Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library's First Five Years early literacy initiative began in 2004 and has promoted change throughout the BPL system, with the development of forty-two child-friendly spaces at local libraries, and First Five Years educational sessions for caregivers and preschoolers now held weekly at all fifty-nine branches. BPL conducts more than 10,000 free in-library and offsite early literacy programs annually, serving approximately 237,900 people. These include, at multiple sites, two more intensive multi-session programs: one for preschoolers and their parents (Weekend Stories), and one for infants/toddlers and their parents (Read, Play, Grow).
Results
- Weekend Stories served 927 families in FY2011; 263 of these families attended three or more sessions; and half of the families that were reading less than five times per week with their children reported increasing to at least five times per week.
- Thirteen out of fourteen branches that implemented the program in the fall experienced a marked increase in circulation of pre-school books, on average 23%.
- Read, Play, Grow (RPG) served 900 families in FY 2011; 407 of these families attended multiple sessions, 580 reported gaining new ideas to use with their infants/toddlers; and 379 reported using RPG activities at home.
Looking Ahead
BPL plans to revise the curriculum for both programs and continue to offer Weekend Stories and Read, Play, Grow in neighborhood libraries, as well as pilot Weekend Stories at an off-site location to reach non-library users. BPL staff will present on Weekend Stories at the Public Library Association’s Annual Conference in March, 2012.