Role of Libraries

summer, the little girl saw things she liked and wanted. Now, the mother is reading 10
books per week to her daughter; they are attending story hour and the special programs,
and the little girl loves to pick out her books.”
Still others said that participating in summer reading programs has been proven to
improve reading skills. One librarian reported, “Parents have told me that their children’s
reading skills often improve over the summer months. Teachers have also told us that
they can tell when children have participated in the reading club because they don’t have
to reteach what they learned last year.”
Several librarians believe that summer reading clubs help children become more
familiar with librarians. “Children have the chance to develop a more personal
relationship with library staff members. Children who have attended the summer reading
program are much more apt to stop and talk when they borrow a book than those who
only know the staff on a more impersonal basis.”
Preschool Programs
Number/age of preschoolers. Nearly all of the libraries (94%) said that they offer
programs or activities specially designed for children ages zero to four years; only 5.5%
offered no preschool programs. The number of preschoolers served varies by library. At
least 35% of the libraries responding said they have between 21 and 50 preschoolers
come to their facility each week; 22% serve 20 or less (see Figure 8). Twenty-four
percent report that between 51 and 75 preschoolers come each week either for programs
or to select books.
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The Role of Public Libraries in Children’s Literacy Development, Celano and Neuman p. 25