Carrie Del Vicari watched as her infant daughter balanced herself on the climbing blocks in the children’s area of the Pembroke Town Library.
Del Vicari, who lives close by, finds that having a child-friendly place to go during the day is a good way for her to get out of the house and help her daughter in the crucial developmental years of her life.
“I think it has helped her a lot with her milestones of getting her to be able to crawl and stand sooner than what we kind of expected of her,” said Del Vicari, a stay-at-home mother.
The library has put in place new initiatives to help young parents including workshops, seminars and “baby socials,” where children can meet new friends. These are all part of a training process to become a “Family Place Library.”
Family Place Libraries have been developed around the country as a way to aid young parents and children. The Pembroke library was awarded a $12,000 grant for child development in 2023, which kicked off their training and allowed them to make a more inviting area for families.
Library Director Ryan O’Hora said the grant, provided by Granite United Way, has allowed them to update the previously established children’s area by adding new furniture and toys, while also launching workshops and seminars for new parents.
The workshops, which take place twice a year, are led by child development professionals and provide a space for parents to learn and ask questions.
The grant has also allowed the library to create different stations within the building, including an art table, a motor development spot with blocks to play with and practice balance and cozy areas to read and write.
O’Hora also says that the library is open to suggestions from parents and children who will be using the space.
“I think that’s the benefit of having so many people that come here, though it’s almost like a second home to a lot of people,” he said.
The Family Place Libraries initiative began back in 1996 when the former library advocacy organization, Libraries for the Future, was searching for a parental program in a public library. The organization found the space they were looking for upon visiting Middle Country Public Library on Long Island, New York that provided the example of parent/child workshops. The two groups began collaborating to rework and develop workshops further.
They built a structure of core elements to expand libraries’ roles in parental life by providing children’s spaces, books, toys, and trained staff.
A grant from the Hasbro Children’s Foundation in 1998 allowed them to expand to libraries in five different communities and open a Family Place Training Institute on Long Island in 1999. Since then, over 500 libraries in 32 states have attended training.
Kristen Todd-Wurm, the national coordinator for Family Place Libraries, says the training process takes about three and a half days. During this time, libraries learn what they need and receive the tools to accomplish it.
After the initial training, the organization continues to watch the libraries grow.
“We continue to support them with ongoing professional development. They can always call us,” Todd-Wurm said.
O’Hora enjoys changing the space on a regular basis, even if it is simply rearranging furniture to open up the room or try something new. He also believes that the additions to the library bring more foot traffic.
Welcoming environments like these can help young families in a myriad of ways.
“It really is the community living room. You can tell everyone is welcome,” said Todd-Wurm.
For Del Vicari, the library offers a community hub for people of all ages, even her baby.
“She’s making friends too, and it gets me out of the house to make new friends,” she said.
