In-person storytime at the library returns

In-person storytime brings literacy and enrichment back to the library

BY Rachel Boyd Pender County

PUBLISHED 6:15 PM ET Jun. 10, 2021 PUBLISHED 6:15 PM EDT Jun. 10, 2021

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. — The return of in-person storytime is drawing dozens of parents back to the Pender County library system, where their kids can get the full benefit of being read to at an early age.

What You Need To Know

97% of parents think it's important for libraries to provide programs and classes for children (Pew Research Center)

Storytime for preschoolers is positively correlated to the development of language and literacy in children (The American Library Association)

It promotes school readiness, helps build confidence and teaches kids how to socialize

Storytime has been completely virtual for many months now in Pender County and still is in many libraries across the state, but both parents and librarians knew the kids were missing out on factors that couldn't be replicated through a screen.

“Even though it might look a little bit disjointed, and some of the kids are crazy, but I think that's a big part of it,” said Jamie Finch, one of the parents at storytime. “Because when you're looking at a screen, he had no idea what was going on, and he's like 'huh?' and he sort of just stared through that part.”

She's been bringing her kids to storytime at the library for five years, and it's become a tradition that the entire family looks forward to.

Her youngest is only 15 months old and doesn't quite know what to do with storytime yet, but Finch said it's so valuable for her to be there in person simply for the socialization factor that it offers. The pandemic has left many toddlers with little to no interaction outside beyond their home for the first year of their life.

“Since she was born a month before COVID happened so she has no exposure outside of our family at all,” Finch said. “She's here for the first time now getting to see other kids and walk around ... but she's able to see them, hear them, and I think that's huge for her.”

Storytime plays a key role in increasing a child's literacy, vocabulary and school readiness. The songs even contribute to language development and enunciation, while the crafts help build fine-motor skills.

“There's not a lot of rules and regulations,” said Terri Strong, a Youth Services Associate for Pender County Libraries. “We just want them to have fun and hopefully while they're having fun get a little bit of literacy activities and enrichment at the same time.”

Strong coordinates the weekly storytime at the Hampstead branch and said she thinks the little extra freedom being outside provides is a good thing – letting the kids run around, get some energy out and interact up close with the story.

“And they connect that to the library, which makes me extremely extremely happy and proud that they'll love coming to the library, and that leads to a lifelong love of reading and that's what we're trying to instill,” Strong said.

Library Storytimes Around the State:

Pender County Libraries: