Caregiver involvement is key to a child's reading success story, and libraries are in the perfect position to provide the guidance needed for parents and caregivers to embrace their role as their children's first and most enduring teachers.
Libraries offer many programs and services for children, but sometimes caregivers are left out of the equation, especially once children start school. Nevertheless, parents and caregivers are an integral part of literacy development, and libraries are a great place for them to witness modeling practices and participate in engaging family programs that encourage early literacy.
Mary Schreiber combines personal experience and professional research with the programming expertise of youth librarians from across the country in this guide for libraries looking to make an even greater impact on the level of literacy attained by the children they serve.
In Partnering with Parents, readers will find a wealth of information on how to talk to caregivers about the different stages of a child’s reading life, what books to recommend to excite both caregivers and children about reading, and ways to encourage parent and caregiver participation in library programming, with additional information on working with and providing programming for diverse families. Whether you are a veteran in the profession or brand new to working with families, you will find something in this book that will help you to make your library a more integral part of the education community.
Features
- Teaches librarians how to mentor parents and caregivers, offering different strategies to make a child a reader for life
- Includes a go-to list of books and materials to recommend and display
- Offers programs that work to engage parents and caregivers in their children's reading life
- Shows how to make the library a center for education and learning
Mary Schreiber is youth collection development specialist at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH. Prior to that, she was a children's librarian for eight years. She has shared her knowledge about youth services, collection curation, and merchandizing at state, national, and international conferences. An active member of the Association for Library Service to Children, she has co-convened the Collection Management Discussion Group and has served on the Theodor Seuss Geisel and John Newbery Medal Award committees. Her work has appeared in School Library Journal and Children & Libraries and on the Association for Library Service to Children blog.
Reviews
"Part parent resource, part librarian guide, this volume provides many ideas on how to work with parents both in and outside of the library. Especially useful for new public librarians."—School Library Journal, October 1, 2019
"Partnering with Parents is helpful for new librarians who want to ensure best practices, and for seasoned librarians who may want to try a fresh approach with parents and beginning or non-readers. This title is essential for every children’s room reference collection or professional book shelf."—Baker & Taylor Staff Pick, October 1, 2019
"This is a must-read for every parent, educator, and literacy professional committed to their student's success. Partnering with Parents: Boosting Literacy for All Ages carefully outlines the proper steps parents of early readers should take and how your local library can help your child reach the highest potential. As a long-term librarian, Mary Schreiber’s expertise will help caregivers keep their child on the right literacy track!” —Kacie V. Armstrong, Euclid Public Library Director
"In this valuable resource for youth services librarians, Mary Schreiber provides a holistic approach to literacy by focusing on parents and caregivers. Even beyond the family, Schreiber considers literacy as a community-wide effort, promoting partnerships and innovative outreach, from farmers’ markets to barbershops. Covering children’s literacy needs from babies to middle-schoolers, each chapter includes hands-on tools for collection development, programming, and building a readers’ advisory toolbox."—Marianne Martens, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Information, Kent State University
"As a library leader and parent, I’m pleased to say that this book serves as the new handbook for literacy programming ideas, family engagement strategies, and diverse collections support. It’s a trifecta of resources for the modern public library."—Christy Estrovitz, Manager of Youth Services, San Francisco Public Library
