If you’re a new parent or caregiver, welcome to you and your baby! And if it’s been a while since you’ve walked through our doors, you might be wondering: Why would I bring my baby to the library?
Well, babies are not just tolerated here, baby chaos is expected and welcomed, and we offer programs and resources designed especially for you and your little one.
Book Babies Storytime
Our Book Babies storytime is created just for babies 0-24 months and their grown-ups. You don’t need to wait until your child can sit still or listen to a story to attend. We share short board books, songs, rhymes, puppets, and gentle movement activities that support early language development. We may also explore bubbles, scarves, eggs shakers, and even parachute play. After that we put out the toys for your baby to play and interact. It is a great opportunity to meet other parents and caregivers who are in the same stage of life. Find one at a location near you, and while you are here, grab a stack of board books to take home.
Find a Book Babies Storytime near you
Speaking of reading to babies and board books, there are many things you can do at home with your baby to help with early literacy. Of course you want to read and share books, because before babies ever read words, they’re learning how books work and that’s a huge part of early literacy. When you share a book, your baby is picking up important pre-reading skills, even if it looks like they’re mostly grabbing, banging, or chewing.
Here’s what’s really happening during baby “reading” time:
- Turning pages (even backwards or all at once) helps babies learn that books have a beginning, middle, and end.
- Watching you read from left to right teaches how books are meant to be read, something they’ll use later when learning to read on their own.
- Hearing words matched with pictures helps babies understand that words represent things in the world. The picture of the dog goes with the word dog, and that word goes with a sound.
- Listening to your voice helps babies learn the rhythm and patterns of language long before they understand the words themselves.
- Pointing, naming, and repeating builds attention skills and early vocabulary.
And yes, even chewing on books. Babies explore the world with their mouths, and sturdy board books are made for exactly this stage. I made a list of a few of my favorite board books, but we have a whole section of these at the library for you to discover. For the 0-3 month babies, black and white contrast books are great because their little eyes are developing. And then most babies enjoy a good flap book where seeing what is under the flap is loads of fun. I also love books that have great rhythm and repeating words.
Here's a list of some of our favorite board books
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
This wonderful program sends a free, age-appropriate book every month to your child, from birth until age five. Yes, free books, mailed right to your home!
I love telling families about Dolly's story and her Imagination Library, and I think we can all agree that Dolly is a National Treasure. Dolly grew up poor and her own father worked hard but never knew how to read and this is one of the main reasons why literacy became an important cause for her.
You can sign up online or library staff can help get you registered. It’s an easy way to build a home library and make reading part of your daily routine.
Books for Parents, Too
Our parenting and baby development collection includes titles on early brain development, sleep, language growth, sensory play, and what to expect during those first few years.
Here is a book list of some of the titles.
