Screen Time: Growing Readers in a Digital World

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 06, 2014

Washington County, Oregon: The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) will host a series of public talks on the topic of young children and technology during the last week of February. Parents and caregivers are invited to join early learning expert Lisa Guernsey for an overview of issues related to screen time in early childhood, along with advice on how to incorporate technology into a child’s life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that television and other entertainment media be limited to 1-2 hours a day for children and avoided entirely for infants and children under age 2. Yet screens surround us every day. The public libraries in Washington County are dedicated to helping parents and caregivers connect with high quality information and to navigate the sometimes confusing world of technology.

"We recognize that screens aren’t going away any time soon," says Rick Samuelson, Youth Librarian for WCCLS. "We want to help parents and educators sort out the fact from the fiction when it comes to screen time. Lisa Guernsey has done a great job of presenting the latest screen research in everyday language. She advocates for a common sense approach that takes into account the needs of the individual child. We are thrilled to have her visit and help us shine a light on this important and timely issue."

Lisa Guernsey is the author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media – From Baby Videos to Educational Software – Affects Your Young Child. She also directs the Early Education Initiative at the New America Foundation (http://earlyed.newamerica.net/), a non-partisan think tank located in Washington D.C.

Schedule of Screen Time Events

• All events are free and open to the public
• The first 10 attendees will receive a free copy of Screen Time (limit one per family)

Screen Time: Growing Readers in a Digital World

• Tuesday, February 25th, 6 p.m. - Beaverton City Library, 12375 SW Fifth Street
• Wednesday, February 26th, 7 p.m. - Tigard Public Library, 13500 SW Hall Boulevard
• Thursday, February 27th, 10:30 a.m. - Hillsboro Main Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway

In addition to offering this series of free public presentations, WCCLS will give away copies of Guernsey’s book to child care providers throughout Washington County. This project was made possible through the Oregon State Library’s Ready to Read grant.

For more Screen Time program information visit www.wccls.org/elw or contact Rick Samuelson, Youth Services Librarian, at 503-648-9785 x5# or [email protected].

###

Media Contact: