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5.4.1: Advertise and Address Timing-Related Barriers

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    Add to Advertising

    Whether your library uses posters, flyers, emails, postcards, a website, social media, the radio, text messages, or some combination thereof to advertise storytimes, here are some ideas you can add to make your program stand out.

    Address Timing-Related Barriers

    Provide storytime sessions on a weekday evening and/or on a weekend day.

    • If it isn’t feasible to add a weekly storytime to the schedule, you could try to change or add one a month that takes place at a non-typical time.
    • Three main strategies that libraries have successfully used to provide evening and weekend storytime programs are: adjusting staff schedules, adding more staff, and collaborating with outside presenters and/or trained volunteers (Hughes-Hassel, Agosto, & Sun, 2007).

    Give a brief survey to caregivers of young children who visit the branch but do not attend storytime to identify possible alternate times and/or other barriers that are preventing them from attending storytime.

    Consider partnering with a community organization such as a recreation center or local parks department to present a storytime at another location that can facilitate access outside of regular library hours or school hours.

    Convert an existing toddler- or preschooler-focused storytime into an “All Ages” or “Family” storytime so that caregivers may bring multiple children.

    Provide alternatives to in-person programming.

    Record virtual storytimes that can be available on your library’s website or social media pages 24/7 or, if technology allows, schedule live virtual storytime events that families can attend in the evening or on weekends. Resources for virtual storytimes include:

    • The Association for Library Service to Children, Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, and other professionals collaborated to make an online Virtual Storytime Services Guide available at http://www.ala.org/alsc/virtual-storytime-services-resource-guide. Topics covered by this guide include technology, copyright, and diversity.
    • Network of the National Library of Medicine [NNLM] have made the hour-long webinar “Virtual Programs for Preschoolers: How to Encourage Wellness, Movement & Creativity” presented by Katie Clausen available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufasFHHdBB8.

    You could also provide storytime kits that are either circulating or one-time use. Storytime kits can contain many materials but the common goal is that caregivers can use one to recreate the storytime experience at home. In addition to books, a storytime kit might contain song lyrics, activity directions, puppets, puzzles, and felt pieces. Resources for storytime kits include:

    5.4.1: Advertise and Address Timing-Related Barriers is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.