Welcome to the Kids Area
Our library is an exciting space for kids to read, learn, and dream! We proudly assist parents and teachers with a fantastic selection of over 1200 books, digital content, play/sensory bags, MeL resources, and so much more! We encourage all patrons to subscribe to our newsletter to recieve all the latest updates!
Kid's Space Guidelines
Welcome Library Kids and Parents, too.
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We hope that your visit is a pleasant one!
Food or drink is allow only in designated areas. All drinks must have lids.
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The Library may provide food and drinks in designated program areas during library sponsored program events.
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No food or drink will be allowed in any computer labs.
Browse away!
Please put any books you do not take home on the cart. We will put them back.
Adults on the second floor:
For our children’s safety, the second floor is reserved for children and teens, families, and adults browsing for materials for their family members and students.
Minors in the library:
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Children aged 13 and older may use the library unattended.
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Children aged 9-12 may use the library unattended, provided that a responsible adult is in the building.
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Children aged 8 and younger may not be left in any part of the library unattended.
Parents/legal guardians are responsible for their children’s safety
and behavior while in the library or on library property.
The Library Code of Conduct applies to all ages.
Please see the Library Policy for more information.
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Second Floor Map
The Power of Play
Library Kids need to play!
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If your child can't wait to get to the library to play at the train table, Congratulations! You are well on your way to raising a reader and a life-long learner!
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Play is one of the most powerful ways that children learn to read. Play helps children prepare for school, building high-concept and critical thinking skills. Play builds social-emotional skills.
Play with others is critical for building rich vocabulary, challenging thinking, and developing social skills. Children especially need to play with other children, not just their parents or even their siblings. Learning to play with a new friend builds empathy for someone they don’t know. Sometimes our library kids experience tough emotions when things don’t go their way. Sometimes they need to practice self-control when they need to share a toy.
Library kids engage in two kinds of play: dramatic play and constructive play. In dramatic play, children take on different roles they see in everyday life and model their actions after the big people in their lives. Through this kind of play, children learn to identify objects and get along with others. Constructive play revolves around building with objects, such as blocks, and goes through several stages. Watch and gently scaffold your library kids as they experiment, try out different combinations and orders of operation. You will also hear your library kid talk through their thinking and steps.
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Want to know more? Visit St. Joseph Intermediate Schools' Great Start Collaborative Help Me Grow page for Talking is Teaching resources.
Biblica loves to read, and like most dragons, she also loves to collect things. So when she heard that a library was moving into "her" building, she was a very happy dragon.
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We found Biblica one day while we were moving in, nested on a big pile of our books that had gone missing. We explained to her that the books were for people to check out and read. So we came up with a compromise -- we would let her stay and live in the basement if she gave us back our books. We would also give her any of our books that were too old and worn out to be checked out anymore.
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So, by day she sleeps or visits various sections of the library and at night she roams the basement and reads. If you don't see her -- look around. But don't go down in the basement; she's cranky and we don't recommend waking her up.
The Legend of Biblica
Teachers
​Mr. B. is available for class visits. We love hosting class field trips. Contact Mr. B. if you would like help selecting books and other resources for your class please contact the library. Let Mr. B. know if you are not receiving our Book Connections email newsletters.​
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The library encourages tutors and other specialists working with children to sign up for a program room or the Teen Study lab.​​​
Parent & Teacher Resources
Parents
Library kids are our first patrons, but we love helping parents and adults, too!
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We have over 200 books in our Parent Teacher Center as well as a list of MeL Resources organized for parents. We encourage Home School families to take advantage of the library and invite you to sign up for our Homeschool Newsletter where you can receive the same updates as the classroom.
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Preschool parents can take advantage of a variety of programs including Storytime with Mr. B. on Tuesdays at 11 AM, Playgroup on Wednesdays at 10:15 AM (November-April at the library; April-November at Huss), Music Together classes, and open hours in the Discovery Zone.
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Neurodivergent families can schedule time in the Discovery Zone and are welcome at all programs.
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Have a Question for the Librarian?
Contact Mr. B
