The Goleta Library received $15,000 to help create a warm and friendly space for families at the library. The Family Place Library Program is a statewide initiative that helps create family/early childhood space in the children’s areas of local public libraries. Goleta joins the nearly 300 libraries nationwide dedicated to providing services to families with young children. The Friends of the Goleta Valley Library have provided $5,000 in matching funds for the grant.

The new Family Corner will be equipped with toys, books and comfortable furniture, creating an attractive and exciting space designed specifically for young children. The library setting supports early-learning interactions between young children (ages 0 to 5 years), parents and caregivers, and encourages the use of public libraries by families with children. All the new materials were selected so that they would enhance the
development of young children’s learning, enabling them to become school-ready.

In addition the new Family Corner, library staff will partner with local professionals to offer frequent sessions of the Play With Me, Learn With Me Parent/Child Workshops that will meet weekly for five successive weeks. In these workshops, parents will play with their children using age-appropriate materials, have the opportunity to ask local experts about topics that concern them and learn nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays.

Goleta staff has also created a Parenting Collection with timely and pertinent circulating materials on topics of interest to parents and their toddlers. As part of the grant process, two staff members received three days of training on the program and are now training the rest of the staff on how to interact with families in a new way. The Goleta Library will be known as a place with knowledgeable staff that successfully focuses on
literacy, early childhood development, education and family services.

For more information, visit www.sbplibrary.org/hourslocations/goleta.html or call 964-7878.