Supporting Military Families

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) strives to bridge gaps in the services offered to residents of Miami-Dade County. Staff at MDPLS’ Palm Springs North (PSN) Branch Library have found innovative ways to connect with residents during the pandemic. Staff were aware of the need for programs that support military spouses. By connecting with spousal support groups on Facebook, the PSN Library branch manager learned that families stationed at the local Air Force base – Homestead Air Reserve Base – were doing weekly spousal support group gatherings at the base’s playground. The PSN manager was able to gain access to these gatherings as an active-duty Air Force spouse herself; she offered to attend group meetings – initially held in-person and later held virtually – and provided military spouses in attendance with information regarding the programs, services, and resources available to them and their families. The PSN manager also performed storytimes and showed the group how to navigate the Library’s website and various apps available on the library’s website, including resources to help their children when doing homework. After each meeting, parents would ask for assistance with locating a library branch near the base that offered storytimes like the ones facilitated by the PSN Manager. The manager would then connect the parents with the MDPLS library branch closest to the base – the Naranja Branch Library – and show them how to locate programming offerings for that branch. Several program participants expressed extreme gratitude for the library information provided. As transplants new to the area, they acknowledged that this program has helped with the transition process.