Dorothy Stoltz is director for community engagement at the Carroll County (MD) Public Library. She is the coauthor of several books and articles for the American Library Association, including Inspired Collaboration: Ideas for Discovering and Applying Your Potential (2016). With more than thirty-five years of experience in public libraries, she is active in the Library Leadership & Management Association, the Public Library Association, and the Association for Library Service to Children.

- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the Authors
- Reviews
Don't simply accommodate families with young children—draw them in and make your library a destination! In this hands-on guide, an early childhood specialist, a designer, and an outreach librarian take you step-by-step through the process of designing an early learning space that fits your space limitations and budget. With a strong focus on making play spaces welcoming for parents, caregivers, and children while reducing stress for library staff, the authors
- Use current research to explain the importance of play in regard to early literacy and learning
- Show how underutilized spaces of any size can be transformed into play spaces, with planning secrets for small, mid-size, and large play environments
- Offer tips for reinventing reading nooks as "playscapes" that encourage fun and play
- Present models of successful early learning spaces from across the country, with illustrations and floor plans
- Suggest ways to motivate adults to help young children develop a sense of discovery, energizing adults and children alike to pursue the lifelong enjoyment of learning
- Include sample guidelines, surveys, and plans to help you adapt your play spaces to the needs of your community
- Present a vendor list, tips for cleaning toys, worksheets, and other tools for pulling it all together, from engaging library staff and community partners to hiring architects and contractors
With the help of this book, you can transform neglected spaces into joyful places that help parents inspire their children to learn.
Check out this title's Web Extra!
I. The Magic behind the Design
II. Play-and-Learn Destinations
III. Mindful Planning and Creative Design
Appendix A Suggested ReadingAppendix B Sample Survey for Libraries Who Do Not Currently Offer Play-and-Learn SpacesAppendix C Sample Survey for Libraries Who Currently Offer Play-and-Learn SpacesAppendix D Sample Activity PlanAppendix E Sample Logic ModelAppendix F Sample Evaluation PlanAppendix G Sample Guidelines for Cleaning Play-and-Learn SpacesAppendix H Storyville Survey ResultsAppendix I Sample of Guiding Principles for Early Literacy Library EnvironmentsAppendix J Sample Activity SheetAppendix K Companies and ResourcesAppendix L Sample Play-and-Learn Guidelines
"A great resource no matter how big or small your learning space project ... read from cover to cover [or] as a step by step guide. I wish I had something like this when I was getting started!"
— ALSC blog
— Midwest Book Review
"Packed with tips for toys, worksheets for design, and keys to making a play space part of a community, this is a pick any children's librarian will want to look at."
— California Bookwatch
"This is both a practical and inspirational book about ways to encourage young children to talk, sing, read, write, and play within a library environment."
— Catholic Library World