JCPL's work doesn't stop at the Library doors! Staff and volunteers encourage early literacy skills among our community's youngest readers by visiting preschools across Jefferson County for Story Times in their classrooms.
"Story Time volunteers bring the joy of reading, writing, talking, playing and singing into classrooms, inspiring a love of books in young children," Kids & Families Librarian Karen gushes. "They are wonderful ambassadors of the public library, invaluable in their support of early literacy and Story Time magic."
The Story Time outreach volunteer team was founded a decade ago when the Kids & Families team wanted to visit more schools for outreach but found themselves at the limits of their capacity.
What began with just a few storytellers has since grown into a robust and thriving team that includes retired teachers, college students pursuing their early childhood education degrees, daycare volunteers and more. All have worked with children in some capacity and undergo lengthy training to ensure they provide the Story Time experience kids expect from JCPL.
Though the requirements are rigorous, the team always puts in the effort to share their time and talents.
"I love sharing the gift of reading with the kids. They invigorate me!" Donna, a longtime JCPL volunteer, says.
"It's unfathomable that the kids get more out of this than I do," Jay adds. "It brings me so much joy. When you look out at the class, you can just see their minds opening up like hungry baby birds, eager to learn."
Story Time goes far beyond sitting and reading a book. Volunteers utilize puppets, flannel boards, shaker eggs, scarves and more as they sing, dance and read to students. It is truly a performance that requires creativity, enthusiasm and a little bit of magic. Each storyteller brings their own personality and flair to their visits. One volunteer even brings her ukulele to accompany her songs!
Story Time volunteers are also library advocates who use their rapport with teachers and students to encourage kids to spend more time reading and participating in JCPL programs.
"The Story Time volunteers are an incredible resource for our Jeffco community," Kids & Families Core Service assistant Hana says. Hana was familiar with the Story Time outreach program before joining the JCPL team: She's a former preschool teacher who has welcomed Story Time volunteers to her own classroom in the past. "The teachers and students look forward to their storytellers' visits all month, and the volunteers create a lasting bond with the classes they visit."
The impact of this small but mighty team can be felt across the county. This year, JCPL volunteers will visit nearly 50 classrooms, providing Story Time to over 900 preschoolers per month!
"We reach more and more children each year thanks to the volunteers' dedication and enthusiasm to be a part of this service," Karen says.
Thank you to our Story Time outreach volunteers!
