Toys in the Library Inspire Reading
RSSBy Debra Lau Whelan
Don't say no to the idea of toys in the library unless you've tried it yourself. Lauren Longbottom of Pennsylvania's Ridley Township Public Library has puzzles, puppets, and paper planes whizzing by her children's room--and she's convinced it's one of the reasons why kids keep coming back.
This head of children's services knows some colleagues may frown on what she does, preferring a more traditional library experience. But that's simply not Longbottom's style.
"My children's section is littered with stuffed animals and puppets," she says. "Kids come in asking me to create paper airplanes. I chase them around the shelves, and I encourage them to laugh and play and have fun in the library."
Longbottom obviously isn't your typical librarian--which brings us to the kooky and fun program she recently held to support her library's summer theme, 'Make a Splash...Read!'
Word about the "Teddy Bear Beach Trip" spread quickly through Facebook, the library's website, fliers, and a display that included a wagon decorated with beach balls, buckets, shovels, towels, and teddy bears. It didn't take long for kids to start dropping off their favorite stuffed animals at the library for a weekend trip to the beach with Longbottom, sans the kids, of course.
The librarian ended up packing 19 furry friends in the front seat of her car and taking them to the nearby beach, where she snapped various photos of them catching some rays on the board walk, playing games in the arcade, and sitting on the sand. They even made a pit stop to the Sea Isle City Branch Library.
If you think the idea was totally wacky, think again. It ended up being a huge success--and most importantly, it inspired kids to read.
"When kids come in to drop off their bears, I encourage them to take some of the books on display home to read," says Longbottom, who promoted dozens of books that tie into the beach theme, including Elisha Cooper's Beach (Orchard, 2006), Coleen Paratore's Catching the Sun (Charlesbridge, 2008), David Wiesner's Flotsam (Clarion, 2006), and Marla Frazee's A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever (Harcourt, 2008). "I like to tell them that they can read stories about what the stuffed animals are actually doing while away." And Longbottom made sure to take a few shots of her reading to the bears and the bears reading by themselves.
"My main goal behind this program is to excite the kids," says Longbottom. "Get their little brains and imaginations going...'My bear did that? Wow!"
Sometimes, there's an added benefit--like inspiring a child to become a librarian, says Longbottom explaining that one of the program kids turned to her mom and said, "'I want to work here." "It is the little things like that that make you know you're on the right track, doing something great, and making a difference." In all, almost two dozen boys and girls ranging in age from 3-10 participated in the program, bringing in 19 stuffed creatures.
The beach trip idea grew out of a "Teddy Bear Sleepover at the Library" program that Longbotttom had heard about at a conference. "It was a wonderful idea, not only because it was cute, but also because it was different from the usual library programs we see," she says, adding that she successful replicated the program. "A few months later, I held my own sleepover-watching movies, making crafts, reading books, building forts, and tucking the stuffed animals into bed."
Although the beach trip sounds simple, it does involve a bit of planning. "This trip in particular took all day," says Longbottom, who typically ends up with about 100 photos to give families and to post online. "You're constantly going around looking for things to take pictures of, things kids can identify with, things they will be excited to see their friends doing. And the more bears, the more time. But you can make it as easy or as complex as you like. Parents will come in days later to tell me how much their family enjoyed the pictures and how much they laughed going through them. It's wonderful to receive this kind of exciting response back on a program!"
Longbottom admits being hesitant about holding the program at first, fearing that no one would participate. But it turned out that the kids ended up loving it-and she's become a bit of a star. "It's almost become my librarian claim to fame [with kids saying], 'Hey, you're the teddy bear lady!'"
"Does the staff appreciate this, probably not," she says. "But do the kids love coming to the library....absolutely!"
Reader Comments (1)
Dream Toys is a Kid’s Library, which provides a wide range of Toys, Games, Books and CD’s. These can be borrowed by you for your child’s enhancement. ---------------- <a href="http://www.dreamtoys.in">Library</a> :)
Posted by Library on February 17, 2011 04:15:44AM
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