Youth Services

The Library Development division serves children and their caregivers, as well as library staff who implement programs to support them. Outcomes include improving kindergarten readiness, school success, and caregiver skill in supporting the same. For more information, contact Youth Services Consultant, Sue La Paro, (804) 692-3610.

The 1,000 Things Before Kindergarten project is derived from the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten effort, which focuses solely on reading. However, 1,000 Things expands the concept to include STEAM topics (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and social and emotional behaviors, such as singing songs and nursery rhymes, playing peekaboo, dancing to music, playing with blocks, and counting aloud. Books and activities may be repeated as many times as the child is interested, since repetition is a valuable learning tool.

Participants receive a folder of materials including reading log sheets, activity suggestions, and information referring caregivers to sites like www.kidsliteracy.org and www.DaybyDayVA.org, which provide suggestions for activities and books. By tracking progress with log sheets, participants can earn incentives from their sponsoring public library.

Dial a Story badger 1-833-690-0646 Get ready for an enchanting storytime adventure from the Library of Virginia! Just dial 833-690-0646 to listen to captivating tales in both English and Spanish.

Every Wednesday, a new story will be shared with listeners across the Commonwealth. From recent picture books and timeless fairy tales to inspiring folk tales and stories that celebrate equity, diversity, and inclusion, there’s always something magical to discover. Our volunteer readers are the heart of this innovative program that offers a unique blend of picture books and telephone technology to boost reading readiness.

Dial a Story books January - June 2025

DaybyDayVA is a family literacy calendar featuring a book recommendation, a song, an activity, a video and additional resource links for every day of the year. Grouped by seasons and themes, the entries are intended to provide school readiness activities and behaviors in which caregivers can engage their little ones.

Add DayByDayVA to your library’s website using this URL: https://daybydayva.org/
Seasonal Images for Marketing

Text FOOD to 304-304 to find free meals for kids and teens

Summer vacation presents a stark reality for many children in Virginia. In addition to limited access to summer learning and enrichment programs, many children struggle to have basic needs met, with reduced access to healthy food and safe places to congregate. The intersections between summer health and summer learning and enrichment are great, suggesting that a holistic view of the summer landscape is crucial to understanding existing challenges and opportunities to creating a summer experience in which all children are healthy, active, and engaged.

The No Kid Hungry Virginia Program partners with public libraries to act as spaces for serving meals to children whose access to lunch disappears when school ends and summer begins. Lunch at the Library is a great opportunity to introduce families to the library’s services and resources, as well as helping them feel and become healthier. By serving meals, introducing families to library services, and offering arts, literacy, and STEM programming during the summer, the program is feeding children during the summer, helping prevent summer learning loss, and engaging low-income families with their public library: the one free community space that sustains democracy, levels the playing field, values the individual, nourishes creativity, opens young minds, builds community, supports families, builds technology skills, and offers sanctuary—all free of charge to the user. Families who participate in Lunch at the Library also take part in library programs, learn about library services and resources, and have a positive sense of well-being when they are at the library.

Lunch at the Library programs are designed and evaluated according to the Summer Matters Initiative’s Six Elements of a Great Summer Learning Program.

To find out more about offering Lunch at the Library at your library, contact Catherine Spacciapoli, No Kid Hungry Virginia Program Manager, (978) 621-8654.

Backpack, fishing net and ivy A partnership between the Library of Virginia, Virginia State Parks and the Science Museum of Virginia provides over 200 library locations with four nature backpacks each. Available for library users to check out, the backpacks help families learn about nature in their backyard, in a local park, or at one of Virginia's 41 state parks.

"Today children spend less time outdoors and even less immersed in nature-based activities," said Virginia State Parks Director Craig Seaver. "These backpacks will provide opportunities for families to venture out to a park."

Each backpack comes with a parking pass that allows the library customer to visit any Virginia State Park at no cost. Backpacks also feature: pocket guides to bugs and slugs, animal tracks, Virginia birds, mammals, and Virginia trees and wildflowers; a port-a-bug field observation container; a Big Foot Leave No Trace Ethics Card; a magnifying lens; a dip net; and laminated sheets with suggested activities designed by both Virginia State Parks and the Science Museum of Virginia.

