Leisure and Work in Library and Community Programs for Very Young Children

Abstract

This article presents findings from an observational study of library and community programs for babies and toddlers with their caregivers. The analysis is based on field notes from observations made during fifty visits to eight program sites in two Canadian provinces and is underpinned by two related beliefs: first that leisure experiences are produced through ongoing interactions among participants and program leaders, and second, that observing social interactions in program sites can provide clues to understanding the work involved and the processes of production. Our findings indicate that leisure activities in all program sites functioned as contexts for institutional work associated with Canadian policy goals for early childhood education and care (ECEC): promoting early childhood literacy, positive caregiver-child relationships, and social support. Library programs foreground literacy work. We contend that a rigid commitment to program rules could undermine educational and social support outcomes. Our findings support flexible and improvisational approaches to program delivery and leaders' active involvement in the informal components of programs.