A Haven for Homeless Kids

The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is one of the largest library systems in the country, yet many local children never see the inside of our buildings. That's because they live in nearby homeless shelters and hotels, and they lack transportation, family support, and knowledge about how libraries can help them.

Last August, I decided to launch Camp LAPL, a five-day pilot program at the downtown Central Library aimed at familiarizing transient kids with our services. I wanted to draw local children to our huge library and expose them to literature and the arts. But more importantly, I wanted to let them know that the library's services were available to them.

About two dozen children in grades three to five were selected through School on Wheels, a local nonprofit program that tutors homeless kids. Twenty-three children were introduced to our library resources, including the book collection and computers, and our reading club. The Library Foundation of Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization, covered the nearly $5,000 cost of everything from transportation to meals to a choreographer.

A local bus company picked up the kids at their "hotels" in time for our 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. program. Kids were taken on a tour to learn about our library's history and design. When they arrived in the children's literature department, they were treated to a storytime and puppet show and given bags with our logo, "Pop Up for Reading!," which is the name of our children's reading club, as well as magnets and a brochure detailing the library's free events.

The children were unaccustomed to eating tasty meals at home and appreciated our "finer dining" offerings, including pasta, chicken nuggets, taco salad, ham-and-cheese sandwiches, yogurt, and fresh fruit cups. Next year, however, we plan to include some fast-food items since, surprisingly, many don't have an opportunity to eat hamburgers and pizza.

At first, I decided against distributing library card applications because of the transient nature of their lives. I was concerned that if the children lost their books or ran up fines, they'd be afraid to ever visit the library. I also didn't want to disappoint the kids whose parents weren't able to transport them to the library or didn't understand the responsibilities associated with having a library card.

I did, however, emphasize that the library and its resources were available for everyone's use, and that kids were always welcome. Surprisingly, one child, whose mother was a chaperone, handed me a completed application for a library card. At that point, I felt it was time to explain the library card procedure to all the kids, and I later gave applications to their parents.

Later in the week, Francisco Martinez, a choreographer from the neighboring Music Center, taught the children about creative movement. One of the most magical parts of the program was when the dancers from Martinez's troupe performed. The kids were mesmerized by the performance and some of them said that they wanted to become ballerinas.

Through Martinez's patience and skill, the kids learned a 10-minute dance that they performed in the library rotunda on the final day of our program. It was very touching to see parents, library staff, and patrons watch the children, who were wearing their reading club T-shirts, form a cohesive, ballet-like unit. One little girl cried because she "didn't want Camp LAPL to end." Afterward, we gave the kids books that they could keep.

Before the week was over, children from the downtown area began coming to the library on their own and enjoying our computers and books. The kids quickly learned that the library is filled with "treasures" and that access is free of charge. Even better, they returned to their shelters and hotels to tell their peers about the fun they had at Camp LAPL.