You pass a dozen parked strollers and hear the giddy laughter of babies. To your right, toys are strewn on a soft carpet where mothers and toddlers play. At computers to your left, three boys work on their own online sports magazine. Two girls solve the design problems of a machine they created. An instructor guides some parents through the Web, in Spanish.
Small children color the alphabet while their mothers learn about childhood nutrition.
A woman arranges to send a Story Van to a housing project for a cultural festival. In a meeting room, a half-dozen teachers learn how to make better use of the Internet. In an adjacent room, a toddler with frequent ear infections is tested for speech delay. And, oh yes, you see books. Lots and lots of books.