SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) is welcoming young children to explore the first completed Storybook SCCLD Children’s Play Space at Saratoga Library starting Saturday, March 15. Storybook SCCLD spaces are interactive children’s areas that support early literacy skills in a joyful, vibrant and inclusive environment. Children ages 0-10 and their caregivers are encouraged to participate in different types of play activities. Each space helps little learners build early literacy skills, through games with letters, numbers, colors, sight words, and more. Children under 10 years old are invited to play and patrons are welcome to attend the grand opening on Saturday, March 15 at 10 a.m.
“Storybook SCCLD features cheerful, vibrant and lively spaces where children will become motivated and excited about learning through play within a setting that fosters a passion for books and reading,” said County Librarian Jennifer Weeks. “At our libraries, children can engage in all five practices of Every Child Ready to Read – reading, playing, writing, talking and singing - to build the early literacy skills that help them become successful readers!”
Each play space is a magical environment that reflects something special about each community. Visitors will enjoy a marquee entry with child-size doorway, interactives for little hands to practice motor skills, reading nooks for quiet play, playhouses for imaginative play, a toddler slide with wheelchair transfer platform for active play, an interactive learning area for babies and toddlers, a balance element, plus seating for all ages. This project is being designed and developed with Luci Creative, Ravenswood Studio, and Group 4 Architecture.
Saratoga Library’s play space theme is Redwood Romp. Children and their caregivers will experience the magic of the redwood forests that are a special part of Saratoga. A friendly robot, TreeBot, will guide little ones to explore the treehouse, sit around the campfire, find a comfortable reading nook, and more. Babies and toddlers have a special bird’s nest full of sensory activities, and there is seating available for caregivers.
Saratoga Library’s Redwood Romp Children’s Place Space Grand Opening
Saturday, March 15 at 10 a.m.
Free entertainment and activities!
Installation of the Trusty Trails Play Space at Morgan Hill Library is set to begin on Friday, March 14. Gilroy Library’s Earthen Excursion Play Space will begin installation on Monday, March 17.
Please visit the Storybook SCCLD webpage to see the play space installation schedule for the other SCCLD libraries. This page will also introduce the team of friendly robots who serve as guides through Storybook SCCLD and themes for each play space. The page will be updated each month with brand new information, so please bookmark it for future use.
About the Santa Clara County Library District
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) promotes knowledge, ideas, and cultural enrichment. Founded in 1914, its collection includes more than 2.3 million books, videos, CDs, DVDs/Blu-rays, audiobooks, eBooks and extensive online resources accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
The Library Journal has repeatedly recognized SCCLD as one of America’s Star Libraries, rating it as a 5-Star library in their 2022 Index of Public Library Service. SCCLD was one of only five library systems in the United States with expenditures over $30 million given this honor. In 2014 and 2019, SCCLD won Innovator Awards from the Urban Libraries Council. SCCLD also received a Challenge Award in 2019 from the California State Association of Counties and an Innovative Project of the Year Award (Large District) from the California Special Districts Association in 2020.
SCCLD includes two bookmobiles, an online library, seven community libraries and one branch library, serving the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga, and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. In Calendar Year 2024, SCCLD had over 390,000 library accounts, almost 2.5 million website visits, and a circulation of over 11.6 million items. Program attendance was over 256,000 for fiscal year 2024.
Find the Santa Clara County Library District online: https://sccld.org
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