Public Libraries as Centers for Play: A Survey and Case Examples

The authors surveyed public libraries to learn about the opportunities for play they offered and children's freedom to engage in such play without adult supervision. The authors conclude that, in recent years, public libraries in the United States have increasingly created spaces and programs e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of play 2022-01, Vol.14 (2), p.131-148
Main Authors: Gray, Peter, Solomon, Autumn Erdahl, Tatgenhorst, Leah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Adults
Children
Children & youth
Elementary schools
Librarians
Library Role
Library Services
Makerspaces
Preschool education
Public Libraries
Supervision
Surveys
Toys
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Summary:The authors surveyed public libraries to learn about the opportunities for play they offered and children's freedom to engage in such play without adult supervision. The authors conclude that, in recent years, public libraries in the United States have increasingly created spaces and programs enabling free play for children and teens. These include "maker spaces" (for constructive play), playrooms with toys and games for young children, and rooms where teens can socialize and play games. The authors describe the survey results and three especially successful library play programs in detail. These results, they conclude, illustrate how librarians have welcomed children and enabled free play in the library through policies of nonintervention and by emphasizing nonintervention by care givers who might otherwise intervene in such play. Key words: free play; maker spaces; play and libraries; public libraries
ISSN:1938-0399
1938-0402