Woman reading a book to young children

Storytime with a Librarian: Nuts & Bolts 

by mcplteam

In this world of virtual learning, there are so many online programs to engage young children that it is often hard to decide where to go and what to choose. This is especially true when it comes to storytime. There are a lot of wonderful resources out there being billed as a storytime right now. So what makes storytime with a librarian so special?  

Storytime with a librarian is more than reading a children’s book. It is an interactive experience, filled with diverse stories and activities meant to promote and develop language skills and imagination. A librarian crafts a storytime with the goals of introducing families to the culture of reading and instilling a lifelong love of reading and learning in children of all ages. 

Even storytimes that are curated or facilitated by librarians take a special amount of planning and thoughtfulness about who the audience is and what information and lessons are being portrayed.

For example, MCPL librarians have been helping Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando select titles and plan the daily stories he has been reading since the coronavirus crisis began. You can find the councilmember’s storytimes on MCPL’s Facebook page.

But what does this mean for you as a caregiver?  

It means that MCPL librarians create storytimes that are so much more than just a story. We combine stories with fingerplays, songs and dances, flannel boards, puppets and more. With a focus on early literacy, your little ones will interact with numbers and letters, work on movement and repetition, talk, sing, and play.  

We want our parents and caregivers to leave storytime with a new rhyme, a new song, a new learning tool in their back pocket. This is why we incorporate early literacy tips and models into our storytimes. 

Most of all, the goal of a librarian’s storytime is to create an enjoyable literary experience and a love for libraries. We want to encourage our patrons and their children to utilize the library’s many resources and expertise, be they virtual or physical.  

We are in the business of learning and fun, so check out one of our virtual storytimes and our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program!