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Magic occurred overnight at the Menlo Park Library on Nov. 26. after nearly 20 children dropped off their stuffed animals for an overnight sleepover.
As children walked into the library, they registered their toys and placed a name tag on their stuffed animals. The event began with a storytime led by Menlo Park librarian and storytimer Ella Hadrovic. Adults, children and plush toys gathered on the rainbow carpet as they engaged in song, dance and storytelling.
At the end of storytime, children handed over their stuffed animals for the sleepover and said their goodbyes. During the sleepover, library staff documented the toys’ adventures to provide each child with a packet of photos from their toy’s night among the books.
The event allows children to engage with the library and tie it into something they already love, said Rose Waldman, library and community services supervisor. It also introduces family members to the many resources and free events that the library offers.
“At Menlo Park Library, we have a very simple storytime for a reason. It’s that we’re trying to model how to share a storytime at home so that anyone can duplicate what we do,” said Hadrovic.
Librarians say the storytimes are a fun break from their email and other job responsibilities. Waldman said on days when she feels tired and low on energy, leading a storytime and interacting with the community makes her feel better.
Families who regularly attend storytimes start to become more familiar with the library staff, making them more approachable. Being a storytimer has a “certain celebrity status to it,” said Waldman.
In addition to storytimes, local libraries also will host science and music events to provide the community with educational, interactive and enriching activities. Librarians acknowledge that not every child will gravitate toward books as a source of learning, so hosting these events allows them to engage in other ways.
“We’re not just for books, we’re for all kinds of information and community resources,” said Waldman.
Storytimes are hosted Thursday through Saturday at the Menlo Park and Belle Haven libraries and three times a week at the Menlo Children’s Center, Belle Haven Child Development Center and Belle Haven Youth Center.
For more information on children’s events hosted by Menlo Park and Belle Haven Libraries visit tinyurl.com/menloparkchildrensservices.
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