“The library really exists for the community. So we want people to come and take advantage of our services. We want people to let us know if there’s something that they think that we could be helping with that they need.”

Laura Polak

Today’s guest is Laura Polak, the Early Literacy Coordinator at St. Louis County Library. Laura sat down with Staci to discuss the positive impact an early exposure to reading has on a child, what the library has to offer beyond books, and the community programs that SLCL has to help keep everyone engaged in reading at any age.

• K-12 education
  • Jeffrey grew up in North County, going to Flynn Park Elementary School, Lawson Elementary School, and Hazelwood West for middle school and high school.
  • He went to Harris-Stowe State University for his undergraduate degree and University of Missouri St. Louis for his master’s, and he’s back at UMSL for his doctorate in Educational Leadership.
  • He comes from a family of educators – his grandma, auntie, and cousin were all educators. 
  • He has also always had a passion for reading and literature which translated into writing music.
    
• What is a library?
  • We think of it traditionally as a space that holds books, but they’re a lot more than that. 
  • You can gather together without spending money. 
  • The library is also outside the physical building because it goes out into the community.
    
• What kind of resources are available at the library?
  • There are books, dvd’s, audiobooks, magazines, plus nontraditional resources such as telescopes, fishing poles, guitars, drums, blood pressure cuffs, tabletop games, etc.
  • There is also an e-media collection, where a lot of their budget resources are going right now.
    
• What if I don’t know how to use the dewey decimal system? Or how to get involved in the library?
  • Honestly, just ask a librarian! They’re not scary. They’re customer service people and they want to help you. 
  • If you want to get a library card, it’s a very simple process. You can even do it online.
• What do you do in your role specifically and how did you get connected with the library?
  • Laura’s job is the Early Literacy Coordinator, meaning she’s working with children and families, usually ages 0-5 or 0-8, creating programs and services for that age group. 
  • She also gets to support the branch staff and go into the community to find other organizations to connect with.
    
• How old do you have to be to get a library card?
  • Anyone can get a card at any age.
    
• How does exposure to literature at an early age help their development?
  • Parents are building a positive relationship with reading with children when they read to them as kids, then later when they read together, and maybe they come to the library and learn it’s a fun place to spend time.
  • If there is a foundation when kids are young that reading is fun, then when they are learning to read and reach a struggling point, they can persevere.
    
• Are there any programs that support kids who need reading support?
  • The library is launching a new initiative called Gateway to Reading.
  • Gateway to Reading is focused on supporting what’s happening in classrooms.
    
• Are there resources for older kids as well?
  • Yes, there is even an adult literacy coordinator who does things like the online high school program, plus supporting adults who have literacy needs.
  • Of course these services are absolutely free.
    
• How do you partner with local schools or parent groups to get the word out about these resources?
  • The library has strong relationships with the schools in the community.
    
• What is a book that you always recommend for kids and then a book for parents?
  • For kids, Laura loves Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, because you can sing along, it has color recognition, it’s very engaging.
  • For adults, Laura recommends considering the type of tv shows you watched and to help narrow the search for what you want to read.
  • The library has a database called Novelist that can help with the searching process.
  • You can also fill out a form on the website, say a few things about what you like, and the librarians will send a list of book recommendations tailored to you.
    
• Are there other supplemental or summer programs for families to help their students with their reading and literacy goals?
  • Just last year, they started partnering with the city library, SLPL. 
  • They have a whole St. Louis-wide program called STL Summer Adventure that is based on doing activities while embedding literacy into those activities.
  • They also have an adult reading club in the summer.
  • The city library has an adult reading challenge that goes on throughout the year.
    
• Where can people find you?g for in a school?
  • St. Louis County Library – https://www.slcl.org/
  • St. Louis Public Library – https://www.slpl.org/ 
  • There are 20 St. Louis County Library locations and 15 St. Louis Public Library locations, PLUS the Municipal Library locations. Between all of them, there’s probably a library close to you. 
  • They have a Sweet Reads book mobile that also goes around to communities and events.
  • There are also homebound services, so you can get services by mail.