Children and parents thrilled by mobile library
A colorful new pop-up library project is reaching many new people with the power of reading
Last July, the Stanislaus County Library was awarded a grant to establish a pop-up library at the County's Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) Office in Modesto. Bilingual library staff visit the WIC office for two hours, two days per week, where they read to children (individually or in small groups). They also demonstrate for parents the importance of reading aloud to young children, issue library cards, and check out materials from a targeted collection of children's and parenting books.
“We hope parents will be inspired to read aloud to their children daily and make visits to the library a regular practice,” said Olga Cardenas, children's outreach librarian.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, portable bookshelves and a supply cart/checkout station are wheeled into one of the waiting rooms at the WIC office. A double-sided display unit, stocked with colorful children's books, is set up in the center of the room, and children who are eager to explore are instantly engaged with books and reading. Parents are showing interest too, with 136 new library cards issued and 798 books checked out in just the first five months. This is the result of a great collaborative effort between two County departments.
The WIC Pop-Up Library is a project supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
Story by Susan Lilly
