Park Place Branch - Norfolk Public Library

Family Place philosophies are an integral part of the staff’s mental and operational framework. After attending Family Place Training, the Youth Associate shifted gears from focusing engagement on the child and instead focusing on engaging the whole family. This has resulted in building rapport with parents/guardians by starting conversations. This has had positive results, creating community connections and regular patrons returning to our branch. These interactions occur through utilizing Family Place philosophies of parent education and engagement. The current Youth Associate has advised and informed staff on philosophies, programs, and frameworks. The staff has initiated projects that reflect the importance of the whole family. The staff has put a focus on adding to the Family Resource Center, to improve its quality, breadth, and accessibility. The shelving in the children’s area was redesigned for more appropriate age grouping to improve findability, including board books being ground level for babies to grab. Staff continues to creatively find ways to embrace families through passive programming and displays as well. Through community collaborations and our public forum full of local flyers, we have been able to connect families with necessary resources, especially due to our unique location within the Park Place Community Center, alongside organizations such as WIC and the YWCA, providing for the whole family where we can.