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G2S Project Code: 2019-MA-83458
State: Massachusetts
Fiscal Year: 2019
Grantee
Morrill Memorial Library

Project Director
Director Name: Kate Tigue
Director Phone: 508-769-0200
Director Email: ktigue@minlib.net
General Information
Title: Mind in the Making: Read, Play, Grow
State Project Code: 20.12.03
Start Date: 10/01/2018
End Date: 09/30/2020
Abstract: The Morrill Memorial Library offered flexible new play spaces for young children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Throughout the project year the Library hosted activities to extend playtime ideas into real-life experiences, leading to opportunities for whole-body movement, storytelling, group play and up-close encounters with both the natural and technological world. The intertwined approaches of unstructured play and guided activities encouraged caregivers and children to interact with each other in ways that supported the development of critical executive functions like focus, self-directed learning and perspective-taking. When the library was forced to close they redirected their efforts to a series of weekly Pop Up Libraries to distribute grant related materials.

State Goal: Lifelong Learning
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$10,000.00
$0.00
$6,663.45
$16,663.45
Intent(s)
Improve users' general knowledge and skills.
Parenting & Family skills
Early Literacy
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Children's Pop Up Library Programs
Narrative: Norwood launched a Pop-Up Children’s Library to make books accessible to families who may have had little to no access to reading materials over the summer during the library’s COVID-19 closing. Schools were deliberately chosen for the locations of the Pop-Up Children’s library since they are familiar to children and families and many are in walkable neighborhoods. There is also ample parking and enough space to maintain outdoor social distancing protocols for patrons and staff.
Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Other
Format: In-person
Other: Pop Up Libraries were set up for a two hour period once a week at a different local school


Quantity


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Suburban
For what age groups: 0-5 years
6-12 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: Yes
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 1
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
The Mind in the Making library project was required to develop outcomes that would measure preschoolers practice tasks through both informal play and formal instruction; these activities foster developmentally appropriate skills and measure social-emotional growth. Staff used pre and post program surveys after each program with all events. With each event, families found opportunities to play, explore, learn, and practice essential executive function skills like self-control, communication, and trying challenging activities. Above all, the events focused on fun opportunities for all of these skills to shine. Looking at the responses to the surveys distributed after events, the libraries had a goal of families showing some practice of these executive functioning skills. The results were far more positive, with a significant majority of respondents either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the children in their care demonstrated practicing these skills.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
The Morrill Memorial Library purchased new items to revitalize existing play spaces in the Children’s Room designed to provide families with young children a safe, inviting space to play and to create a strong sense of community within the library. In addition, circulating kits with toys that encourage sensory development were put together to help young children who are not attending preschool or daycare due to the COVID-19 to reach important developmental milestones at home. These kits were a departure from the original plan for a literacy play group since in-person programming has been indefinitely suspended. The onset of the virtual programming initially prompted the staff to schedule some parenting workshops via Zoom over the summer and create an online playgroup to replace the in-person programs that were grant-funded. However, early feedback from patrons in Spring 2020 indicated that most parents and kids were suffering from intense “Zoom burnout” and many families complained that initial efforts to engage patrons from home involved too much screen time. Online play group plans were scrapped in favor of creating circulating kits filled with sensory toys. Many parents in the community struggle with the decision to send their preschool and toddler children to daycare. The Children’s Department staff believed that kits containing toys to help parents and children work on developmental milestones might give families some of the opportunities that a school setting would provide. Additionally, Norwood successfully created a successful weekly Pop Up Children's Library located at rotating elementary schools in the community. Many of the Mind in the Making materials were turned into kits and made available for check out. People really appreciated the chance to see their favorite librarians in person if only for a few hours once a week. The library regularly saw about 75 patrons in a two-hour period each week. Staff always need to be nimble about making changes to their original grant outline and this year the Norwood staff demonstrated their ability to pivot and create a successful new experience with the Pop Up Library concept.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
At the start of the quarantine period, the Children's Room staff facilitated virtual programming similar to what other MA libraries had done. Although patrons gave good feedback the attendance/views just weren't happening. The project director noted that young families really valued the interaction live programs provide. By summer many families were burned out with screen time between necessary TV babysitting while parents worked at home and distance learning. It was important for the library to be visible to the community. The result of the pop up space was that their patrons loved it. Staff were spot-on about lack of access to kids books and too much screen time. Patrons followed staff rules and social distanced like champs. No one complained and staff were complimented for attention to health and safety. Patrons wanted to pick and choose and staff ended up being less strict about the "one bundle per child" rule. This turned out to be a successful pivot during an extremely stressful time for project management and underscored the creativity of children's room staff. Following attendance at PLA 2020 in Nashville, the project director decided to model a series of literacy play group sessions that rely heavily on the “literacy play date” concept created by staff at the Sunnyvale Public Library in Sunnyvale, California. Librarians created take-home literacy kits for families who registered with children ages 0-36 months that included a board book and material on early literacy milestones and activities that can be used to support them. Participants then came to the library for an open play program. These ideas are waiting to be implemented in the coming year when the library can open up again.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: Early Learning; Family Literacy