Milpitas Library’s new Mamava Lactation Station a Hit with Visiting Mothers

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Private suite allows mothers to pump or breastfeed while looking after kids

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – February 21, 2018 – Installed last fall, the Mamava private suite, or “pod,” provides mothers visiting Milpitas Library with a safe and clean space to nurse their babies, or pump breast milk, while also allowing room for their other children to stay within sight. Santa Clara County Library District is the only library system in the country with such a unit. To date, over 100 mothers have taken advantage of the Mamava pod, which is located in the main hallway just before the children's area of the library. 

Mamava lactation station“This is a valuable resource for the many mothers with babies and young children who come to Milpitas Library,” stated Nancy Howe, County Librarian. “This provides them with privacy and convenience in a welcoming, child-friendly environment.”

Mothers who wish to use the Mamava sign up at the circulation desk and receive a key to secure the door.

The Milpitas Library hosts about 1,800 visitors daily. The library has a number of programs geared towards families with infants and young children, including “Baby Bouncers,” “Play and Learn,” as well as many early literacy programs.

California has long led the nation in mandating access to lactation stations for working women. The next wave in empowering breastfeeding mothers is to provide them with access to facilities in public spaces. Santa Clara County Library District is proud to be at the forefront of innovation and supporting community needs being the first public library in the country to offer the Mamava to patrons.

Contact:
 Nancy Howe/Diane Roche/Erik Sanjurjo
 Santa Clara County Library District
 (408) 293-2326 ext. 3001/3080/3014

About the Santa Clara County Library District
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) promotes knowledge, ideas, and cultural enrichment. Its collection includes more than 2 million books, videos, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, eBooks and extensive online resources accessible from home or work. In 2014, SCCLD celebrated one hundred years of service to local residents. For the last several years, SCCLD has been consistently recognized as one of America’s Star Libraries by Library Journal. In 2017, SCCLD was ranked among the top ten large libraries in the United States in the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. In 2014 and 2015, SCCLD won Innovator Awards from the Urban Libraries Council.

The Santa Clara County Library District includes two bookmobiles, an online library, seven community libraries and one branch library serving Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. In 2017, the Santa Clara County Library District had more than 328,000 library cardholders and welcomed 3.2 million visitors, who borrowed over 9 million items.