The Library Belongs to You

“This is so much fun! I feel like I am at a fair, but at the public library!” said a student attendee about their experience at a Family Literacy Night. That joyful surprise captures what 168 students and families experienced at our Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill, Lake City, and Southwest branches this spring. Over the course of several evenings, Seattle Public Library (SPL) hosted families from 30 schools across the city, specifically kids who could benefit most from additional academic support. The events were designed as evening experiences, giving families a chance to experience the Library as entirely their own.

Family Literacy Nights grew out of collaboration between The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Public Schools’ Summer Learning program. The goal was to reach students who have already been identified for opportunities to grow and connect them and their families with the Library before summer began. We hosted these programs on Thursday evenings to make sure they could be accessible to families.

Creating a Strong Sense of Home

The Literacy program has roots in the Seattle Public Schools’ Super Readers initiative, which was designed to close the literacy opportunity gap for Black students at 13 Seattle schools. That work laid the foundation for a deeper partnership with the Library and a shared commitment to bringing intentional, joyful literacy support to the families who need it most.

For Ayan Adem, the Program Manager for Youth & Family Learning at SPL, this work is personal. She immigrated to Seattle from Somalia as a child, grew up attending Seattle Public Schools, and found in the Library a home and a hub of resources for her family. That experience is the foundation of everything she does.

“We’re always working to increase awareness and ownership of the Library,” Adem said. “We break down barriers that exist for our families and our youth. We want these families to know that this Library belongs to you.”

Family Literacy Nights were specially designed to build that sense of belonging. Families played literacy games, made bookmarks, and worked their way through library scavenger hunts. After sharing a meal together, families settled into cozy reading time with their kids and heard from librarians about practical strategies for supporting reading at home. They learned about the Library’s summer reading program – Summer Quest – designed to reduce the learning slide that hits hardest for kids with fewer access to books during the summer months.

Family Literacy Night attendees also learned how to take advantage of free online tutoring available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. One parent at the Lake City Branch said she couldn’t wait to share what she’d learned about free online tutoring with her friends and family.

And many attendees registered for library cards, some for the first time.

“Through this collaboration, families were introduced to the many free services available through The Seattle Public Library, including tutoring resources, homework help, literacy supports, and access to educational materials,” said Lisa Clayton, the Summer Learning Program Coordinator at Seattle Public Schools. “By bringing together school-based and community-based supports, we demonstrated how these resources complement Summer Learning services and help students continue to grow academically year-round.”

Every Student Walked Away with a Book

Thanks to support from The Seattle Public Library Foundation, every student received a free book to take home. Access to books at home is one of the strongest predictors of reading success, and for families with limited resources, building a home library can be a meaningful barrier to overcome.

“Seeing families engage with library staff, ask questions, and learn about opportunities for ongoing academic support reinforced the importance of strong partnerships between schools and community organizations. This collaboration highlighted our shared commitment to ensuring that all students and families have equitable access to the learning resources and support systems that contribute to student success,” said Clayton.

What Comes Next

The success of this pilot has Adem and her SPL colleagues thinking about what’s possible. The Library serves families who speak dozens of languages, and future iterations of Family Literacy Nights could include Spanish-specific or Somali-specific evenings, reaching multilingual families in the languages they’re most comfortable in. The goal, as always, is to increase access to what Adem calls “the beautiful resources we have at the library” and to make sure every family in Seattle knows those resources belong to them.

“The library is one of the last truly free spaces we have,” Adem said. “Our families can advocate for what they need. And Foundation funding helps us be responsive and flexible enough to deliver it.”

Family Literacy Nights were made possible through the support of The Seattle Public Library Foundation, in partnership with Seattle Public Schools, library staff, teen leaders, volunteers, and interpreters across four branches. As one teen leader at Rainier Beach said after attending a Literacy night: “It is getting lit at the library.”

To support programs like Family Literacy Nights, visit supportspl.org/donate.