Whiting Library has joined the Family Place Libraries™ national network, providing a welcoming community environment with resources to help families nurture their children’s development and early learning during the critical first years of life.

A Family Place Library works to help ensure all children enter school ready and able to learn.

    • A specially designed space in the children’s area for families with young children to relax, play, share books, and meet other families.
    • Parent-Child Workshops- a five-week series of fun, play-based activities for toddlers and their parents and caregivers. Rich with toys, books, and art activities. The Workshops allow families to spend time together, make friends, and talk one-on-one with specialists on various aspects of child development and early literacy.
    • Collections of books, toys, music, and multimedia materials for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, parents, and caregivers.
    • A circulating collection of toys.
    • Access to ParentTV, a digital collection of parenting videos.
    • Access to Lantern, a text messaging service that provides parents and caregivers of young children with age-appropriate tips, activities, and resources. Sign Up is Easy! Text FAMILYPLACE to 274 448, then follow the prompts.
    • Librarians who are specially trained in child development and family support.

As a Family Place Library, Whiting Library partners with local family-serving agencies and professionals to help parents of young children build foundations for early learning.

Research has proven that how adults respond to and interact with children from birth to five years dramatically affects the brain, stimulating a child’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Parents and caregivers are their children’s first teachers, and the Library is here to help them in that role.

The Family Place Libraries™ model is now in over 500 libraries in 31 states, serving thousands of young children and their parents/caregivers.

Whiting Library is proud to be among them. This expanded public library role is made possible in Whiting Library with support from the Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF), a Building Bright Futures (BBF) program.

Family Place Libraries create fun and welcoming environments where children and their caregivers can play, learn, and grow together.

These specially designed spaces feature interactive Materials for young children and parents, including board and picture books, age-appropriate toys, puzzles, dramatic play items, blocks, and drawing stations, providing a rich space for little ones to explore.

For more information and to join special events and programs, please get in touch with Gail Zachariah at 802-875-2277 or director@WhitingLibrary.org.