During 2016 ASCEL and Libraries Connected commissioned Laura Crossley to research and make recommendations on family-friendly libraries.
A sub-group from ASCEL national committee looked at Laura’s research findings and recommendations as well as standards from The Family Arts Campaign, Kids in Museums and the ASCEL Children’s Promise. From this they developed a ten-point pledge. This encapsulates the commitment of public libraries to a family-friendly welcome based on the books available to borrow, activities offered, staff attitude and library layout.
In contrast to the Children’s Promise, which focuses on children and young people, the Pledge has a family-friendly focus which adds in parental needs around whole family participation in the library. The Pledge therefore sits alongside the Children’s Promise.
Author and illustrator Steve Smallman worked with children from Nuneaton Library in Warwickshire to create a poster for the pledge.
The pledge is supported both by ASCEL and Libraries Connected. Public library services are encouraged to download the poster and display it in all of their libraries.
ASCEL blog 