A look at the entrance to the Houston Public Library in Downtown. (Conchi Martinez/Shutterstock)
Two new Family Place Libraries have been unveiled in the Houston area, and will set the scene for a focused environment for families to take learning to the next level on their own time.
The Houston Public Library System held ribbon cuttings this week for the new locations at Scenic Woods Regional Library, 10677 Homestead Road, Houston, and McCrane-Kashmere Gardens Neighborhood Library, 5411 Pardee St., Houston.
Family Place Libraries is a free space where parents and children can access unique, educational programs for young minds, and librarians receive extra training to put on extracurricular programs.
Some of the programs offered include:
- Parent-child play sessions led by early childhood specialists
- Storytimes and sensory play
- Resources on parenting, child development, and family health
- Connections to local services and experts
Two more Family Place Libraries will open in the next two months, at Kendall Neighborhood Library, 609 N. Eldridge Pkwy, Houston, and at Carnegie Neighborhood Library, 1050 Quitman St., Houston. The new spaces are funded by Phillips 66 and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Ladies for Literacy Guild.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Phillips 66, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and its Ladies for Literacy Guild, to expand the programs, services, and resources available to families across our city,” Library Director Sandy Gaw said in a press release. “Family Place Libraries provide the building blocks of learning for children from birth to five years old. We’re creating a circle of care during the most critical years of a child’s development because no one should have to do this alone.”
