How lilipad Works

Most of our projects begin with a partner reaching out to us and asking for a lilipad library. They provide a space - sometimes a large room, sometimes just a corner within an existing setting.

Each library is then set up with care to feel welcoming and calm. Spaces furnished and decorated intentionally, using mutlingual books, materials, and simple design choices to create an environment that feels playful and safe. No two libraries look the same, but all are shaped to be places where children feel comfortable spending time, returning regularly, and gradually making the space their own.

One of our earliest learnings was that books alone are not enough - especially when working with children who have experienced displacement, instability, or different forms of vulnerability. Many of the children we work with are growing up without consistent access to supportive adults or stable environments.

In this context, trust is essential. Each library is anchored by a local champion, and where possible, a lilipad librarian - a young person from the community. They build relationships over time, read with children, and create a sense of continuity. In some contexts, this is supported by reading volunteers. These relationships are what bring the library to life.

Reading is not always the easiest entry point. Some children are still learning to read, while others may associate reading with pressure, exclusion, or interruption in their education.

Through storytelling workshops and creative activities, we offer multiple ways to engage - through visuals arts such as painting, drawing and photography, creative writing, music, performance, and conversation. This allows all children to experience stories in ways that feel accessible and meaningful to them, including those who may not yet feel confident with reading.

Our work does not stop inside the library. Increasingly, lilipad creates opportunities for children’s work to be shared beyond the spaces where they live. Through exhibitions, performances, festivals, and cultural events, children’s voices and perspectives become visible to wider audiences.

These public-facing moments are about celebration, recognition, representation, and shifting how children and their experiences are understood. While the msot recent, this part of our work continues to grow.