What exactly is Storytime? I’ve heard it described as the “bread and butter of library programs,” but what does that mean? For most people, it’s pretty obvious: You take your kid and sit quietly while the librarian reads some books and maybe there is a craft or activity at the end. This was true for many libraries for a long time.
However, for Coffey County libraries, our perspective has shifted. Our libraries have toys and games out for kids all the time. We encourage play and exploration in our buildings and recognize that this can not be done silently. We are not “shushing” libraries. This has also translated into the way we run Storytime programs. It’s still about books, of course. We still sit and listen, but the beauty of the library is that it’s not a classroom, it’s informal. Our Youth Services staff are trained to use Storytime programs to teach your children critical early literacy skills, but your kids aren’t going to notice that they are learning. They are going to be playing.
Our Storytimes involve music, singing, and dancing as much as they involve books. We have plenty of “sit and listen” books, but we also have “shout out the word” and “act it out” books. We roar like dragons and walk like dinosaurs. We know that sitting still and listening are learned skills that require practice. We don’t expect your 1-year-old to listen to a whole book without getting distracted and running around. And when this happens and you tell us that they sit with you at home and listen so nicely-we believe you! The library is exciting and we aren’t giving the one-on-one interactions that they get at home, and that’s fine. We provide socialization and new experiences. The sitting will come with time if you keep coming. We promise we aren’t going to judge your parenting or your child’s development. We are just there to have fun…and we’ll sneak some learning in there while we’re at it!
If you are ever concerned about whether Storytime is the right fit for you and your child, reach out to us. We’ll give you details about our Storytime routine, the books we plan to read, songs we like to sing, the space we do the program in. Storytime is for all families and kids of all ages. If there is anything we can do to make your family more comfortable, let us know! Feel like giving Storytime a try?
We have them weekly:
Burlington Branch – Mondays at 11:15am
Gridley Branch – Wednesdays at 11:00am
Lebo Branch – Tuesdays at 10:30am
LeRoy Branch – at this time LeRoy is not offering weekly storytime.
New Strawn Branch – Wednesdays at 10:30am
Waverly Branch – Thursdays at 10:00am