At the Dover Public Library
What is a Family Place Library? “Family Place builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parental involvement and supportive communities play a critical role in a young child’s growth and development. The overall goal of Family Place Libraries is to develop and institutionalize a family friendly environment by transforming libraries into community centers for literacy, early childhood development, parent education and engagement, family support and community information.”
The Dover Public Library was awarded a generous grant in 2017 to fund the training of librarians and the cost of initial supplies to become a Family Place Library. After being in the development stage for two years and fulfilling all the requirements, our library became a certified site in April 2019.
A trained staff is just the beginning of becoming a Family Place Library. There are several core components including special collections of books, media, and toys for young children and their caregivers; a designated space in the Children’s Room where families can play together, and programs that focus on children ages birth through five.
The center-piece of the Family Place model is the Parent Child Workshop. “A five-week program for toddlers and their parents/caregivers, this fun, informal, play-based program provides a rich environment of toys, books and art activities. Families have the opportunity to spend time together, make new friends, and talk one-on-one with a different community resource professional each week.” Watch a video that shows a workshop in action
We offer Family Place workshops two to three times each year. Check our calendar, call (603)516-6052, or email Crystal Lisbon for more information or to register for the next workshop.