Libraries offer more than books

The Venice Library is a part of the Sarasota County Library system.  Read With the Dogs is a popular event every 2nd Wednesday of each month.  pet therapy dogs from the Suncoast Humane Society come to the library to enjoy the books along with the children.  Your child is invited to come and read to a dog at 3:30 p.m.  The dogs are great listeners, and your child can practice reading aloud and improve their reading skills in reading aloud. Libraries also offer play groups after storytime.  These play groups offer your child a time to socialize with other children their age after listening to a story at the library.  Selby Library in Sarasota offers toddler storytime at 10:15 each Tuesday.  Children from 18 months-3 years of age are invited .  There is a 30 minute play period that follow storytime.  Bring your child and enjoy the library.Family literacy workshops are often a part of free offerings from your local library.  Books to share, easy to remember hands-on activities that promote literacy skills development, and fun for the entire family are an extra benefit that is free from libraries.  Selby Library in Sarasota offers many of these fun activities.  Parents also receive valuable information about other resources  for free literacy activities that they can participate in with their children.View the list »
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Our economic times demand that parents look for free activities for their children to participate in, and libraries are meeting this need. Parents don't often know that libraries offer more than just the opportunity to go and check out a book to read. Libraries are now concentrating on family activities and even pets can participate in some of these activities. Storytimes are also now more than sitting and listening to a story. Storytimes now have become a new time for children to meet and socialize with other children after listening to the story. Play groups with fun activities are often a part of the storytime at the library.

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There are several libraries in Sarasota that are offering much more to children and families in the way of free activities. Selby Library is offering a Fun With Family Literacy Workshop on March 20 for parents/guardians and children up to 5 years of age. Hands-on literacy activities for the whole family to enjoy together while supporting the child's development of important literacy skills. More information about this event can be accessed at www.Sclibs.net.

Selby Library also offers Partners in Play activities in collaboration with Forty Carrots Family Center on Mondays throughout each month. This event is limited to the first 12 families with children who are mobile(crawling) up to age 5 years of age. Parents are encouraged to drop in to the library to meet new parents and learn new ways to be a great parent with the educational information provided by Forty Carrots educators. Partners in Play at Selby Library is from 10:15-11:00 a.m. each Monday. Interested parents may call 941-861-1130 for information about this free activity at Selby.

Venice Library is a part of the Sarasota County Library system offers a fun activity on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. Read with the Dogs at the Venice Library invites children to come in and read to dogs from the Suncoast Humane Society. These dogs are pet therapy dogs, and make great listeners for children who want to practice reading aloud. you may call 941-861-1348 for information about this activity at the library.

All of these activities at the library offer opportunities to discover that your library really does offer more than just walking in to check out a book

View the list
  • Family literacy workshops are often a part of free offerings from your local library.  Books to share, easy to remember hands-on activities that promote literacy skills development, and fun for the entire family are an extra benefit that is free from libraries.  Selby Library in Sarasota offers many of these fun activities.  Parents also receive valuable information about other resources  for free literacy activities that they can participate in with their children.
  • Libraries also offer play groups after storytime.  These play groups offer your child a time to socialize with other children their age after listening to a story at the library.  Selby Library in Sarasota offers toddler storytime at 10:15 each Tuesday.  Children from 18 months-3 years of age are invited .  There is a 30 minute play period that follow storytime.  Bring your child and enjoy the library.
  • The Venice Library is a part of the Sarasota County Library system.  Read With the Dogs is a popular event every 2nd Wednesday of each month.  pet therapy dogs from the Suncoast Humane Society come to the library to enjoy the books along with the children.  Your child is invited to come and read to a dog at 3:30 p.m.  The dogs are great listeners, and your child can practice reading aloud and improve their reading skills in reading aloud. 
View the list
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, Sarasota Child Care Examiner

Cindy Hewitt is a retired teacher with 32 years of experience in elementary and early childhood classrooms on both public and private schools. She also has a Master's Degree in education with concentration on early childhood education. She worked for 25 years in childcare center classrooms,...

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