Thinking Outside the School Box: Children's Services at Public Libraries

• In Event: 72.066 - Poster Session 16
  In Poster Session: 72.066-9 - Surrounded by Science: Informal Learning in Museums, Media, and After-School and Everyday Contexts

Abstract

Public libraries have a long history of providing resources and programming developed for children. These programs are particularly critical for children who are at-risk for low academic achievement, such as children living in poverty and children of immigrant parents. In this study we demonstrate that the availability and utilization of programming for children at public libraries varies based on the specific market. In a post-recession climate of budget reduction, it is critical that educational initiatives leverage these valuable community resources to serve our nation’s most vulnerable children.

Author

• Deanne W. Swan, National Center for Education Statistics