor to talk to parents. I feel better now!”
Parent, Indiana (PA) Free Library

Family Place

Family Place Libraries™ is a network of children’s librarians nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth, and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families. A joint initiative of Middle Country Public Library (http://www.mcpl.lib.ny.us) and Libraries for the Future, the Family Place Libraries network currently includes more than 220 sites in 23 states and continues to grow.

Become a Family Place Library

Family Place Libraries are committed to developing a family-centered approach to library services. Libraries that join the Family Place Network:

• Send at least one staff librarian to the four day Family Place Training Institute.

• Implement the core components of Family Place Libraries.

• Offer the Parent–Child Workshop within one year of attending the training institute.

• Participate in an annual national Family Place survey.

• Provide annual documentation of all Parent/Child Workshop pre- and post- workshop surveys.

Family Place Libraries redesign the library environment to be welcoming and appropriate for children beginning at birth; connect parents with the resources, programs and services offered at the library and other family service agencies; and reach out to non-traditional library users. This creates the network families need to nurture their children’s development during the critical first years of life and helps ensure all children enter school ready and able to learn.
Find out more at the Family Place Libraries website.

LIBRARIES FOR THE FUTURE • 27 UNION SQUARE WEST, SUITE 204 • NEW YORK, NY 10003 • TELEPHONE 646.336.6236 • FAX 646.336.6318