Dogs and readers enjoy visting during Doggie Days
As Children’s Librarian for Drake Public Library, one of my favorite jobs is the outreach program. I visit Zylpha Price group home for disabled adults twice a month to read books to them and color or create crafts. I visit the Preschool and 3-4 year old classrooms at Kids World Childcare once a month for story time. I schedule Reading Night events here at the library and visit several classrooms for the Centerville School District throughout the school year. I have recently begun an outreach relationship with the Parents as Teachers program through our local SIEDA office, doing story times and hosting events for them here at the library on occasion. I am always excited to attend to these outreach opportunities, getting to know the children of our community and helping them gain an appreciation for reading.
A local preschool group visits with JeNel Allen Barth in the Children’s Library
As we move into the holiday season at the Children’s Department, things are getting busy. We are looking forward to our American Girl Christmas Tea Party, which has become very popular. I will also be participating in the Breakfast with Santa event, sponsored by I Am Main Street by doing a Story time with the children in attendance. In January, we will be holding another of our Doggie Days so that the kids can read to our local “celebrity dogs”.
I will continue to host our programs each week throughout the school year. School Age Story time is on Mondays at 4pm, Toddler Time is on Wednesdays at 11:30am, and Game & Craft Group is on Thursdays at 4pm. Children are always welcome at these events without needing to pre-register.
Pancake Day Queen 2013 Maddison Lange attended our American Girl Tea to talk with the attendees about her Queen experience
I am also eager to chat with our kids about the books that they enjoy reading, books that they need to find for school and books that they would like to see here at the library. It is through these conversations that I realized how much our Board Book interest and circulation has increased in the last year. With that in mind, our Director, Jami, and I were inspired to request funding from Friends of the Drake Public Library to purchase $1,000 worth of brand new Board Books and an additional storage display for these new books. How exciting is that! The books have started coming in and they are already flying off the shelf!
So, come see me at the Children’s Library for a program, a special event or a book. It’s a fun place to be and we look forward to meeting you.
JeNel Barth
Children’s Librarian
Drake Public Library
