A colorful place for playful learning, literacy and free books in Durham
July 18, 2022, Durham, NC – Book Harvest Durham will open its new Family Space to the public at 9 a.m., Tues., July 19. The transformed 1,300-square-foot space inside the Book Harvest offices at 2501 University Drive in Durham is a brand-new colorful area full of books, wall toys, a magnet wall, reading nooks, puppets and more – all designed to make it easy for children and families to play, learn and read together.
As with all Book Harvest books, the children’s books in the Family Space are high-
interest, culturally inclusive and available for children to take home and keep forever. Books are available for children of all ages in both Spanish and English, with the play area designed for preschool-aged children and their families.
“We know that children and families not only need access to books, but also to spaces that are safe, inviting and engaging learning environments,” said Tabitha Blackwell, executive director of Book Harvest Durham.
Our new Family Space is a place for families to come together and engage in activities that nurture inquiry, curiosity and learning. We invite everyone across our Durham community to come visit and take home lots of books. Our Family Space reflects our organization perfectly – and our belief that books build brains and learning happens everywhere.”
The Family Space was made possible thanks to a generous grant from the PNC Foundation, in support of PNC Grow Up Great®, a bilingual $500 million multi-year initiative to help prepare young children for success in school and life. PNC Grow Up Great has helped support Book Harvest programming and resources, including the impactful Book Babies program, since 2015. “All of us at PNC believe it’s never too early to invest in a child’s future, and we recognize that early learning experiences are critical for long-term achievement,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “We are happy to collaborate with Book Harvest to introduce the Family Space where children can develop a foundation for literacy and passion for learning.”
The Book Harvest Family Space will be open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Tues.– Sat. (closed on holidays). COVID precautions are in effect, and all adults and children age 3 and older must wear masks covering their nose and mouth. There is a limited capacity of 10 people in the space at a time.
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About PNC Foundation:
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.
About Book Harvest:
Book Harvest is a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit organization, which has provided more than 1.8 million books to North Carolina children since 2011. Book Harvest provides an abundance of books and ongoing literacy support to families and their children from birth. Their vision is of a world in which reading, learning, and access to information are considered rights, not privileges, so that all children thrive. Learn more at www.bookharvest.org.
The opening flyer can be found online here.