Family Place Library

What Makes a Family Place Library?

Family Place builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parental involvement and supportive communities play a critical role in a young child’s growth and development. The overall goal of Family Place Libraries is to develop and institutionalize a family friendly environment by transforming libraries into community centers for literacy, early childhood development, parent education and engagement, family support and community information.

Core components include

• Strong collections of materials (books, music, toys) for babies, toddlers, parents and caregivers.
• The Parent-Child Workshop, a 5-week program for toddlers and parents which emphasizes the importance of play and the importance of parents as a child’s first teacher. 
• Coalition-building with community organizations to develop programs and services that meet local needs.
• Outreach to new and non-traditional library users, especially parents and very young children.
• Developmentally-appropriate programming for very young children and their parents.
• Library staff trained in family support, child development, parent education, and best practices.

More information about our parenting collection, community partnerships, and 1,2,3 Play With Me workshops coming soon.

Play and Learn Room

A fun and welcoming environment where children along with their caregivers can play, learn, and grow together. This specially designed space geared for children birth – age 5 features interactive materials for very young children and parents including board and picture books, age appropriate toys, dramatic play items, and more, providing a rich space for little ones to explore. 

Our Play and Learn Room will be opening on an appointment basis starting January 3, 2022. Call Youth Services at 231-722-8014 for more details and scheduling.

• Mondays and Tuesdays: 11:30 – 12:30, 1:30 – 2:30, 3:30 – 4:30; 5:30 – 6:30
• Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 11:30 – 12:30, 1:30 – 2:30, 3:30 – 4:30

Please note –  

• Appointments for each week open up the Monday prior.
• Families are asked to register for a single slot per week.
• The room is open to one family or group (maximum 8 people) per time slot. An adult is required to be in the room at all times.
• Staff will sanitize the room between appointments.
• Masks are required for all attendees ages 2+.

This project is funded through a Library Services and Technology Grant from the Library of Michigan, in partnership with Muskegon Area District Library and White Lake Community Library.