Family Place Library

Logo for Family Place Libraries in maroon font in an arch over a tree that has a parent and child in the middle. Building Foundations for Early Learning is in green text at the bottom.

 

Building Foundations for Early Learning

Family Place Libraries™ is a national network dedicated to transforming libraries into community centers for literacy, early childhood development, parent education and engagement, family support, and community information. Core components of Family Place include trained library staff, parent-child workshops, specialized collections, specially designed spaces, collaborations and partnerships, additional programming for babies to preschoolers, and outreach.

Tyler Public Library became a Family Place Library in 2017 and encompasses the core components of Family Place to provide resources and services that support families and children. This program is made possible thanks to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, the East Texas Communities Foundation, and the Friends of the Tyler Public Library.

Tyler Public Library fosters early learning and family and child engagement in several ways:

  • Storytime for babies to preschoolers, featuring reading, singing, art, and playtime.
  • The Library playroom is a special place for children of all ages and their families to play and enjoy. The toys available for play are carefully selected to foster imagination and encourage learning, including a puppet theatre, play kitchen, and more.
  • Discovery Time Playgroup is a week-long program held twice a year for children aged 0-3 years and their parents or caregivers. Each session is one hour long and is a fun, play-based program that provides a rich environment of toys, books, and art activities. Families have the opportunity to spend time together, make new friends, and talk one-on-one with a different community resource professional each session.
  • Parents are their child's first teacher. To support parents, the Library has special collections geared toward parent education and early childhood literacy. Parents can browse the Library's parenting collection in the children's area on the first floor. Early Literacy Kits geared toward toddlers and preschoolers are also available for checkout and contain five picture books, one music CD, and a developmentally appropriate toy.

 

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