Read me a story

Writing an article in December that won’t be read until March poses particular problems including the need to stay away from the topical in favour of items that reflect libraries' core values, such as books and reading.

These are the subjects that are as fundamental to the role libraries play in society now as they were when we first opened our doors to the public of Dunedin 107 years ago.

One long-standing library programme for children that links books and reading is story-time. All our libraries run regular storytime sessions for young children which include stories, rhymes, songs and finger play. I was interested to read recently that storytime is more popular than ever in the US, with lines stretching down the block and ticketing introduced because there is not enough room to accommodate all the people who show up. Citywide demand is up 28% from 2013 as parents recognise the importance of early literacy in preparing young children for school and for developing critical-thinking skills.

Parents in Dunedin are also very aware of the importance of these skills, and like our US counterparts we are noticing increasing numbers of children attending storytime. At the city library we recently added a second weekly session in the Children’s Storypit, now holding them on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Since adding the second session numbers for Wednesdays have become more manageable, making for a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Stroller parking is also considerably easier much to the relief of library staff. At our community libraries storytime is also popular, with many parents from other parts of the city taking the opportunity to enjoy popular destinations like Port Chalmers, where the library has also added a second weekly storytime to its schedule.

Storytime doesn’t only happen in the library. Our staff also visit early childhood centres and schools making sure that children who may not be able to visit us gain an idea of what the library has to offer. Perhaps the greatest benefit of programmes like storytime is that they reinforce the value of reading aloud to children and the unique role libraries play in bringing reading to children and their families. If you haven’t yet brought your young children or grandchildren to one of our story-time sessions why not come along? No queues and no tickets required.

Mike Collett | Manager Customer Experience