Libraries Providing Outreach Services

Public Libraries Provide Outreach to Child Cares Centers and Preschools

When the State Library revised its public library standards program (“In Service to Iowa: Public Library Measures of Quality”) in 2004, it added the following standard:  “The library offers outreach services to day care centers and other entities in which groups of preschool children gather....Outreach service includes collections and programming.”

Many public libraries in rural Iowa were finding that their preschool story times were dwindling in attendance and their collections of wonderful picture books were staying on the shelves and not being used.  Because of Iowa’s changing demographics and because of the number of children in child care and preschools, public librarians saw the need to change one of their most basic services. If children weren’t coming to them for story times, they would go to the children.

Research by Clyde Robinson in “Picture Book Selection Behaviors of Emergent Readers,” reported that the most important finding was the enthusiastic response of emergent readers to the simple procedure of selecting and taking home books.

In another study done by Clyde Robinson, “The Influence of Selecting and Taking Picture Books Home,” it was found that when preschool children took books home on a daily basis literacy activities at home increased.”

These two research studies really highlight the importance of getting books to children in other settings.

All sizes of libraries, and libraries with a variety of staffing and funding, provide outreach services.

Carol Rosenbaum from the Avoca Public Library shared this information: “I deliver books to home day cares.  I call and ask if there is anything special they want in their new boxes.  I try to trade books every six weeks.  I usually take about 25 to 30 books to each.  I choose according to the age and sex of the children in each home.  When it works into the home provider’s schedule, I stay and read to the children.”

Paula Spoo from the Estherville Public Library reported about her activities: “ I have created an actual brochure to distribute and display, so providers would know about the service.  I basically try to do whatever it takes to get services to the daycare providers. I keep the Emmett County Child Care Consultant informed about library services, events, crafts I have done at the daycares, etc. I have put in what some people may consider a lot of time and effort, but I consider it a challenge and am willing to do what it takes to bring those patrons in. I tried to keep it in a nutshell and I do have an evaluation form that will be completed by myself, my director, the board members, and the daycare providers at the end of the program to judge its success. I already feel the program is a success. Our circulation is up, I am getting out and getting the library name out there, I have those daycare providers coming to the library on their own. I also have them asking for other books for their own families.”

Some public libraries use senior citizens, 4-H clubs, and National Honor Society members to help them provide these services.

Joa LaVille from the Marshalltown Public Library wrote, “We have just recently started a book delivery program called "Books to Go" where volunteers (that we get through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program) bring 25 books in a rolling suitcase (for ease of portability) to one Head Start classroom that they are matched with. They stay in, and return to, the classroom once a week to share the books with kids (kind of informally on a small group basis...not like story time.) We had been doing this for more than a year with two ladies, but have just recently added more and started a more serious recruiting effort. Some classrooms have two volunteers who rotate the responsibility. We trained and regularly help the volunteers select books, as well as help with the paperwork required by Head Start. Our priority for this year is to match volunteers with the Head Start classrooms (we still have a few to go).  Ideally, in the future this service will be available to any daycare center that requests it. We had our early volunteers undergo the Every Child Reads Training, and would like to do so with the additional six.”

While this service varies based on the public library’s staff and funding, more librarians are adding this service all the time.