Newton library to offer in-person youth storytime

The Newton Public Library will begin offering indoor storytime sessions on Tuesday mornings for area youth to attend.

Tuesday is a curbside day for the library so the building will not be open for browsing that day. Additionally, computer appointments will not be available during times when storytime is in session, allowing for attendees to use the open areas of the library so people can spread out more and keep a safe distance.

Storytime will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and staff will unlock the doors 10 minutes before to allow parents and children into building. Because the library is closed to the public on Tuesdays, the doors will be locked once more as soon as storytime participants are in the building.

Masks will be required while in the library. As of now, there is no limit on the number of participants but social distancing will be practiced. Each child will have a chance to check out books at the end of the program.

Since the pandemic began, the library has had to adapt its programming to keep safety in mind for participants and staff. Youth service librarian Phyllis Peter made use of technology by hosting storytime sessions via Facebook Live in the early days of the pandemic. In the warmer months, children and their parents or guardians were about to gather on the library lawn for in-person sessions.

When the weather turned colder, library staff had been working on ways to safely bring those inside. After only a few indoor sessions in the fall, the positivity rate in the county surged and Peter went back to utilizing Facebook Live for virtual storytime.

Now as numbers are trending down in the county, Peter felt it was time to reintroduce in-person sessions of storytime.

“I am amazed at how kids adapt, I think kids always surprise us with how resilient they are. I know some parents have expressed that they worry about isolation for their young children during the pandemic, so storytime is hopefully a safe venue for kids to get out and be around other children, work on those social skills, and experience listening to instructions in a group setting,” Peter said.

Peter said storytime has always been about giving the children a positive experience at the library and potentially create lifelong library users. Oftentimes, storytime acts as the first group setting toddlers experience before preschool.

“My goal as the youth services librarian is to be a warm and friendly person so that hopefully it will help the kids when they transition to school,” Peter said. “We can’t forget the adults though — one of our other big goals is to be warm and welcoming to the moms, dads, grandparents or other caregivers that bring kids to storytime. Being at home with young children is always challenging and it’s been especially challenging during a pandemic. We are all craving those social connections.”

Storytime is open for all children ages 3 to 5 years. Peter encourages parents to bring even their toddlers even if they believe he or she is too active to sit still. Peter includes music and movement into the programs and a craft.

“We don’t expect children to sit still at our storytimes. We will work on the sitting during the books but we know that it is a work in progress,” Peter said.

For more information about the library, call 641-792-4108, visit their website newtongov.org/90/library or check out their Facebook page.

Contact Pam Pratt at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or pampratt@newtondailynews.com