PREREQUISITES:
MAS students: Completion of the MAS Core courses, plus permission of the instructor.
MLIS and Dual students: Some electives can be taken in conjunction with the MLIS Core courses; consult with the MLIS Program Chair for recommendations.
GOAL: Students will gain a solid understanding of early childhood development, how young children learn to read, and how to support young children and families in the informal learning context of the public library. The goal is to provide students with the knowledge required to rationalize, plan, implement, curate, evaluate, and advocate for inclusive, culturally responsive library collections, services, and programs for young children (ages 0 through 8), and their families & caregivers in diverse communities.
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
- Apply knowledge of the stages of child development and early literacy growth to their professional practice
- Collaborate with family-serving agencies and community members to develop responsive services for equity-deserving families with young children
- Design and evaluate early learning spaces & learning resources in libraries and other community settings
- Integrate knowledge of reading development with readers’ advisory services for young children
- Prioritize collection goals to contribute to the development of print and digital library collections for children 0 through 8
- Plan, implement, and evaluate inclusive library services for young children and their families in diverse communities
- Explain the importance of advocacy, leadership and continual professional development in public library services aimed at supporting young children’s development.
CONTENT:
- Early childhood development and implications for children’s library collections, services, and programs
- Family engagement and working with family-serving agencies
- Early childhood spaces and resources in public libraries
- Children’s reading development and implications for reference and readers advisory services
- Collection development & management of print and digital resources, curating diverse collections
- Identifying and addressing program needs & interests of all families, especially equity-deserving families with children 0-8 years old
- Inclusive approaches to library programming for children 0-8
- Leadership and management of early learning initiatives in libraries
- Promotion and advocacy of inclusive early learning initiatives in libraries.