Pennsylvania Public Libraries Best Practices in Early Literacy

2008

Carnegie Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped | Teaching Children About Differences

Meeting the needs of its diverse patrons - the seeing-impaired, children and adults with multiple disabilities, individuals with reading delays - is the primary job for the Carnegie Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. But right up there in the library's priorities is its mission to foster understanding and respect for diversity.

Initially Braille is an engaging program that gives children the opportunity to learn about the Braille writing system and the people who use it. The program is presented throughout the library's 36-county service area at festivals and community celebrations. "The program has been a great success," said Kathleen Kappel, library director.

"The big draw is the opportunity for children to create Braille initials of their own name. Using a Braille alphabet poster to learn from, children place raised dots on a card to create their initials. The cards can be worn on a string as the children explore other displays - and have fun answering for others the question written on the card: 'Ask me what this means!' At one festival, virtually everyone stopped by and was wearing a Braille initial tag by the time the event was over," Kappel said.

"The more people of differences are around each other, the less they notice the difference, and instead note the similarities," Kappel said. "If we expose the children and their families early on, it's just like exposing them to people of different ethnicities and different cultures. Greater acceptance of people with disabilities will be, I believe, generational, and we will see it over time. We just can't let the effort drop at any time."

Mt. Lebanon Public Library | Helping Parents Help Their Children

Mt. Lebanon Public Library is a tutoring center for adults learning English and that got librarians Judith Sutton and Connie Mathews thinking about the children of these adults. "We have had a real increase in population, particularly from Eastern Europe and Asia ... so we decided we would work with the school district to try to reach some of these families," said Sutton, head of children's services.

The purpose of the library's Nationality Night was to make the library a welcoming place for families. "We wanted to make them feel welcome in the library. We thought if we could bring them into the library ... they could be introduced to what we have; it would make them feel more comfortable coming in to ask questions and get library cards," Sutton said.

Nationality Night had translators available and featured stories for children, tours, a free book for each child, and information about both the library's resources and services. "We tried to highlight things we have to help them learn English, as well as materials we would have in their native language," Sutton said. "The one thing you want the children to do is to be able to learn English and to be comfortable reading in English. Reading is a real criterion for success in school, as we all know." In addition, children's books are a great way for adults to both learn a new language and share the stories with their children.

Sutton says they now see families coming into the library that had been to Nationality Night, and the library continues to work with the schools and other agencies and groups who serve these newest community members.

2007

Bethel Park Public Library | Rays of Hope

Families who live in homeless shelters may have basic living needs taken care of, but what about children's basic learning needs? When Bethel Park Public Library learned that approximately 3,000 children regularly live in the county's shelters, they partnered with a new nonprofit called the Homeless Children's Education Fund to not only make the 18 county shelters institutional library members, but create and maintain 700-volume libraries in each one.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh | Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Mousefest

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a big service area, but staff members have big ideas. To make the most of Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse, the library used its outreach programs to partner with others involved in early learning and reach approximately 3,300 children. Internally, the 70 in-house story times reached approximately 2,000 more. And to take good advantage of Lindsay Barrett George's visit, they showcased the newly renovated Squirrel Hill branch to hold elaborate MouseFests with books, mousy refreshments, and mazes.

Upper St. Clair Township Library | Ready to Read for Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

How did one library increase reading program attendance by more than 40 percent? The Upper St. Clair Township Library created a fun experience for everyone in the family. With a goal of reaching a wider audience and motivating adults and children to participate in more reading activities, they broadened the goals and created a once-a-week Ready to Read Adventure Day experience.

2006

Mt. Lebanon Public Library | Sensory Storytime

Mt. Lebanon children's librarians developed Sensory Storytime to meet the needs of active children who require a more hands-on approach to learning. Structured around Howard Garner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, this program helps to ensure that all children have the chance to learn the pre-literacy skills necessary to become successful readers.

Sensory Storytimes are offered to children 18 months to 3 years of age and their caregivers. The programs incorporate movement, music, art, messy play, balance, body awareness and other activities engaging the senses. The interactive nature of the program is well suited to toddlers who learn about the world using their body and their senses. Please contact Connie Mathews for more information, 412-531-1912 or mathewsc@einetwork.net.

Sewickley Public Library | Preschool Storytime Plus

The Sewickley Public Library of the Quaker Valley School District's award came in recognition of its Preschool Storytime Plus Program. This program, led by Rita Crawford, Head of Youth Services at the Library and Betsey Wilson, kindergarten teacher at Quaker Valley's Osborne Elementary School, aids paremts in their quest to provide their children with the best learning experiences possible. The program, held weekly at the Library on Thursdays at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM requires no pre-registration and is open to children and their caregivers from any municipality. Pre-school-age children attend a storytime led by Children's Librarian, Kim Dunderdale, while Mrs. Crawford and Mrs. Wilson lead parents in lively and informative discussion in a separate meeting room. While parents and caregivers learn how to choose books for their children, address bullying, sibling rivalry and a variety of other topics, younger children can play with one another in the room with their caregivers winthin arms reach. It is a win-win for everyone.

Please contact the Library at 412-741-6920 if you would like more information about this program and the many others offered at the Sewickley Public Library of the Quaker Valley School District.

2005

Bethel Park Public Library | Adopt a Grandparent Storytime

The Bethel Park Library adapted their emphasis on supporting all ages to create another pre-literacy opportunity for babies and an outreach to seniors that stimulates memory and activity. The program involves a library specialist visiting local nursing homes with caregivers who have babies up to 18 months, and leading everyone in rhymes, songs and stories. Many of the nursing home residents with serious memory issues can participate because they remember childhood songs, love to see the babies, and light up with joy.

Carnegie Library of Homestead | Book Bag Delivery

This simple title masks a big success with an at-risk population. Twice a month, the children's librarian delivers book bags filled with age-appropriate story books to 25 childcare classrooms in their low-income service area. Once a month, the children enjoy an interactive story time and learn about other books and activities at the library. Because the area's hilly terrain and the children's young age discourage walking fields trips to the library, taking the programs to the children is more important. The children's obvious love of the delivered books and story times have encouraged more families to start visiting and using library services.

2004

Whitehall Public Library | ESL (English as a Second Language) Outreach Services to Children

The school district, local government, literacy council, and ESL preschool and the library have collaborated to support a sizable and diverse immigrant population in an apartment complex. The library's programs include two special story times, which are also promoted through the other collaborating agencies. Once a week during the school year, the school district transports families from the complex to the library, where they participate in a story time and educational activities that support their unique needs. Once a month, the children's librarian presents a story time in the preschool located at the complex, leaving books for children and teachers to use between visits. The library's goal is to introduce this special population of preschool children to language-rich programs and the literacy staples of childhood development, including being read to and having books available.

C.C. Mellor Memorial Library | On the Go Story Hour

This monthly program is an outreach to the underserved, as well as an opportunity to foster greater awareness of the library and its services to early learners. Each month during the school year, a library staff member brings stories, finger plays and crafts to eight preschools and nursery schools, reaching some 170 children. The children also receivee handouts to share with their parents. In the summer, the program is incorporated with a summer reading club for older children and is offered weekly in borough buildings and parks.

For more information about the Best Practices in Early Literacy visit the Pennsylvania Library Assocation: PA Libraries, Learning Starts Here.