Public libraries are a national reading service, supporting reading and literacy throughout life. As a free local resource, they are particularly powerful in supporting the development of literacy and reading skills in disadvantaged communities. Libraries have a unique and powerful role to play in raising literacy skills, vital for individuals and…

The Guidelines are focused on the library services to babies and toddlers, their families and supporting organizations dealing with early literacy and appropriate services for the very young. Early brain development research has shown the unequivocal impact that talking, singing and reading to babies and toddlers can have on their acquisition of…

As alternatives to preschool story hours, Parent-Child Learning Centers offer opportunities for parent education, hands-on activities that are appropriate for the developmental needs of the young child, more effective use of the library professional's time and skills, and expansion of library service to meet the changing needs of the community.…

The subject of the 1995 Texas Reading Club is the planet Earth, planets in the heavens, worlds to explore in the mind, and the many worlds in literature. The goals of this manual are: (1) to provide a reading club that explores a variety of book-based media in order to help children and their caretakers learn the importance of reading and to gain…

Describes a program developed by the San Francisco Public Library to help parents introduce their infants and toddlers to appropriate literature. The benefits for children, parents and librarians are discussed, and suggestions are offered to librarians wishing to start a program. A bibliography of source materials is provided. (5 references) (CLB)

Libraries are faced with changing demographics, emerging technologies, and economic shifts. Families once attended library programs as a unit, children began kindergarten at age five, and libraries offered few programs for children under four. Intact and extended families are a thing of the past. Many children today are raised in single parent…

This study focuses on library programs and services geared towards infants and toddlers, ages birth to three years old. The population chosen for this descriptive survey was Ohio's public libraries. Sampling from among the institutions was accomplished using a stratified disproportionate technique, with the libraries grouped into strata by size:…

This exploratory survey analyzes the toddler story time program at the Westerville Public Library (Ohio) for a 9-month period. One hundred thirty-five children between the ages of 24 and 36 months participated in the program with a parent or care giver. Each program was limited to 15 children with their parents and consisted of a 20-30 minute…

Describes an infant and toddler public library program called "Mother Goose Time." It is a language enrichment program that uses rhymes, songs, and books to lay the foundations of listening, learning, and literacy. Activities are planned according to the babies' motor skills--they are divided into two groups, "prewalkers" and "walkers". A list of…

Offers practical information in chart and list format for presenting literature to infants and toddlers in group settings. Highlights include developmental characteristics; sample book titles to match to age characteristics; strategies for planning and presenting storytimes; related resources; and a bibliography. (Author/LRW)

While librarians have traditionally provided story times for 3- to 5-year olds and more recently for toddlers, it is important to introduce children to books and libraries at an even earlier age. Young children's intellectual development is faster than that of any other age group. This book is a guide to developing library programs for babies and…

Many librarians would like to provide a reading club which includes not only reading patrons, but pre-reading or read-to-me patrons and those parents, family members and caregivers that care for, work with and read to them. To help library staff and volunteers organize, implement and manage a read-to-me club, this planning handbook is intended to…

Stresses the importance of early literacy experiences for very young children and explains how children become literate. Library services, such as choosing materials to meet the special needs of young children and their parents, and outreach programs are described. Tips to share with parents on reading to infants and toddlers are included. (EAM)

Not intended to be all inclusive or even representative, this manual explores a few areas of our world with books, activities and ideas. It is a very simple introduction to the idea that all over the world people are different and similar, even in our own neighborhood, and should be supplemented with other ideas to create a full multicultural…

A manual for the Louisiana Summer Reading Program is presented in 14 sections with a western theme and illustrations. An evaluation form, a 1995 calendar, and a list of audiovisual materials with addresses and prices are also provided. Section 1 discusses promotion, publicity, and programs; and includes sample news releases; program ideas, and…