The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), the playground industry’s leading playground safety certification organization, was recently honored by the board of the Frost Play Research Collection for its decade-long support for the library and resources provided on behalf of advancing the study of play. The Collection, housed at the University of the Incarnate Word in Austin, TX, is the most important compilation in existence of rare historical works and photography related to play. The Collection covers works from the 1800's to the present day, including a copy of the first book on playgrounds written in America. Richard Hawley, IPEMA President and Vice President of PlayCore's Robertson Recreational Surfaces brand, was on hand to receive the award.
Founded by Dr. Joe Frost, a research partner of PlayCore, the collection is comprised of materials from Frost’s own extensive research library, which he has gathered over a lifetime of play research, as well materials purchased by the library. Dr. Frost was a key contributor to PlayCore's treatise on play, "Words on Play."
