The Robert F. Sink Memorial Library, 38 Screaming Eagle Blvd., offers programs tailored to toddlers younger than 5, Baby and Me Lapsit and Children’s Story and Craft Time.
The programs introduces young children to the library, books and possibly a lifelong love of reading.
“It allows them to be introduced to what kinds of things they can do at the library, new books are introduced that they may not have read or known about,” said Niambi McLaurin, reference librarian.
Baby and Me Lapsit is 10 a.m. Wednesdays and is open to children ages 2 and younger. Children’s Story and Craft Time is 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays and is open to ages 3-5.
“It is just to get children excited about coming to the library, learning where the library is, and understanding that the library is an enjoyable place,” McLaurin said.
Baby and Me Lapsit is similar to a mommy and me song and play time and includes sing alongs and nursery rhymes, McLaurin said.
“It also gives moms an opportunity to check out books that they are interested in, interacting and networking with other moms, getting their children used to interacting with other kids,” McLaurin said.
McLaurin said many regulars return often to the weekly Baby and Me Lapsit and eventually transition to Children’s Story Time.
Lana McInerney has been bringing her daughter, Miya, 2, since she was an infant.
“It gives her interaction with other kids, story time, sing along songs and meeting new friends,” McInerney said.
Wednesday was the first time Mary Doumone and her son, Theodore, 1, attended Baby and Me Lapsit. She said it is nice the library offers programs like this and plans to return.
Doumone said she and her son just started coming because Theodore stopped taking a morning nap and they had the free time.
Kayla Rendahl and her daughter, Kaylen, 22 months, have been attending for about a month.
“She is an only child so she can interact with other kids and we have actually started checking out books to take home to get her interested in reading books,” Rendahl said.
Emily Rubin started attended the class about four months ago with her 6-month-old daughter, Zoe.
“It is just a good way not only for her to meet other kids but for me to get out of the house and be exposed to other moms and adult conversations,” Rubin said.
Rubin is a teacher and hopes her daughter takes an interest in reading as she grows older.
The reading program for toddlers, Children’s Story and Craft Time, McLaurin said is a more tradition story time. Two to three books are read out loud and also includes sing alongs, games and crafts.
“We will have weeks where the librarians will perform the story time, but we also work with parent who come in to do a story time. We might have special guests or authors come in and do story times,” McLaurin said.
The library expanded their reach with a collaboration with the help of the Marshall Elementary School librarian, April Jennings.
At the beginning of the school year Jennings and Jennifer Riggins, acquisitions librarian for the Sink Library, started working together to include the post library with events at the elementary school library.
“We go out and do basically the preschool story times with them twice a month,” McLaurin said.
McLaurin and Riggins take turns going to Marshall to read and do crafts with the preschoolers on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. Riggins said the elementary school story times are similar to the ones they do at Sink Library.
”My goal this year is to involve the community and bring the community into Marshall. Not just the parents and the students,” Jennings said.
Through the partnership the Sink Library reaches children who may not visit the library on a regular basis, Riggins said.
“We look forward to going and reading with the kids,” Riggins said.
Jennings was inspired to work with the post library because her background of establishing connections between schools and communities.
“I worked as the liaison for the Sink Library overseas and I would go into the schools and now I am on the opposite end,” Jennings said.
Jennings said the staff of the Sink Library participate in events at Marshall and she participates in events at the library, continuing the connection between the schools and the community.
“The best benefit is the connection that the students know the library does not stop at Marshall. Children can check out books from the public library or here at school,” Jennings said.