The ONLY Library in South Dakota

Published on July 01, 2025

Small girl with a bag on her shoulder digs through bin of toys.

By Leah T. 

Family Place Libraries Building Foundations for Early Learning logo This year marks a special milestone for Siouxland Libraries — 10 years as a proud member of the Family Place Libraries™ national network. As the only library in South Dakota to hold this designation, Siouxland Libraries stands out for our commitment to early childhood development and family engagement.

Between birth and age five, a child's brain develops at a remarkable pace. More than a million synapses are produced every second in the early years. The brain of a young child will actually have more synapses than their mature adult brain!* During this critical window, the way adults respond to and interact with children shapes their social, emotional, intellectual, and executive functioning skills for life. No pressure. 😉

The Family Place Libraries™ model recognizes parents and caregivers as a child’s first and most important teachers and empowers libraries to support them in that role. As a Family Place Library, Siouxland Libraries has been able to do the following:

 

  • Design unique play spaces at each library branch with age-appropriate toys

Play and Learn room at the Downtown Library.

  • Curate a Parenting Collection with books and local resources, on topics from sleep routines to screen time

Parenting collection shelves at the Downtown Library.

  • Partner with community professionals to host a biannual Parent & Child Workshop, a welcoming space for parents and caregivers to connect, play, and learn alongside their little ones

A library associate watches two small children play with blocks.An expert at the Parent and Child Workshop sits on the floor with attendees.

  • Provide access to ParentTV, a video library offering expert advice for every stage of parenting

ParentTV, your online, on-demand parenting resource.

  • Train librarians in child development and family support

 

Today, the Family Place Libraries™ model is embraced by over 500 libraries across 32 states, serving thousands of young children and their caregivers.

We’re here to support your child’s development and your family’s journey, every step of the way. See you at the library!

 

*Thompson, R. A. (2024). Early brain development and public health. PubMed, 10(4), 6–11. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2024.10.03

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