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County and community librarians detail patron data and children’s play-space benefits
Summary
County and community librarians reported usage data, described themed children’s play spaces used elsewhere in the county and discussed evidence showing increased child engagement and circulation following installations.
At the Los Altos Library Commission meeting, county and community library representatives presented usage statistics and a detailed case for new children’s play spaces, citing measured increases in visits and circulation at sites with similar installations.
Fitzgerald, representing the Santa Clara County Library District, flagged upcoming author events and the Imagination Library (a program delivering free books to children ages 0–5) and noted that additional passport-library locations have joined the county program. "My name is Fitzgerald and I'm county li[brarian]," he said while urging registration and highlighting outreach opportunities.
Community librarian Rose B. presented Los Altos and Woodland data and described the play-space design approach used across the county. Rose reported that in August the system had "73 programs and almost 3,000 attendees," was open "306 hours," and recorded "773 passports and 91,000 total sats," and she said Los Altos had more than 33,000 visitors in the period covered. Rose also cited examples from other cities where play spaces produced measurable changes: toddler-book circulation rose 70% in one city after a play-space installation and a different branch saw a 20% visitor increase in June and July.
Rose outlined the design principles—active play zones, quiet reading nooks and imaginative-play elements tied to local themes—and said libraries can support neurodiverse patrons with measures such as quieter-preview hours and noise-reducing ear covers. She told commissioners the county website includes research references on play-based early literacy and offered to provide additional materials to address community questions.
Commissioners asked operational questions about how materials would be managed during construction, delivery logistics and the scale of express-library alternatives; staff said they are coordinating with county partners to pilot options and will report back.
Rose and Fitzgerald’s reports will be included in the commission’s next staff packet and discussed further at the January meeting as the commission refines outreach plans tied to the main-library renovation.
