Soap, Suds, and Stories: Early Literacy at the Laundromat

Authors

  • Elizabeth McChesney
  • Marisa Conner

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.18.4.9

Abstract

“I love the literacy area and really appreciate the librarians’ patience and love. I think there are few places like this in our community. I think the literacy corner is very important for this community. We come here every other week, and now he has something to do. He asks me, “Mommy, can we go play at the laundromat?”—Parent

Author Biographies

Elizabeth McChesney

Elizabeth McChesney is a thirty-three-year veteran children’s librarian who retired as Director of System Wide Children’s Services from the Chicago Public Library in 2019. She has won numerous national awards for her innovations and currently serves as the Early Childhood and Community Partnerships Consultant for the LaundryCares Foundation. She serves as a Senior Advisor to Urban Libraries Council and Consultant to National Summer Learning Association. She is the co-author of Summer Matters: Making All Learning Count and Pairing STEAM with Stories. Her first picture book, Keke’s Double-Strong Super Hugs, is forthcoming.

Marisa Conner

Marisa Conner has a combined forty years’ experience working in public education and public libraries, and retired as the Manager of Youth and Family Engagement from the Baltimore County (MD) Public Library in 2018. She is the Co-Chair of the Baltimore County Early Childhood Advisory Council and a consultant for Too Small To Fail. She is the coauthor of The Power of Play: Designing Early Learning Spaces, (ALA Editions, 2015).

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Published

2021-01-12

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2020): Winter

Section

Features

License

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