For Parents

A Guide to Your Child’s Library Experience

The Waukee Public Library offers a welcoming space for kids to enjoy along with many educational and entertaining events and materials for checkout. The library is committed to assisting with your child’s path of lifelong learning and is generally a safe space, but please remember that the library is also a public space, open to all individuals. For their safety, children under the age of seven must be attended by a parent or responsible childcare provider while in the library. Children seven and older may use the library on their own; however, even if they are not present, parents are responsible for their children’s actions and well-being. Library staff cannot be responsible for children in the library.

Children’s Materials and Library Cards

The Waukee Public Library is proud to offer an extensive collection of materials in a variety of formats to excite your child’s growing mind. Please note that items in our collection represent many experiences and points of view, and it is the parents’ responsibility to be aware of what your child is reading or viewing. Library staff does not monitor the types of information children may find in the library, or restrict checkout of items based on age in accordance with national standards and library policies. Parents are also responsible for items borrowed on a child’s library card; however, items on a child’s card are still subject to confidentiality laws. Please contact a library staff member if you have further questions about parental access to items on a child’s card.

Homeschool

Our Youth Services Staff would be happy to show your children how to use the library, the online card catalog, and the library's collection of online magazine research articles in Ebscohost.  Please e-mail us to schedule a session - [email protected].

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a Library program that encourages all families and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their young children before they enter kindergarten. This is not as daunting a task as it may sound!

Studies have shown that families who start reading aloud to their children at birth help to strengthen their language skills and build their vocabulary – two important tools for beginning to learn to read when they enter kindergarten.

Book Recommendations

Youth Services Staff, who specialize in books for children and teens, are happy to make reading recommendations. These recommended books can be automatically put on hold in a Book Bundle, or we can e-mail recommended title lists that you can choose to put on hold on your own at a later time. Please allow a minimum of 2 business days to fill these requests.

Digital Scholar

Digital Scholar is a collaboration between the Waukee Public Library and the Waukee Community School District to provide every student with a digital library card and free access to information and educational resources. Students may access all of our online materials, including online tutoring, with their Waukee Community Schools student ID numbers.