The Baxter County library is refreshing its virtual storytime offerings using Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook to provide children and families with Library programming at home during COVID-19.
Virtual Babies and Books, which is live on Zoom every Tuesday starting October 6 from 10:30-11am, is a special time for caregivers and infants to interact with rhymes, songs, puppets, and stories. This live storytime is designed for the attention spans of little ones from birth to 36 months. Register on the calendar at baxlib.org to get the Zoom link to join this live virtual program.
Virtual Preschool Storytime, which is posted to YouTube every Wednesday starting October 7 from 10:30-11:30am, engages preschoolers with stories, songs, and crafts designed for ages three to five years old. Caregivers can pick up a craft kit for storytime a week prior through a week after the class is posted to the Library’s YouTube channel. Children and caregivers can follow along with the video anytime, anywhere, at their own pace. The videos will also be shared to the Library’s Facebook page (@baxtercountylibrary). No registration is required, and the craft kit is optional but is incorporated into the storytime.
Amy Johnson, Youth Services Librarian, has been sharing weekly storytimes on Facebook since the Library had to temporarily close its doors earlier in the spring due to COVID-19 and in-person storytimes were no longer a possibility. Many Libraries have been using social media and technology to reach out to patrons and to keep them engaged with fun and educational programming. Virtual storytime, a popular program with children and parents at the Baxter County Library, helps kids acquire and develop early literacy and language skills.
Mrs. Amy shares, “I love and miss my Babies and Books Storytime! I see familiar faces each week and they see mine. We know each other’s names. We know the routine and the songs we sing. Some of my little ones have started walking, talking, and have completed 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten during the pandemic. Although I will miss my babies, some have turned into big four-year-olds and are now ready for Preschool Storytime. There are some new babies I can’t wait to meet, while working with their parents to help develop their early literacy skills. Although Zoom will be a little different, I am super excited to interact virtually!”
For more information, visit the Library’s website and check out the calendar at baxlib.org.
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