Weekly Storytimes at the Library

Storytimes take place every week throughout the year except the last two weeks in August, the week of Thanksgiving and the last two weeks of December. Space may be limited and passes may be required. Check with your local branch for more information.

Baby Time (birth to 1 year)

Program length: about 20 minutes. Babies from birth to one year enjoy songs, nursery rhymes, and fingerplays with their favorite adult. This program includes book-sharing time and language-enrichment activities.

Toddler (1, 2 and 3 year olds)

Program length: about 25 minutes. Interactive storytime for caregivers and their children. Children ages one to three years and parents will participate as we share songs, rhymes, and stories.

Five and Under (birth to 5 years old)

Program length: about 30 minutes. This story program is targeted for all children under the age of five and their parents. Families will enjoy books, songs, rhymes, and movement activities while building language and literacy skills.

Preschool (4 and 5 year olds)

Program length: about 30 minutes. Storytime for children ages four to five. Includes stories, songs, and much more to build literacy skills and help children develop a love for books.

Family (all ages)

Program length: 30-40 minutes. A wide variety of books, songs, and participatory activities will be shared for children of all ages and their parents.

School Age (Grades K-5)

Program length: 45 minutes to 1 hour. Booktalks, reading, and extended activities are the focus of these theme-based programs designed especially for older children.

 

Guidelines for a Great Storytime Experience

For many children this will be their first group experience. To make it a happy one, we ask your cooperation and assistance in the following ways:

Participate
Parent participation is the key to the success of the program! You are best equipped to help your child focus on our activities. Please join in the activities and save interactions with other parents until after the program. Model the same behavior that you expect from your child.

Minimize distractions
Young children are easily distracted and latecomers become the focus of attention. Please plan to arrive early and enter the space with as little disruption as possible. Food and toys should be put away, and cell phones should be silenced before the program begins.

Be prepared for bad days
If your child becomes very restless or uncooperative, please step outside the program space for a few moments to regroup. This helps everyone to concentrate on the story program and will often calm your child.

Bring it back home
Plan to check out books each week for your child to extend the story sharing experience at home. Children of any age are eligible for their own library card.

Relax
It is not expected that your child will sit still and participate in every activity. Our main goal is to engage your child in a positive library experience. With your help, we can nurture your child's love of books and reading.

Ask for help
Our storytimes are geared for specific developmental levels (baby, toddler, preschool, school age). Library staff is available to assist you in selecting which program is right for your child, to guide you in choosing appropriate books and materials, and to provide information about other library services.

Visits from groups
Our weekly storytimes are designed for children and their parents. Arrangements for daycare, school or other group visits should be made in advance.