On Saturday, February 4, the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library in Rochester hosted its 6th annual Take Your Child To The Library Day (TYCTTLD) from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The family-friendly event included two interactive music and movement sessions with SongShine Music of Somerset, a scavenger hunt with prizes, a meet-and-greet with Amos, the “read-to-me” greyhound, a demonstration of the library’s telescope, and free books and refreshments.
Lisa Fuller, the children’s librarian, said “I try to have programming for families, and it’s free and it’s fun.”
The first of two SongShine Music sessions, for ages 18 months to 3 years, began at 10:30 am. Lisa Kelly, or “Miss Lisa,” started things rolling with a catchy little song about mangoes as she produced colorful maracas from her Wizard of Oz-like bag of props. Next were colorful ribbons to sweep and swirl, plastic hoops to lift and lower, and even a multi-colored parachute to billow and shake. Some of the children were a bit reticent at first, but Miss Lisa got them up and moving in no time with her enthusiasm and energy.
This is the first year the library has had Kelly come to their event.
Librarians “network,” Fuller explained, and another librarian had recommended Kelly to her. “I’ve never had her, so I’m happy [with] how it’s going,” she said, watching the children crowd around Miss Lisa.
A second SongShine Music session, for ages 4 through 8, followed at 11:30 am.
For all of the kid-centric activities, TYCTTLD is actually more about getting parents to come to the library, said Library Director Gail Roberts.
“It’s a family fun day, to show what the library has for the entire family,” Roberts said. “Families think the library is just for the kids, and when the kids stop coming, they stop coming.”
Members of the Friends of the Library, Library Trustees, the Library Book Clubs and the library staff were on hand to greet and talk with families.
Members of the Junior Friends of the Library sat by the door to greet families as they entered.
A table was set up to show the wealth of online services the library offers, like OverDrive, which “allows you to download free ebooks and audio books and in some cases videos,” Roberts said.
OverDrive and NoveList, which recommends your next book to read, are offered by all the libraries in the SAILS network, while other “in house” services are purchased by individual libraries.
For example, Plumb Library offers freegal, which allows you to download music to keep, and zinio, which allows you to download magazines, also to keep.
Universal Class offers over 500 free online, noncredit, continuing education classes. “I’m always amazed at how many classes they offer,” Roberts said. “You’re working with a real person, emailing back and forth. You get a certificate at the end, and teachers get professional points for taking these classes.”
Transparent Language offers free language classes in over 100 languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu. Unlike Universal Class, which runs for a set number of weeks, Transparent Language allows you to learn at your own pace by downloading the app to your phone or other device.
The Tumble Book Library offers online books for children from preschool to grade 5, Roberts said. “It’s good for children learning to read.”
And the list continues.
TYCTTLD was started in 2012 by librarians in Connecticut to promote “community awareness about the importance of the library in the life of a child, and … library services and programs for children and families,” according to the Connecticut Library Consortium website. It is held on the first Saturday in February at libraries throughout the United States and Canada.
By Deina Zartman
