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Become a Family Place Library

The Family Place Libraries™ initiative is a national model for transforming public libraries into welcoming, developmentally appropriate early learning environments for very young children, their parents and caregivers. Family Place Libraries™ are committed to developing a family-centered approach to library services.

To Join the Family Place National Network:

  • One youth services librarian and one administrator from your library need to attend a four-day Family Place Training Institute and complete 7 hours of online training.
  • Your library will commit to implementing the core components of Family Place Libraries.
  • The Parent-Child Workshop will be offered as a regular library program a minimum of twice a year. The first workshop is typically offered within one year of training completion.
  • Your library will complete an annual Family Place Libraries Recertification form, which will provide updated documentation of all the core components.

For more information, view this FAQ, view our brochure or email familyplace@mcplibrary.org

Member Benefits

Technical Assistance and site support

Family Place Libraries staff provides technical assistance and site support to all network libraries. This includes ongoing consultation from Family Place national staff on topics such as:

  • The Parent-Child Workshop

  • Welcoming, interactive, developmentally appropriate public library spaces

  • Additional early childhood programming beyond the Parent-Child Workshop

  • The importance of play in early literacy and the development of the whole child

  • Collection development of early childhood and parenting materials

  • Outreach to new audiences

  • Coalition and partnership building

  • Marketing

  • Data collection, documentation and evaluation

  • Long-term goals and objectives

Network Member only online resources and professional development opportunities:

  • Annually updated resources including:

    • Early learning toy lists for the Parent-Child Workshop and early childhood space on the public floor of the children’s room

    • Bibliographies highlighting parenting and early childhood collections and resources

  • Family Place Libraries™ Communication Toolkit

    • General talking points and informational materials

    • Promotional materials and presentations for staff, community organizations, and media outlets

  • Professional development opportunities such as:

    • Free attendance at national and local Family Place Libraries sponsored meetings and advanced training at a free or reduced cost

    • Free attendance to the Family Place Symposium, which takes place biannually in conjunction with the Public Library Association conference

    • Free online continuing education webinars on Family Place Libraries related topics

    • Access to video recordings of professional seminars presented during the Distinguished Speakers Series.

    • National Forum: Family Place sites can share questions, resources, success stories and problem solve with Family Place librarians nationally and with national Family Place sta