When we first began Breastfeed Durham, we know that our libraries are essential. Over the year our work with Durham’s public libraries, we have seen how families are welcomed to breastfeed. We have see a clear and consistent message of support grow. Over the years, through conversations with county commissioners and library leadership, we’ve seen real change. The Main Library downtown now has a lactation space, and other branches are beginning to think more intentionally about how they welcome and support families.

This shift didn’t happen overnight. Much of the progress is thanks to the steady, personal work of Bernadette Greene, who has walked into every library in Durham County with the same question: “Are we creating a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Library here?”

Bernadette didn’t just drop off flyers. She talked with parents sitting in children’s corners, asked staff what they were seeing, and listened for stories of where families felt supported. Sometimes she found mothers already nursing openly between the stacks. Other times she heard request from the library for more signage, private spaces, or staff training.

With Durham County Public Libraries leadership, we have built a foundation for partnership. Staff at several branches have asked for workshops. Families have requested children’s books with breastfeeding images. And the county commissioners, who oversee the library system, have remained supportive of our efforts to normalize breastfeeding across Durham.

Today, Bernadette can look back and see the path we’ve traveled:

• From no lactation spaces → to a permanent space at the Main Library.
• From isolated conversations → to a growing county-wide partnership.
• From breastfeeding happening quietly in corners → to a culture that celebrates and affirms it as normal.

Libraries in Durham County

Bernadette’s journey has touched branches across the county, including:

• Main Library (downtown)
• North Regional Library
• South Regional Library
• East Regional Library
• Southwest Regional Library
• Stanford L. Warren Branch

Each of these spaces now has a contact point with Breastfeed Durham, and together we are building momentum toward a fully Breastfeeding Family Friendly library system.

Bernadette’s story is a reminder that change doesn’t just come from policies. It comes from relationships, persistence, and presence. By walking into each library, asking questions, and building trust, she has helped ensure that families in Durham can pick up a book, attend storytime, and feed their babies—comfortably and confidently.