Story Time at Red Land Community Library helps children enjoy books at a young age in an engaging and welcoming atmosphere. Karen Hostetter, library manager at Red Land Community Library, says that the Story Time hour shows parents that getting young children interested in reading 1000 Books before Kindergarten is “attainable, and even fun.”
Weekly Programs Introduce Children to the Fun of Reading
The library hosts Story Time three days a week for young children in the community.
- Mondays are “Babies and Books”
- Thursdays are “Toddler Time”
- Fridays are “Preschool Story Time”
The library also hosts a cozy “Pajama Story Time” the first Tuesday evening of every month, which is a fun way to get children interested in reading before bed. Nancy Duncan, youth services coordinator, believes that it is imperative to start reading to babies at a young age. “Story Time introduces children to the fun of reading and listening to stories,” says Nancy. The pre-reading skills are delivered in a way that is fun for both kids and their parents. This prepares children for school in the future and helps to establish an enjoyable routine for parents and children of daily reading together.
Something for Parents Too
Parenting books are kept in the children’s wing to help parents too. The children’s wing has a play area and a selection of children’s books, made just for kids. Kids and parents alike look forward to coming to the welcoming library. A mother of one of the children who attends Story Time gave the library a generous donation after her first visit. The library is extremely grateful and when thanked by the staff, the donor replied, “we plan on being here a lot.”
Why Story Time Matters
Inspiring children and parents in the community to want to come and read is a goal of Story Time. Children from babies to kindergarteners learn the routine of Story Time, some stories and songs followed by fun and educational playtime. The library keeps current with new ideas and activities as well as suggestions for different books with “Storytime Underground” on Facebook. This helps to add new life to Story Time and keep connected with other libraries. Story Time is important for the growth and development of young kids. The staff genuinely enjoys the people who come through their doors. Red Land Community Libary creates a fun place for children to grow and learn because according to Karen, “it’s what we do here.”