If you’re worried about bringing your children to the North Campus library, the staff have a message – don’t be because they’re welcome.

Dijana Kladnjakovic, associate director, Libraries at Humber College, said students and members of the Humber community often bring their kids to the library while they study or work on assignments. To ensure that the community are aware that the children were allowed and welcomed, staff have introduced a children’s area in the North Campus library, which is located on the fourth floor of the Learning Resource Commons building.

The space is filled with bright colours and has a decorative tree to give it a child-friendly feel. There are child-sized soft seats, tables and chairs along with study tables that have electrical outlets and WiFi access. The area is near the library collection of children’s books.

“We wanted to create an environment where our community feels welcomed and welcome to bring their children,” said Kladnjakovic.

Kladnjakovic noted that, while children’s areas are common in public libraries, that isn’t the case with an academic library such as the one at Humber. However, it was important for the library to show the community that they are welcome to bring their children.

The library also provides visiting children with knapsacks containing giveaways such as small games, puzzles including some created from old photographs in partnership with the Humber Archives, picture books, colouring kits, and crayons. Child-friendly devices with entertaining and educational preloaded games are also available for loan.   

The children must be supervised while at the library.

“When people bring their children, it’s usually because they had no other choice,” said Kladnjakovic. “If the children have nothing to do while they’re here, it prevents the parents from finishing their work. So, we wanted to provide them with educational and entertaining activities to do while here.”

Kladnjakovic presented the concept during Connect5 2023, which is a one-day college library conference, where it was well received.