Virtual Story Time Launched on Facebook Live by The Seattle Public Library
release date: April 7, 2020
Seattle parents and children who miss attending the free story times at The Seattle Public Library can now tune in several times a week for a streaming version on the Library’s Facebook page. Children’s librarians, who are experts at engaging babies and children with a mix of songs, simple rhymes, movement and stories, are designing brief story time segments that will stream up to five times a week at various times of day.
“At a time when parents are struggling to provide structure, we hope that virtual story times with our beloved children’s librarians will provide the regular learning benefits of story time, as well as a comforting new routine that families can turn to,” said Josie Watanabe, managing librarian for Youth and Family Services for The Seattle Public Library.
The virtual story times will feature books with diverse characters, and be geared to several different ages, including babies and preschoolers, as well as a family story time. During a story time live stream, families can participate through live chat to comment, suggest topics and more.
“Bring your older kids, too. The power of stories to engage and entertain has no age limit,” said Watanabe.
Parents can find the virtual story time schedule on the Library’s calendar at spl.org/calendar, and access the service on the Facebook page (Facebook.com/SeattlePublicLibrary). In the future, the Library may expand its virtual story time offerings.
During this unprecedented public health crisis, The Library is serving children and families with many other digital resources, including BookFlix, animated stories paired with real-world concepts; the TumbleBook Library, a fun collection of animated picture books; and Kanopy for Kids, which has lifted its streaming limit through at least April 15, 2020. Library card-holders can also check out e-books and e-audiobooks through its OverDrive collection. If you don’t have an active Library account, you can sign up for an instant digital card that gives access to OverDrive at spl.org/overdrive.
Find out more about The Seattle Public Library’s digital collections and resources at spl.org/stayinghome.
All physical locations of The Seattle Public Library are closed in accordance with public health guidelines through at least May 4, 2020. Find out more at spl.org/ChiefLibrarian.