The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is reimagining what a neighborhood library can be, especially for families with young children.
The Michael Kusalaba branch officially opened earlier this month as a Family Place Library, the first of its kind in the region.
It’s part of a national network focused on early childhood development, parent support and learning for the whole family.
“It’s a chance to provide some services and some specialized programming for families with very young children,” said Zak Kozberg, a chief stakeholder relations officer.
Library staff spent months reimagining the space, reorganizing collections, opening sight lines and creating defined areas for children, parents, teens and adults.
One of the bigger changes was a brand new play area designed just for young children.
“All of the toys here that children and families have come here, none of them have batteries, and none of them have screens — which I know families across the county are very hopeful for,” Kozberg said.
It isn’t your typical play space. The goal is hands-on learning, encouraging imagination, movement and problem solving.
“All of our toys here are powered by imagination. So, we have manipulatives, we have toys that will help with gross motor skills, childhood development, problem-solving and critical thinking skills,” said Molly Bevan, the library’s supervisor.
The library is now preparing to launch its Family Place series starting Jan. 15. The five-week program is designed for parents and caregivers with children ages 1 through 3, focusing on early literacy, nutrition, movement, wellness and children development.
“We want to make sure that we’re supporting families and caregivers. They act as parents first, teachers in the community. We want to make sure that we support early learning from the littlest stages,” Bevan said.
With more than 200 Family Place Libraries across the country, this is the only one of its kind in the region, and library leaders say it’s just the beginning.
“One of the things we’re hoping to get out of this is showing that libraries across the country, and this library in particular is more than just pretty buildings,” Kozberg said.
https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/youngstown-news/youngstown-library-focuses-learning-for-whole-family-as-first-of-its-kind/