Story Time goes digital so kids don’t miss out

Youngsters in Livingstone are tuning in to Story Time a bit differently this month, as Livingstone Libraries and First Five Forever deliver Story Time online.

Local kids aged 0 – 5 will see Library Assistant and First 5 Forever facilitator Sally Faulkner reading a variety of children’s tales via Facebook, accompanied by her farm-yard friends including Thelma the Unicorn.

Sally said recent videos uploaded to Livingstone Shire Library’s Facebook page had already received hundreds of views from kids enjoying Story Time from home.

“Livingstone’s First 5 Forever programme is a very popular activity held at our Emu Park and Yeppoon locations, so we wanted to make sure kids weren’t missing out on Story Time altogether during the library closures,” Sally said.

“Living on a large property with plenty of friendly animals gave me the idea to feature them in some of our Story Time videos to help make it more engaging and interactive for the kids while also pairing well with some of the books’ themes.

“Shared activities at home and out and about, including singing, reading and talking to your little one in the early years, are very important in the development of their language skills later in life and research highlights the significant role that parents play in helping their babies build a strong foundation for future learning.”

Tomorrow’s Story Time will feature Possum Magic by Mem Fox, with special guest Bob the Chicken and next week on Thursday 9 April, Sally will read Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen from a boat on her dam with special guest Reni the Dog.

Residents are reminded that although libraries are currently closed in the Shire, a wide range of online services are on offer to download and explore.

Library members have free access to download eBooks, eMagazines, eAudiobooks, plus stream movies, music, access online databases and follow online tutorials on a wide range of topics.

The Libraries’ own Story Time videos were made possible due to special publishing industry copyright agreements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, please visit Livingstone Shire Libraries online at https://www.livingstone.qld.gov.au/168/Libraries to view the e-lending section.

You can find Livingstone Shire Library on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/lsclibraries/ or phone 4913 3850.