Needs addressed:
The waiting rooms of several county legal and social service agencies were without books or children’s materials even though they serve large numbers of families with young children. This grant provided reading materials and literacy modeling at these sites.

Target audience:
The sites selected were WIC, Family Court and the Law, Order and Justice Center. These sites serve many low income families who are in crisis and/or fighting poverty

Community partners and their roles:

• Schenectady County Public Library – consulted with each agency staff and purchased books, materials and book cases for each site. Family reading kits were assembled; story hours for the WIC site were scheduled and implemented; incentives were compiled; materials for library collection were purchased and cataloged.
• Schenectady County Family Court – advised about needs of target audience; provided space for collection; provided feedback
• Law, Order and Justice Center - advised about needs of target audience; provided space for collection; provided feedback; coordinated in service staff workshop
• Women, Infants and Children Clinic - advised about needs of target audience; provided space for collection; provided feedback

Specific activities:

• The needs of each target audience were considered and books and materials purchased for each site
• Six themed family reading kits were assembled and made available at sites
• Story hours for the WIC site were scheduled and implemented
• In service training for LOJ staff was planned and implemented
• Bags of library/reading incentives were compiled
• Materials for library collection were purchased and cataloged.

Staffing:

• Library Staff – 75-100 hours
• Project Staff – 50 hours
• Volunteers – 1 hour per month
• Cooperating Agencies – minimal after initial planning

Costs:

• Purchased Services - $1,100
• Supplies and Materials - $9,860

Evaluation:

• Quantitative Measures – Statistics kept on number of parents and children using materials; number of parents and children at story hours; number of registrations for library cards, number of books circulated and materials distributed.
• Qualitative Measures – feedback from participants, evaluative surveys, observations made by librarian

Changes/recommendations:

• Book collections at the sites were met with much enthusiasm by both target audience and agency staffs
• Story hours at WIC were highly successful
• Additional publicity would have been welcome
• This program did not result in families making subsequent visits to the library. The success of the program was in the increased exposure to books and literacy practices that families received at the outreach site.

Categories of service:

1. Services to Low Income Families
2. Parent and Preschool Programs
3. Services to Children Under 3 – Toddler Programs
4. Learning Kits

Last modified on March 1, 2000/djr
URL: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/parchld/schenec.htm