General News
22 August, 2022
Library to come alive with teddy sleepover and activities
Children’s Book Week is well and truly in swing at the Maryborough Regional Library, with staff dressed in quirky costumes and a bundle of activities and events for kids to check out. The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week has...
Children’s Book Week is well and truly in swing at the Maryborough Regional Library, with staff dressed in quirky costumes and a bundle of activities and events for kids to check out.
The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book Week has entertained and enthralled young people since 1945 and will be sure to impress again this year thanks to the efforts of staff at Maryborough and Dunolly’s libraries.
For all of this week, library staff will be dressed as characters from their favourite books as they run the usual storytime sessions, as well as craft sessions and Friday’s special stuffed animal sleepover.
Central Goldfields Shire co-ordinator library services Maree Stephenson said this week is always an exciting time at the library.
“We’ll be having our normal children’s story times, toddler rhyme times and those sessions as well as a few special ones this week,” she said.
“We’ve got a couple of kinders coming down throughout the week and then on the Friday we have our stuffed animal sleepover which is probably the most popular part of the week.
“The sleepover is something our staff really look forward to each year and I know children enjoy it as well.”
This year will be the seventh annual stuffed animal sleepover, which sees children bring their favourite stuffed animal for a special, after-hours pyjama story time.
The stuffed animal stays for an overnight slumber party at the library and is collected the next day, where a host of photos showcasing the antics and mischief the animals have been up to overnight are also collected.
Children’s Book Week is aimed at teaching children to love reading and the importance it has for developing young people.
Ms Stephenson said literacy for young people is something the library has focussed on for a number of years.
“In the last 10 years we have really upped the game in terms of children’s literacy,” she said.
“The fact we’ve got a children’s room is significant and in this region, we were probably the first to do something like that.
“If we look at early childhood literacy, the younger you start the better.
“Books use a lot of words that aren’t used in everyday language so that expands vocabularies but they also teach children a lot about the world.”
Special bookmarks are available at both the Maryborough and Dunolly libraries as part of the week, showcasing staff’s favourite books and designed by library team leader Bec Clark.
“All the staff picked out nine children’s books they enjoyed reading across both fiction and non-fiction,” Ms Stephenson said.
“Between our staff there are new books, old books, classics, junior non-fiction and I think what’s really exciting is all of the books listed are available in our system.”
Special storytime and craft sessions will take place at the Maryborough library this Wednesday and Friday at 10 am and at Dunolly library at 10.30 am Tuesday and 2 pm Thursday.
The stuffed animal sleepover will take place this Friday from 6 until 7 pm and includes pyjama story time, craft and supper but bookings are required and can be made by calling 5461-9111.