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Library Services: Outreach services include any activities that occur outside of the traditional library setting. Outreach at the Lafourche Parish Public library typically fall into three categories: informational, community relations, and service delivery. Each year, library staff makes hundreds of visits to public, private and parochial schools, pre-schools, day-care centers, community clubs and organizations. Some visits feature staff as formal speakers or presenters; others are short visits designed to simply advertise the library's many free materials, services and programs. Informational Visits Examples of library informational visits to area public, private and parochial schools by Teen or Children's Youth Services staff: Library Card Sign Up Month visits to children and teens to encourage them to get a library card. Book talks for high school students to highlight free library resources and services such as databases and other research tools. Summer Reading outreach to promote free summer reading programs. LYRC and Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice-The Louisiana Young Readers' Choice (LYRC) and Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice Awards are a reading enrichment program of the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana "designed to foster a love of reading in the children of Louisiana by motivating them to participate in the recognition of outstanding books". Each year, ballots with book titles are compiled by a committee of Louisiana school and public librarians: one each for students in grades 3-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. Examples of organizations the Youth Services staff provide outreach to: Public schools (Elementary, Middle and High School) Private and parochial schools Day care centers Charter schools Head Start Parenting groups-GED classes Community Relations Outreach designed to build community relations is generally part of a special community event or activity. During these events, library staff participate by manning a booth or table to hand out materials to promote the library and its services, recruit new library cardholders and sign up people for special programs such as the Big Read or the Summer Reading Program. Examples of community relations: Thibodauxville Fall Festival Head Start family gatherings Area Christmas parades Community Outreach The Library provides regular delivery service to several groups of patrons: Senior Citizen Centers The library makes regular visits to Lafourche Parish senior centers/retirement homes to personally deliver library materials to residents, especially large print materials. Books and other resources are selected according to the request of each site. This service dates back more than 10 years. School Literacy Outreach Youth Service staff travel throughout Lafourche Parish promoting literacy by engaging children in lively story times consisting of books, songs, finger plays, music, puppets, theater and crafts. The staff also checks out books from area library branches to distribute to these locations for their use. Staff also travels to middle schools promoting literacy by making book crafts and getting involved in clubs, such as art clubs, and promoting the Louisiana Readers' Choice programs. Several examples of the library's numerous school literacy outreach locations: Little Rascals Daycare Bright Ideas Daycare Raceland Lower and Upper Elementary Golden Meadow Lower Elementary Galliano Elementary Bayou Blue Middle School Bayou Community Academy Head Start The Youth Services staff visits each Head Start Program in Lafourche Parish delivering books or providing a program designed to promote reading. Staff members have story times and other activities prepared to introduce reading at an early age. The staff promotes the library as a friendly, informational place for children of all ages to visit and enjoy. Head Start sites: Thibodaux Head Start-1, 2, 3 and 4 Martin Luther King Head Start Marydale Head Start South Lafourche Head Start Work Release Centers/Correctional Facilities Library staff and Youth Services staff deliver reading materials to work release centers and corrections facilities. Collections of light reading and other educational information are donated to these sites. Each month staff drops off new items for circulation to these communities. Youth Service Sites: |
| Little Rascals | Stepping Stones | Little Angels | Larose Lower Elementary |
| Bright Ideas | Mrs. Susie's | Duet's Daycare | Lockport Lower Elementary |
| Kelly Kiger | Bright Beginnings | Little Preschool | Lockport Upper Elementary |
| Wee Care | Little Bittes | Golden Meadow Lower Elementary | Golden Meadow Upper Elementary |
| Little Preschool | Just Kidz | Galliano Elementary | Raceland Lower Elementary |
| Cut Off Elementary | East Thibodaux Middle | W.S. Lafargue | Raceland Upper Elementary |
| Bayou Blue Elementary | Bayou Blue Middle School | Holy Savior School | Holy Rosary |
| St. Mary's | SL Head Start | Lockport Head Start | Thibodaux 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Mardale Head Start | MLK Head Start | Even Start/GED |
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Services are available to communities surrounding all nine library branch locations: Golden Meadow (includes Spanish outreach), South Lafourche, Larose, Lockport, Gheens, Raceland, Choctaw, Bayou Blue and Thibodaux. Please contact Youth Services at 985-438-3117 or 985-632-7140 to be added as a site for service. |