Giving Compass' Take:

• The Play-and-Learn Spaces project has brought a new vision of neighborhood libraries called playbraries, that support children's early development. 

• What are other ways that communities can support child development? 

• Read about the power of education data for early childhood learning. 


Shhhhhh.” This is perhaps the sound most associated with libraries. Yet, libraries are also portals to the world outside that take us to faraway places and spur new ideas. Libraries offer community gathering spaces where neighbors without internet access can complete job applications and families can gather for story time. But as times have changed, so has the vision, function, and form of the library. Libraries are also becoming community spaces that support children’s development.

As researchers who spearheaded the Playful Learning Landscapes initiative, we are committed to infusing public spaces with playful learning opportunities that naturally enhance children’s cognitive and social development, better equipping them with the skills needed to succeed in a changing world. A library is an ideal place to enhance with playful learning opportunities. Not only are libraries community hubs, but they inspire wonder, curiosity, and creativity. Shelves, tables, and rooms come alive with chances for dramatic play. Consider a blank wall in the library. Reimagine it as a surface where children can climb on letters to create new words. And think about chairs that double as tangram puzzles as a place to curl up and read, all nested within the library shelves.

The results of this ambitious Play-and-Learn Spaces project—just published in the journal Library & Information Science Research—involved a novel collaboration between designers, community organizations, and researchers who hoped to push the envelope on how the children’s area in library spaces might be more responsive to the needs of families.

Read the full article about neighborhood libraries by Brenna Hassinger-Das, Jennifer M. Zosh, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek at Brookings.