Literacy-Based Library Programs

I have the great good fortune this quarter to be team-teaching a brand-new class over at the University of Denver LIS program called Early Childhood Materials and Services! For our session this past week, we looked at some websites of some of the libraries who are leaders in early literacy services and programs. We discussed the Every Child Ready to Read initiative, and how libraries have been using the ECRR materials as the basis of a number of literacy-based programs.

From the websites and from our own experiences, we listed a number of cool programs. After I got home, I wondered what else is out there! I’m thinking of library programs that are designed to help relay the importance of early literacy to parents and caregivers (or to other stakeholders in the community) and/or help build the 6 early literacy skills in children.

Here’s a list of some of the types of early-literacy-based programs and services that we talked about. Can you help? Do you know of a type of program that we missed? What does your library do? I know this is incomplete! Thanks for your help!

Literacy-Based Storytimes
“Stay and Play” (Play program, either stand-alone or after storytime)
Early Literacy Workshops for Parents and Caregivers
Early Literacy Workshops for Teen Parents
Bilingual Family Programs
Outreach to Home-Based Daycares: Book Delivery and Storytimes
Outreach to Parents in Jail
Storytime Outreach to Headstarts and Preschools
New Parent Classes at Hospitals
Early Literacy eNewsletters