The Sooke Public Library branch will be launching free programs for bookworms of all ages to help promote literacy in the community.
The five programs, commencing at different times, include Preschool Storytime, Babytime, Halloween at the Library, Pajama Storytime and Discover Your eLibrary.
According to Adrienne Wass, library manager, Preschool Storytime, for children aged three to five, is participatory in nature through a variety of activities like songs, rhymes, fingerplays and puppet shows.
She said the program helps develop early literacy in children, and skills that will help them become prepared for school — like sitting and paying attention for a half an hour at a time.
Each weekly session will cater to a certain theme, and each child will come home with a craft.
Preschool Storytime will run on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. for two cycles, Sept. 13 to Oct. 18 (six sessions) and Nov. 9 to Dec. 7 (five sessions).
Similarly, Wass said Babytime, for babies aged zero to 19 months, will help develop early literacy skills, language skills, motor skills and communication skills.
Activities are designed to help babies and caregivers bond through activities like rhymes, songs, fingerplays and stories.
“It’s a very popular program because there are a lot of young families in Sooke with babies,” Wass said, adding the program helps build an early love for books and reading in children.
Babytime will be on Fridays at 10: 30 a.m. for two cycles, from Sept. 14 to Oct. 19 (six sessions) and Nov. 9 to Dec. 7 (five sessions).
There will also be Halloween at the Library — a drop-in family program — where kids can stop by in costume for spooky stories, trick-or-treating and Halloween themed crafts. The event will run from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 31.
The library is also inviting kids to come by from Oct. 22 to Oct. 30 in a mask of their own design to help decorate the library for Help Haunt the Library Contest.The winning results for children, teens and adults will be selected on Oct. 31.
The final event for children will be Pajama Storytime, where everyone of all ages is welcome to come and join a cosy, bedtime story session from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 28. The event is the first at the Sooke library branch, and everyone is welcome to adorn their pajamas for the occasion.
For adults, there will be a Discover Your eLibrary sessions, where adults can learn how to upload audio books, ebooks and music onto their devices like iPads and Kobos.
Discover Your eLibrary will run on the following dates:
Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 2 p.m to 3 p.m.
