Family Place Libraries is a research-based initiative. Numerous evaluations have assessed the initiative’s impact on parents, library staff, community partners, overall public perception and library usage.
Below are links to evaluation reports, including the national evaluation of a three year IMLS National Leadership Grant. The IMLS Evaluation Report supports findings of previous evaluations.
Highlights include:
- Library staff gained increased knowledge of early childhood development
- Libraries were better able to modify program offerings based on best practice
- Library staff gained a better understanding of parental concerns and needs
- Librarians reported increased ability to identify community resources and connect parents and caregivers to them
- Youth Services staff reported being more confident and playing a more active role in engaging families with young children.
The Family Place Libraries™ Overview and Impact Summary is a compilation of some of the key findings of various evaluations.