Family Place Library

Did you know Goodwin Library is one of seven Family Place Libraries in NH? We are also 1 of approximately 500 sites nationwide.

What is Family Place?

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. (familyplacelibraries.org)

There are 7 main components to Family Place:

Trained Staff– Staff are trained on the Family Place Model, child development, early literacy, and provide parent education resources.

Parent Child Workshop- These workshops are fun, informal and play centered and cover literacy, child development, nutrition, music &
movement, and speech/hearing. 

Collections– We have a parenting collection in the children’s area as well as a collection of books, toys, early learning kits, and media for infants, toddlers, and caregivers.

Specially Designed Spaces– Our children’s room contains a designated play area for children under 5 that contains books, puzzles, a sensory wall, puppet theater, blocks, dolls, and art activities. 

Collaborations & Partnerships– We are connecting with education, health, and human service agencies to help connect our families with needed resources.

Outreach- This involves finding ways to reach underserved families or populations through partnerships, media, or in person.

Additional Programs for Babies & Toddlers– We’ve added new early childhood programs for children 0-5 with a focus on ages 0-3, in addition to our existing programs. These programs include: Music & Movement, Tots & Blocks, Yoga Story Time, Mother Goose Story Time, and Pre-school Story Time