Read the Nature Backpacks FAQs

Find a participating library or a Virginia State Park

Check out these Virginia children's book awards for great reading ideas.

Cardinal Cup (Virginia Library Association)
The Cardinal Cup, previously known as the Jefferson Cup, was established in 1982 to honor a distinguished biography, historical fiction or American history book for young people. From 2012-2021 two books were selected: one for geared toward young adult readers and one for young readers. Beginning in 2022, the Committee returned to the original model, honoring the most distinguished biography, historical fiction, or American history book for young people. The Cardinal Cup Committee’s goal is to promote reading about America’s past; to encourage the quality writing of United States history, biography and historical fiction for young people, and to recognize authors in these disciplines.
- https://www.vla.org/the-jefferson-cup-award
Children’s Virginia Literary Award (Library of Virginia)
A partnership between the Library of Virginia and William and Mary Libraries, the Children's Virginia Literary Award honors excellence in the field of children's literature with a focus on Virginia. Picture books and middle-grade works (recommended reading levels of up to age 12) of both fiction and nonfiction are eligible. Books by authors with a connection to Virginia and books set in Virginia will be considered for the award.
- https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/childrens-literature.htm
VA READS (Virginia Association of School Librarians)
The book award has a mission is to provide educators and parents with an annual list of quality, diverse children's literature to be used in classrooms, homes, and libraries to provide students with the opportunity to experience windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors in children's literature. There are three categories: VA READS picture books, VA READS middle-grade books, and VA READS Young Adult books.
- https://www.vaasl.org/vareadsbooklist
Virginia Great Reads (Library of Congress Center for the Book)
Every year, a list of books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is distributed by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book during the National Book Festival. Each book is selected by a local Center for the Book or state library, and most are for children and young readers. Books may be written by authors from the state, take place in the state, or celebrate the state’s culture and heritage.
- Library of Congress Virginia Great Reads
Virginia Readers’ Choice (Virginia State Literacy Association)
Sponsored by the Virginia State Literacy Association in association with Virginia Association of School Librarians, Virginia Library Association & Library of Virginia Youth Services. To encourage young readers to become better acquainted with contemporary books with outstanding literary appeal, to broaden students’ awareness of literature as a life-long pleasure, to encourage reading aloud in classrooms as a means of introducing reading for pleasure, and to honor favorite books and their authors. A winner will be announced for each level- Primary, Elementary, Middle School, and High School.
- https://vslatoday.org/VRC
Young Adult Virginia Author (YAVA) Award (Richmond Public Library)
The Richmond Public Library’s annual Young Adult Virginia Author (YAVA) Award highlights excellence in writing for readers at the middle and high school level by Virginia authors. Since 2013, it has grown to include a year-long award process culminating in the spring with an annual celebration. Beginning in 2020, the YAVA Award winner will be selected by a panel of teen judges and announced during the annual YAVA Celebration.
- https://rvalibrary.org/events/yava/

The Library Development and Networking Division of the Library of Virginia offers ongoing opportunities for Virginia library staff to improve existing skills or develop new skills. Stay current on upcoming training by joining the Youth Services listerv, which will ensure that you get announcements about training opportunities and online get-togethers as well as the monthly Youth Services Newsletter.

Prefer to learn at your own pace? Self-directed online training can be found anytime in the LVA Niche Academy. Niche Academy is open to all Virginia library staff members and library associates such as trustees and Friends board members. If you do not have a Niche Academy account, please use your library email address to sign up. If you do not have a library work email, you may register with a personal email, and we will contact you to confirm that you are affiliated with a Virginia library. Check out a great assortment of training focused on Youth Services. The Youth Services Basics class is a great starting point for anyone new to working with children and teens.

Here are some resources for children's and teen library staff to explore. If you have additional resources to share, please send them to Sue La Paro, LVA's Youth Services Consultant.