Joplin Public Library

Our new and improved play space continues to be widely loved by families with young children in our community. The children's department provides several family friendly spaces throughout our library. For example, one space is for the dedicated use of children two years and younger, and another is an open play area with types based on different types of play. We have a third area that contains a LEGO table and a train table. The tops of these tables are reversible and used during programming events. Flexible seating areas that include space designed for adults and children complement our Family Resource area. This is also where we share community information. All our spaces are used extensively and families love them! Our library is a space where families come daily to play, have a play date, read, write, or use their imagination to create. In an effort to make our picture book collection more kid-friendly, we reorganized and re-catalogued the books based on topic. Our staff continues to embrace families and welcome them to the library, making it safe for children to be children. The atmosphere in the library makes it easy for staff to build relationships with families; in fact, families often comment on the welcoming nature of the staff, as well as how much growth they observe in their child after coming to the library regularly. The library has always been a destination for families due to the many programs offered here; however, our status as a Family Place Library has cemented our role in the community as a hub for early learning. Like most libraries, we were affected by COVID-19 closures and restrictions. Our play space was closed until August 2021, though we have been open to the public since June of 2020. We attempted to meet the needs of visiting families through take-home activity kits, virtual storytimes, and passive games that accommodated and encouraged social distancing. In September 2021, we resumed programming, though we required masking and implemented registration and attendance limits. We love that we were able to meet the needs of our families and reconnect with them while staying safe.