Unplugged engagement at Cook Library
Today's fast-moving, information-saturated society seems to value connectivity over almost everything else. Whether tapping into vast stores of data and entertainment on the internet or networking with family, friends and colleagues on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, we spend much of our free time engaging virtually. Indeed, "virtual reality" were the buzzwords out of this year's SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas, an incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity.
According to the Pew Research Center more than two-thirds of American adults own a smartphone, nearly 75 percent have a desktop or laptop computer and almost half have a tablet, up from 3 percent just five years ago. What does the proliferation of screens and data mean for real-time parent-child engagement? How do we dial up human contact in the Information Age? And how do we ensure the healthy development of our children? After all, as pioneering educator Maria Montessori observed, "Play is the work of the child." Through play children learn about concepts like colors and counting, how to build things, how to solve problems and how to relate to others.
Even as Cook Library adds more power outlets to meet the high demand for patron charging stations and increases e-library offerings of digitized books and streaming content, the library remains a refuge for unplugged entertainment. The circulation of print-physical, hold-them-in-your-hands, feel-the-pages books and periodicals-continues to be a mainstay of the public library, with Cook Memorial Public Library District circulating nearly 800,000 print titles last year through its two locations and bookmobile.
Recognizing the importance of offline play in child development, the library also offers families opportunities to engage without a screen. The Family Play and Learn Center is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. most Saturdays at Aspen Drive Library, 701 Aspen Drive in Vernon Hills. The drop-in activity center features a rotating selection of toys, activities and games for all ages, giving parents and children a fresh way to unplug and unwind together each week.
At Cook Park Library, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave. in downtown Libertyville, a recently refreshed Room to Grow is open daily during library hours. Tucked in the corner of the Children's Department, the brightly colored space is equipped with a curated selection of puzzles, games and toys to encourage early learning and one-on-one play between caregivers and future readers. The renovation of this well-used space, formerly called the Early Literacy Center, was funded by the Friends of Cook Memorial Public Library District, who also recently donated an expansive, durable block set to the Family Play and Learn Center.
To understand the importance of these offerings, consider the conclusions of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, whose researchers found numerous benefits to playing with blocks, one of the oldest toys there is. Blocks help children learn creativity, self-expression, math concepts including number and length, the science of testing ideas, problem solving and even self-esteem. All of this is in addition to the fine and gross motor skills that children develop during block play.
To reach more families with the opportunity to set aside electronics in favor of inter-generational, hands-on play time, the library will host Library Unplugged, a daylong event on Saturday, April 2, in the Children's Department at Cook Park Library, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave. om Libertyville. The iPads and computers will be turned off for the day. In their place, patrons will find a variety of board games and crafts, as well as three scheduled story times, at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, including non-cardholders. Drop in anytime during library hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.