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My Build a Reader Storytime: Family program is the highlight of every week. Every Thursday at the Herman and Kate Kaiser Library (HKK), I lead a group of families in stories and song. While children and their excitement and enthusiasm are the delight of Storytime, the main audience is their dedicated parents, grandparents, or caregivers. They spend the most time with their children and it is my privilege to equip them with early literacy tips, ideas, and suggestions during Storytime or in conversation afterwards during Stay and Play. I am also passionate about fostering connection between me as a librarian with the parents/caregivers and children who come to Storytime.
As a Youth Librarian, it's essential to stay up to date with the latest trends and research in the field. For Storytime, that research includes perusing new picture books, learning new songs, trying different activities, and experimenting with new ideas. When I'm looking for inspiration, I turn to other colleagues and TCCL resources, websites like Jbrary and ALSC. Bilingual Storytime
When I was the Bilingual Children's Associate at Martin Regional Library, I led a Bilingual (Spanish/English) Storytime. While I had a background working in a classroom with preschool-age children before working at the library, Bilingual Storytime at Martin Regional was my introduction to library storytime. Finding the right bilingual books and songs was a great challenge that supported my own personal Spanish skills. Every week, I would adapt my Storytime to the audience who came, whether most attendees spoke Spanish at home, most attendees spoke English at home, or an even mix of the two. |