TWIN FALLS — COVID-19 has forced many organizations to adapt to their regular operations, including the Twin Falls Public Library. Typically the library would host in-person storytime every week with 50-60 attendees. Now to reach its patrons, storytime will be posted on the Library's Facebook page.
Every Wednesday at one o'clock, storytime will be made available for kids in Pre-K and Kindergarten and their families. The initiative hopes to provide an outlet for kids during the pandemic and highlight how fun reading can be.
Each session will last between 15-20 minutes, and each week will be a different theme so kids can learn about a wide variety of topics. Children's Librarian, Kasi Allen, said, "There will be social themes, like how special each child is to more science themes like talking about hippos. Sometimes we'll do a space theme where we'll look at engineering."
The library will also have a letter selected out of a bucket for the week to emphasize education for kids at home. The chosen letter will help teach kids the different usage of the specific letter. "We talk about the different sounds that that letter can make, and then in my bucket is different items that begin with those sounds," said Allen.
When the library posts its storytime, it will also post a list of various books on the same subject. These books will be available for pickup or delivery so that families can do their own storytime at home.
Despite not being able to meet up in person, the staff is aware of the other benefits going virtual can still have. "There are children who can't do crowds. There are children who can't do loud noises and a lot of stimulation. So for those children, especially doing a more intimate storytime like this might be even better," said Allen.
It also sets out to help parents by giving them tips to keep the children intrigued and effectively help their kids learn to read and learn about different subjects.
The library will be doing its virtual storytime until the foreseeable future. It will also soon be hosting events for kids in elementary school and those in their teenage years. More information will be posted on the library's upcoming events on their Facebook page.
