Family Place Library Coming to the R.B. Tullis Library

NEW CANEY, TX -- Montgomery County Memorial Library System (MCMLS) is excited to announce the addition of the Family Place Libraries™ educational play area at the R.B. Tullis Library in New Caney.

The Grand Opening event will take place Monday, November 2, at 1 p.m. at the R.B. Tullis Library, 21569 U.S. 59, New Caney.

Family Place Libraries™ is a national early literacy initiative that helps public libraries create welcoming, developmentally appropriate environments for young children and their parents and caregivers. Grounded in research on early childhood development, the model emphasizes play, shared reading and meaningful parent-child interaction to help families build foundations for learning.

The newly designed space at R.B. Tullis will offer a comfortable place for families to relax, play, share books, learn together and meet other families.

R.B. Tullis is the third Family Place Library within MCMLS, following the George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library in The Woodlands and the R.F. Meador Library in Willis. This initiative has proven highly successful. At both locations, the Family Place model has been warmly embraced by families and has become a valued community resource for young children and their caregivers.

“Libraries are places where families come together, children discover the joy of learning, and lifelong memories begin,” noted Dr. Janna Hoglund, MCMLS executive director. “Family Place at R.B. Tullis Library gives us a wonderful opportunity to welcome families, connect our youngest learners with their community, and inspire a lifelong love of reading and discovery.”

As a Family Place Library, R.B. Tullis Library will offer an engaging educational play area with a dramatic-play kitchen, puzzles, blocks, transportation toys, a drawing station and accessible board and picture books, along with a Family Place parenting resource section. The play area will be open and available to library visitors during the library’s normal hours of operation. The library team will also partner with local family-serving agencies and professionals to help parents build foundations for early learning.

The library will also offer Parent-Child Workshops, a fun, play-based series where families can spend time together, make friends and connect one-on-one with early childhood and literacy specialists. Alongside the specially designed play space and materials, the workshop series is a core component of the Family Place Library model. Workshop details will be announced at a later date.

Parents and caregivers are their children’s first teachers, and the library is here to support them in that role. The Family Place Libraries™ model is now in more than 500 libraries across 32 states, and the R.B. Tullis Library is proud to be among them.

This expanded public library role is made possible through a grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Join us for this special celebration of education and families! The Grand Opening event will feature a welcome address, ribbon cutting and light refreshments for attendees. Families can enjoy a hands-on craft activity, and a short video will be shown to highlight what it means to be a Family Place Library - emphasizing the library’s role in early learning, parent support and community connection.

“We are excited to bring new resources and opportunities to families in our community,” said Tina Russell, R.B. Tullis Library manager. “Joining the Family Place Libraries™ network strengthens our ability to support early literacy and meaningful family learning. We are grateful to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for funding the materials that make this initiative possible.”

For more information about the Family Place Library grand opening, contact pr@countylibrary.org.

For information about the forthcoming workshop series, toys and materials, and other Family Place Library locations, stay connected with MCMLS via our social media and website: www.countylibrary.org.