Or: Kids Are Library Patrons Too!
Libraries provide families a welcoming environment to learn, to connect with other families, and to find community resources. From birth through young adulthood, family engagement is necessary for children’s literacy, math, and social-emotional development. Libraries are evolving to create more opportunities for kids to develop these skills with the support and encouragement of their families.
Early Literacy
Literacy development begins at birth and is closely linked to a baby’s earliest experiences with books, stories, music, and movement.
Early literacy does not mean teaching babies to read. It is the natural development of skills through the enjoyment of books, the importance of positive interactions between babies and parents, and the critical role of literacy-rich experiences.
Your library plays a unique role in helping families prepare children for school through school-readiness programs and services based on the most recent research in child development.
A study of 3- to 5-year-olds who had been read to at least three times per week found the children were:
- Two times more likely to recognize all letters.
- Two times more likely to have word-sight recognition.
- Two times more likely to understand words in context.
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found that 62% of parents with a high socioeconomic status read to their children every day compared to 36% of parents with a low socioeconomic status.
The ICfL provides free early literacy resources and trainings.
Tweens and Teens
Tween and Teen services are an important bridge between children’s services and adult services. Keep this fun audience involved in libraries, and you will create lifelong library users.
The ICfL’s Tweens and Teens page offers resources to help you build skills and tools to serve Idaho tweens and teens and help them prepare for the future. Our vision is for all teens to become independent readers, lifelong learners, and community leaders.
Parenting, Privacy, and Intellectual Freedom at the Library
The American Library Association supports equal and equitable access to all library resources and services by users of all ages. Library policies and procedures that effectively deny minors equal and equitable access to all library resources and services available to other users are in violation of the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Library Bill of Rights. ALA opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services, materials, and facilities based on the age of library users.
Article V of the Library Bill of Rights states, “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” Restriction on access and use of library resources based solely on the chronological age, apparent maturity, educational level, literacy skills, emancipatory or other legal status of users violates Article V. This includes minors who do not have a parent or guardian available to sign a library card application or permission slip. Unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness should be able to obtain a library card regardless of library policies related to chronological age.
Resources
- Creating a Truly Baby-Friendly Early Literacy Play Space
- Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
- Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
- Rating Systems: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
- Minors and Online Activity: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
- Responding to a Concerned Adult
- Right to Privacy