Public Libraries

When my daughter turned 2, we decided to make some changes in our lives. I became a stay-home mom and we made sacrifices to become a one income family. One of my addictions was purchasing books for my daughter. I’m a huge advocate for exposing children to good books at all ages. My sacrifice was that I would drastically reduce the amount of money I spent on books. I began looking into what my local public library had to offer. I called, and the first thing they told me about was a special storytime they offered for 2 yr olds that started the next day. I hung up the phone ecstatic and prepared to go. I was about to check out my first of many public libraries and I couldn’t wait.

This marked a new chapter in our lives; one that continues even today.

We attended that storytime and were given a children’s department calendar. We took quite a bit of time to look around. I was shocked! This public library was nothing like the ones I’d been to as a child.

Not only did they offer the storytime for 2 yr olds, but there was one for infants, 2 for preschool age children, 1 for school age children and a couple of night time pajama storytimes for all ages.

Then began the exploration of the rest of the library. I could not believe it. I’d expected books and that was about all. Such a pleasant surprise to find movies, puzzles, puppets, CDs, board games, and even toys.

We began going to the library at least 3 times a week. We participated in as many storytimes as we could fit in. We checked out as many items as we were allowed to. One mention of heading to the library was enough to excite my daughter no matter what was going on(I may have even used it as a bribe to curtail tantrums). The imaginations that were sparked by our library trips are priceless and have made so many memories.

As my children grew older, the library offered even more for them. They have movie afternoons, a Lego club, science days, wii tournaments, special guests, coding classes, study rooms, ancestory classes, and the list goes on and on and is constantly evolving.

Every summer, most public libraries have summer challenges. My children LOVED these! The children’s entertainers that performed there were just amazing. I tried to purchase a cd from one each summer and we still pull them out and sing them. All of my teens still remember and talk about some of the different entertainers they’ve seen over the years.

When I would hear other parents talking about curriculum that they used, almost half of the times, I’d check my library and they’d have it there.

All four of my children learned to read using books from the library. Almost any math we’ve done has come from the library. The librarians are so knowledgeable that no matter what one of my children wanted to learn about, they’d have book recommendations for us. We’ve been on first name basis with all of the children’s librarians at all local libraries for decades now. We walk in and they have often set books aside that they wanted to share with one of my children(or me).

Once I began my in-home daycare, our library trips continued. I’ve used resources from there to plan all units for homeschooling and daycare. They even have copy machines, 3D printers, and laminators, so there is virtually nothing I cannot find there.

If you haven’t taken the time to become familiar with your local public libraries, I cannot recommend it highly enough!

The beginning of each school year, I have bought canvas bags and allowed the children to each decorate their own “library bag” for as many years as I can remember. Nothing puts a smile on a child’s face quicker than saying
“Go find your library bag”.

Having just moved to a new state, the first thing all of my children(even the older ones) asked to do was go to the library. We had library cards even before we had internet at our house. Although this public library is significantly smaller than the ones we were accustomed to, it is just as magical.

There’s just something about being surrounded by books.

Why not plan a day to visit a local public library? And, if this is something you already do regularly, consider driving to a new one. Seeing a new public library has a way of reigniting the passion for reading that is within each child(and many adults).
I truly believe there is nothing more enjoyable than an afternoon at the library.

What interesting resources have you found at your local public library?

For my families favorite books, broken down by age, visit my blog post:
https://learningisawayoflife.com/read-to-me/

Barefoot Books is an amazing source for books on diversity and multiculturalism; empathy and kindness. Check out my website!
https://www.barefootbooks.com/buy-barefoot/quick-search/new+bestseller

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