Volunteer to Lead Storytimes at the Cortelyou Library

When the Cortelyou Library reopened in March, many parents and caregivers mentioned that they would like to see more storytimes. Due to staffing shortages, this is difficult, so the Cortelyou Library Friends Group is initiating volunteer-led storytimes and other volunteer-led activities at the library, to be held in the meeting room.

Four storytimes are currently scheduled from 10:30-11:30am for the next four Thursdays (6/28, 7/5, 7/12, and 7/19) for kids 5 and under.

People who are interested in volunteering to lead a storytime or other type of activity (arts, crafts, whatever you can dream up, really) would need to let the Friends Group know what date and time they would like to host. Either you or they can reserve the room for them, and they’ll also help get the word out. Ideally, a person or a group would commit to a weekly slot, but if you can only commit to doing it once, that would still be great.

If you’re interested in leading a storytime or other activity, contact cortelyoulibraryfriends@gmail.com.

Tips for Leading a Storytime
From the Cortelyou Library Friends Group

(Lots of this is advice from Steve the storytime librarian!)

Watching your child while you’re leading a storytime or other activity: this can obviously be tricky. At the beginning of storytime, feel free to introduce your child, and ask attendees if they would help to keep an eye out for your child, since you will up in front leading the storytime.

Choose books that you enjoy! If you are engaged in the story, it will help the babies and toddlers to become engaged.

It is very helpful to choose books that are short. It’s also helpful if books can be seen easily from across the room. Books with large, bright pictures are great. Books with rhymes are also good at keeping young children’s attention.

Plan on reading two or three books at most. The babies and toddlers usually get tired if the reading and singing part of storytime lasts for more than 20 minutes. (After the stories and singing are over, it’s time for play.)

* If things start to get a little crazy, songs are a great way to get things focused again.

Other things that the babies and toddlers seem to like:

• Any rhymes that have a “bouncy” element to them (that caregivers can bounce their
kids along to on their laps).

• Any rhymes or songs that involve finger or hand movement.

• It’s a good idea not to bring out the toys until after the stories and songs are through, or else the kids will pay attention to them, not to the stories. You can put them on the shelf behind you during the stories, or you can just leave them in in shelf where they’re stored.

* We need to return the meeting room as we found it, so cleaning up afterwards is important! Help with cleanup–it’s a group effort!