Parenting Collection | Child's First Teacher | Age Appropriate Programs | Mothers' Center
| Computer Room Policy & Parent Permission Form | Nassau Library System Parents Page

As a designated Family Place Library, the Long Beach Public Library provides parents and caregivers with a wealth of information on early childhood education and development in our "Parenting Collection" and through our extensive children's programs.

The Long Beach Public Library is a Community Partner with the Friedberg JCC and is happy to introduce the Parenting Resource Network. The Network links together all the agencies on the South Shore that are involved in early childhood and parenting education. A major feature is its "Warm Line" available at (516) 240-6018. Parents can call to get information, reassurance, support and guidance Monday-Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

PARENTING COLLECTION

Long Beach Public Library has an extensive Parenting Book Collection that provides
information ranging in topics from parenting a newborn to parenting a teenager. There
are parenting books just for mommies or just for daddies ...and a special selection of
picture books on those hard to find topics such as "going to the hospital" or
" needing glasses". The Parenting section also provides parents and caregivers with a
multitude of free pamphlets and flyers containing helpful early childhood information.

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PARENTS ARE A CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER

In addition to giving parents and caregivers essential and accurate parenting information,
Long Beach Public Library also provides a variety of library services which stress the
importance of a parent or caregiver being a child's first teacher.

The library reaches out to new parents with our "Born to Read" gift bag, welcoming a
new baby into the Long Beach Community. Parents with a baby up to 4 months old
receive a bag filled with flyers on the importance of reading to babies and general information about the Long Beach Public Library and the Youth Services Department.
A stuffed rattle and a board book are also included in the goodie bag.

Our first program for parents and children begins when the baby is one month old. Wiggles and Giggles Tummy Time is a program designed to encourage parents to get their babies on their tummy to play as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Babies who spend a portion of each day on their tummies build strong neck and chest muscles and stay developmentally on track.

RACHEL AND MAX ENJOYING TUMMY TIME

At five months old The Mother Goose Rhyme Time Lapsit Program is the perfect environment for parents to bond with their child in a playful setting. With baby seated on the parent's lap, they learn a variety of songs, finger plays and nursery rhymes from the librarian leading the class. By reading short board books, the librarian models how parents can best share books with young children. The program reinforces the importance of reading and language play for very young babies. This class is for children ages 5months-to-17 months.

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AGE APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS

Children age into a series of programs designed to fit developmental steps and stages leading to preschool and kindergarten readiness. One of the core programs in the early childhood sequence that the Long Beach Public Library offers to parents and caregivers is the Parent/Child Workshop. This program is for children ages 1 to 3 years old. The workshop is an informal program connecting parents and their toddlers with community resource professionals. These resource professionals provide information on different aspects of childhood development (general child development, nutrition, speech and hearing, learning through play, and music with movement). In addition, children enjoy playing with many age appropriate toys and participate in various art experiences. This program effectively supplies important parenting information in a supportive environment that is designed to encourage one-on-one play between the parent and child while also giving the parent ample opportunity to network with other parents in the Long Beach Community.

Library Play Land has been opened to children, ages 1 to 3 1/2, who have completed the Parent/Child Workshop.The children continue to enjoy the toys and activities of the previous program and are also treated to an expanded circle time. Parents continue to network amongst themselves.

Babywise is a program for children ages 1 year 6 months to 2 years 5 months. It is designed to follow the Mother Goose program mentioned above. In this expanded lapsit, an art experience is added and more complicated stories and activities are introduced.

Our next step up for children, ages 2 years 6 months to 3 years 5 months, is the fun filled
Toddler Time program. Children and parents are kept busy with all the physical movement
activities, various games and puzzles, singing and art experiences, and of course Books!

Separation from parents occurs during our Preschool Storytime for children ages
3 years 6 months to 5 years 5 months (not in kindergarten). This program focuses on
reading books, finger plays and songs, and an art experience focused on a chosen theme
designed to help prepare your child for a formal school setting.

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The Mothers' Center @ the Long Beach Public Library

Mothers helping Mothers is the Goal of the Mothers' Center.
Based on the national model program of the Mother's Center and funded by grants*,
the Long Beach Public Library is a test site for the development of library based Mothers' Centers. The Mothers' Center offers an opportunity to share feelings and exchange ideas in a nonjudgmental, peer group setting. Mothers and other caregivers come to share experiences, vent frustrations, find support and make new friends. The Center can provide relief from the isolation many mothers experience and can help take the place of the vanishing extended family. Trained facilitators introduce new members to the format of the program while volunteer members run the group.

Left to Right: Lori Rappa Rodriguez, National Association of Mothers' Centers; Krista Svedbery, United Way;
Jennifer Firth, Head of Youth Services; Amy Wendol and Violet, Participants.

*Funded as part of Family Place Long Island by: Rauch Foundation, Horace and Amy Hagedorn-LI Fund,
John D. Miller, Long Island Community Foundation-Greentree Fund, Middle Country Library Foundation,
Sandy River Charitable Foundation, United Way of Long Island/Success By Six.

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COMPUTER ROOM POLICY & PARENT PERMISSION FORM

All children and teens using the Youth Services Department Internet Computers
must have appropriate identification. To obtain this identification, a parent/ guardian permission
form, supplied by the Library, must be signed and on file in the department.

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NASSAU LIBRARY SYSTEM PARENTSPAGE*

The Youth Services Division of the Nassau Library System in conjunction with a team
of youth services librarians from member public libraries in Nassau County have created "ParentsPage". As parents and caregivers, you want to be able to provide your child/teen
with the best possible experiences and "ParentsPage" provides you with:

1. Access to the best of what's available on the Internet and at your library
on issues and topics concerning today's parents and caregivers for children of all ages.
Each topic was researched and evaluated by a member of the youth services team.

2. Information on how to keep your children and teenagers safe on the Internet.

3. An understanding of what the Internet can and can not do.

4. Opportunities to learn how to surf and navigate around the Internet.

*Parentspage is funded in part by Federal Library Services and Technology Act Funds,
awarded to The New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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