Did you know that the Children’s Room Librarians deliver outreach storytimes to the community every month?

Karen Gordon, Casey Maynard and Anne Wilmoth make weekly visits to day care centers, preschools, and neighborhood centers, sharing stories, songs and games with toddlers and preschoolers, reaching more than 11,000 children every year!

“Outreach is a way to reach more children beyond those whose parents are willing or able to bring them to the library,” Wilmoth says. “We establish connections around the community outside of just the physical library building, as well as reinforce the early literacy curriculum of preschools through our own enrichment activities.”

Maynard uses her outreach visits as an opportunity to “test” new books for future storytimes at the Library. The smaller setting allows her to interact more with the children than possible during a bigger storytime at ICPL.

“We can have conversations about story and illustrations, talk about where the narrative is going and why they think so. Sharing books this way takes a little bit more time, effort and attention on everyone’s part but they always have fantastic observations,” she says.

It’s also fun to interact with children in a different environment.

“There is something wonderful about having children get so excited about seeing what you’ve brought to read that they’re literally climbing all over you to get inside your bag of books,” Maynard says.

Sometimes that excitement goes beyond outreach visits, especially when the librarians are recognized by the children they’ve visited.

“Recently, while working at the desk, a parent asked why her child knows me,” Gordon said after the woman’s daughter gave her a hug. “I explained that I visit her daughter’s daycare every month. She smiled and thanked me for visiting her daughter’s daycare.”

Go here for more information about the Library’s Outreach programs.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your stuffed animals had a slumber party? What silly things do they do when you’re not looking? Here's your chance to find out!

Bring one of your stuffed animals to preschool storytime from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, or Thursday, Sept. 13, and leave them for a stuffed animal sleepover! Come back the next day to find out what crazy antics your cuddly friend got into at the Library overnight! Your stuffed animal will be safely returned to you with pictures of what they did! You may pick up your stuffed friend the day after their sleepover or whenever is convenient for you.

(Parents, we encourage children to leave their second-favorite stuffed animal for the slumber party and keep their absolute favorite stuffy with them for bedtime.)