F09: Librarian as Early Literacy Coach: Empowering parents, caregivers, and Early Childhood Educators to support early literacy development in diverse communities
Session Description
Generously Sponsored By: Vancouver Public Library
Exceptional early literacy programs must go beyond storytime and help adults to learn ways to facilitate early literacy development. By using local population data and research, and leveraging partnerships with early learning and medical communities, Vancouver Public Library increases community capacity to support early literacy development. The library has developed a powerful, straightforward and interactive program model that introduces parents and caregivers to early literacy practices that support learning and development. These programs are easy to duplicate and adapt to any community and provide fresh ways to encourage participants to make social and professional connections and facilitate early literacy learning.
Speakers
Julie Iannacone, Vancouver Public Library
Biography
Julie Iannacone is the Senior Manager of Services for Children & Teens at Vancouver Public Library. She is a member of the City of Vancouver’s Joint Childcare Council and the Vancouver Board of Education’s School Library Resource Centre Consultative Committee, and is the library liaison to the City of Vancouver’s Children,Youth and Families Advisory Committee. She is a regular guest lecturer at the University of British Columbia School of Library, Archival & Information Science. Julie is particularly interested in collaborating with community partners to ensure that library services for children and teens remain relevant and responsive in a rapidly changing social environment.
Tess Prendergast, Vancouver Public Library
Biography
Tess Prendergast is a Children’s Librarian at the Vancouver Public Library where she has worked for twenty years. Her professional work has focussed on working with young children and families and she has developed several interactive workshops aimed at parents as well as early childhood educators. Tess is also completing her doctoral work in early literacy at the University of British Columbia and believes that public libraries can play key roles in supporting diverse families.