Harrington Library and Schimelpfenig Libraries are Family Place Libraries™. Family Place™ is a national network of specially designated libraries that work to provide a welcoming community environment with resources to help families nurture their children’s development and early learning during the critical first years of life.
Research has proven that the ways adults respond to and interact with children from birth to age five have dramatic effects on the brain. Parents and other caregivers are their children’s first and most important teachers, and the library is here to support them in that role.
Family Place Libraries™ offer:
- Library staff specially trained in child development, family support, parent education and best practices.
- Family Place™ Playgroups, a five-week series of fun, play-based activities for toddlers and their caregivers. Rich with toys, books and art activities, the workshops provide an opportunity for families to spend time together, make friends and talk one-on-one with specialists about various aspects of child development. Click here to learn more about our playgroup sessions.
- Collections of books, toys, music and multimedia materials for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and caregivers.
- A specially designed space in the children’s area for families with young children to relax, play, share books and toys and meet other families.
- Collaborations and partnerships with health, education, and human service agencies that serve families and young children, helping connect families to community resources and enhance library services and programs.
- Outreach to new and underserved families via in-person, partner and social media contacts.
- A variety of age-appropriate programming that supports the importance of play and healthy caregiver/child relationships in early childhood development and learning.
Click here to learn more about the components of a Family Place Library™.
The Family Place Libraries™ model is now in over 450 libraries in 29 states, serving thousands of young children and their caregivers. Plano Public Library is proud to be among them. This expanded public library role is made possible with support from a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (2019).
Learn more about our Family Place locations:
