Twins learning about the woods, walking, and fresh air with their grown-ups

The Urban Libraries Council and the National Council for Families Learning recently published a Leadership Brief on Libraries and Family Learning.  It’s short, so you might want to take a peek.  If you just want to get a few tips, here are the five strategies they recommend for libraries:

1.  Connect with multiple key community partners that can meet family learning needs.  I seem many libraries in the country, state, and our own region doing terrific work in this area.  Libraries partnering with Public Health, Birth to Three, schools, daycares, Head Start, County Extension, and more!

2.  Increase community outreach to connect with families where they are.  Don’t forget laundromats, daycare centers, places of worship…

3.  Enhance and align existing library and community literacy programs to serve families.  Be aware of what else is happening, bring groups together!

4.  Keep programming flexible to meet the needs of both parents and children.  Include multiple options. Consider offering meals, allowing drop-ins, and providing ways to extend the learning at home.

5.  Tell the story of the importance of family learning and early literacy.  We are well-positioned to do this–don’t be afraid to be assertive about the importance!