Education

ACPL opens latest Storyscape for early learning at Little Turtle

89.1 WBOI | By Ella Abbott

Published May 15, 2025 at 10:14 AM EDT

One child plays with one of the various items placed around the Storyscape at the Little Turtle branch to encourage play and learning at the same time. The Storyscapes are the ACPL's rebrand of its early learning center, which encourages a love of literacy and learning through play.

The Allen County Public Library cut the ribbon on its latest storyscape installment at the Little Turtle branch Wednesday.

The Storyscape includes mobility and cognitive toys, such as a marketplace, kitchen and plants.

The Little Turtle branch of the ACPL invited toddlers and their families to come to the library for the debut of the newest storyscape addition, where children are able to play and learn at the same time.

ACPL Director of Communications Aja Michael-Keller said the spaces encourage early literacy by giving children a place to play and read, which helps establish a love of learning.

“Children learn through play, that is their learning, and when we have spaces that are built for them, that is where that magic and that love of literacy, learning, books really starts," Michael-Keller said.

In 2022, the ACPL rebranded their Early Learning Center as the Storyscape. The library’s strategic plan now includes moving Storyscapes into each branch of the system.

Little Turtle is the third Storyscape to open and Grabill will be next.

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ACPL opens latest Storyscape for early learning at Little Turtle

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