Rural Resource: The Role of Distance and Community for Families with Toddlers in Rural Areas

Abstract

Libraries have been a longstanding feature of diverse communities across the United States, including rural ones. Libraries serve an important role, offering books for loan, connections to resources, and programs for children and families across the lifespan. Additionally, in rural areas, libraries provide patrons with reliable internet.

These offerings may be particularly valuable for families with young children who have not yet entered school, since many promote parenting practices that support children’s literacy and children’s own skills. This study aims to explore the ways rural families use libraries, if these uses vary based upon how far away families live, and potential associations between library use during toddlerhood and child and family outcomes two years later.