The Role of Public Libraries in Promoting Reading Within the Family

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate some examples of good practice carried out in public libraries and their role in promoting reading within the family and in particular with parents and children. In this case, the family takes on the responsibility of bringing the book into the life of the child almost from the time they are born. Some libraries hold events which aim to bring parents and children, books and reading and ludic activities together and thus stimulate early interest in reading on the part of the child. These activities work on various levels, with a view to training parents on how to take full advantage of books, to make them more aware of the benefits of reading and how to make a good selection of reading material in order to strengthen family bonds and promote a healthier and more balanced upbringing for the child.