Playtime at The City Library
Salt Lake City Public Library, Utah
Innovation Synopsis
Established early literacy programs, like story time, leave little time for play, an important tenet of early literacy. Playtime provides unstructured child-led learning opportunities and fosters community in our neighborhoods. Home to refugee and immigrant families, the Rose Park neighborhood includes people of diverse languages and cultures and low socioeconomic status. These can be barriers that inhibit patrons’ abilities to prepare children for school through play opportunities or to foster strong communities as caregivers. The Avenues neighborhood has a large older population with few children. Hired caregivers and young parents struggle to find friendship and support within the local community.
Challenge/Opportunity
Three of the SLCPL branches offer weekly play programs for children ages 0-5 and their adult caregivers. Each hour-long program consists of a short group activity followed by individual, child-led play promoting communal and individual learning. Moreover, caregivers have a chance to connect with and support one another throughout the program. Our curated toy collection, funded by the Friends of The City Library, specifically promotes literacy, STEAM, physical development, and social development for children ages 0-5. Finally, librarians regularly coordinate with Help Me Grow Utah to offer playtime attendees free developmental screenings.
Key Elements of Innovation
Regular attendees of Playtime feel an increased sense of community between caregivers. Librarians have witnessed younger parents asking older caregivers for parenting advice and arranging play dates outside of the library during playtime. Additionally, children will be better prepared for kindergarten by developing language and other cognitive skills through play. With high attendance that rivals baby and preschool storytime statistics, Playtime has been consistently popular and valued in our neighborhoods. After the initial launch at two SLCPL branches, an additional Playtime hour was added at the Main Library to accommodate patron demand for the program.
Achieved Outcomes
