Youth Services Department

The Youth Services Department houses a wide range of materials for reference and for checkout, including audiovisual materials. Computer access is available in the Youth Services Departments at all branches. This department also maintains the Youth Pages website, which has links for websites especially for children. Children’s programming is planned by the Youth Librarians. Special areas for children and for teens are available at all branches (except the Law Library), and some branches have special children’s and teen areas, as well. Staff is always available to help with reference services, with the computers, and as readers’ advisories.

REFERENCE SERVICES
The Youth Services Department’s friendly staff is always available to help children, teens, their families and others who enjoy children’s and young adult materials to locate materials and information.

READER'S ADVISORY
Can’t find a good book to read? Just ask our staff for suggestions. We love to tell you about our new books, the book we just read, the new Bluebonnets, Lone Star books, Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King . . .

TOURS
Group tours are available by reservation with two weeks' prior notice, when staff schedule permits. Call your local branch for details.

MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR CHECKOUT
A variety of materials, including Books, Videos, Music CDs, Story Kits, Educational Toys, Magazines, CD-ROMs, Braille books, Descriptive Videos, Foreign-language Books, Large-print Books, and Elementary and Junior High School Text Books may be checked out or used in the library for your learning and recreational needs.

COMPUTER ACCESS
Internet access and educational software is available on children’s computers for toddlers and students through sixth grade. An adult must stay with children 5 years of age and younger.

Live Homework Tutoring
Homework Tutoring is a live homework-help service that is available free from any Fort Bend County library or from any computer outside the library, for those who have a Fort Bend County Libraries’ card. The online help is available 7 days a week, in both English and Spanish, from 3:00 – 11:00 pm.

PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN (Not all programs are available at all libraries.)

1. Mother Goose Time Parent/infant activity time for infants
2. Toddler Time Parent/child activity time for toddlers
3. Story Time Stories, movie and crafts for preschool children
4. Kinder Korner Stories, movie, crafts & other activities for kindergartners
5. After-school Break Crafts, movie, stories and more for school-aged children
6. Pajama Night Story Time Stories & other activities for families

Special programs for children

7. Texas Summer Reading Club Children from birth through elementary school read books or are read to. Incentives are the reward for reading

PROGRAMS FOR TEENS

Young Adult Summer Reading Club Young people 11 years of age and older plan and complete reading-related activities for incentives

Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Young people 11 years of age and older meet monthly, to guide library services and programming for youth

Teen Programs Games, movies, and other teen-planned events for young people 11 years of age and older

CHILDREN’S AREA
Children’s areas in Fort Bend County Libraries are designed with Exploration Zones, where young minds can learn through hands-on activities such as puzzles, doll houses, bead frames, Lego tables and more.

TEEN AREA
George Memorial Library and the Sugar Land Branch have teen areas that were designed WITH teens, to meet their needs. At both locations, teen areas are located adjacent to the children’s area, to provide for young people in middle school and junior high school a transition from the children’s area to the adult area. Computers connect to the Internet and provide productivity tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher, and Access. Paperback racks are filled with popular fiction, and teen magazines are close at hand. Teen material are available at all branches except the Law Library.