By Mary Howard and Stephanie Meredith
HDI and the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) have worked for the past three years to prepare Kentucky libraries to be “School Ready Libraries” through funding from a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grant at the Institute of Museum and Library Science. To fulfill the goals of this grant, HDI and KDLA have worked with Kentucky public library staff to provide them with the training and skills needed to implement successful school readiness programs. Through this project, KDLA hopes to provide access to essential knowledge of early childhood development to librarians so they can help students get ready for school at a young age and have the best chances for success. Check out the Kentucky School Ready Libraries website.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our relationship with an important community partner. This collaboration provided a chance to help educate on effective early childhood practices and also share information about what we do at HDI. A great opportunity that will hopefully lead to further work with KDLA in the future.” —Mary Howard, HDI Research and Development Associate