Storytime is a core element of my daily work as a public librarian. In my library system, we host 32 in-building storytimes across five locations. For my branch, we staff seven storytimes across three days. This count doesn’t include our outreach or partnership storytimes. Supporting storytimes takes on many different facets. The size of your library and the number of weekly storytimes offered may also impact these decisions. While I’ll share scalable ideas, it’s important to remember that each library has unique priorities and needs.
While our patrons may only see one or two faces in storytime, the reality is that it takes an entire team for our storytimes to succeed. Over the years, there have been many iterations of what supporting storytime looks like. We’ve learned that for it to work, staff must be all in for storytime. How does that work? Let me tell you more.
Front-Line Staff: Support and Share
It’s easy to think of supporting storytime as only those presenters in the room. However, front-line staff who are not presenting are equally vital to the success of this programming. Their support ensures patrons understand storytime options, that other building obligations carry on smoothly, and that presenting staff have adequate time to prepare and present each storytime. Recognize their value and thank them for their support. How can you be all in as a front-line staff member? Here are some examples of tangible impacts.
Staff service points and share storytime information.
Staffing the information desk or handling returned books frees up other staff to prepare outlines and present storytimes. It also helps grant breaks and space between service points for storytime presenters. In addition, front-line staff interact daily with patrons, answering questions, checking out material, and sharing upcoming programming information. These interactions ensure patrons know about storytimes and are more likely to attend. In addition, they help patrons identify which storytime is most appropriate for their specific needs.
Assist in building spaces.
Storytimes naturally bring additional children. However, more families increase library traffic and generate more questions, cleanup, and maintenance tasks. Front-line staff taking on these roles ensures the library remains welcoming but also takes the burden off presenters to maintain both storytime spaces and library spaces.
Assist with storytimes and related tasks.
Additional staff can help with larger groups or unique room layouts. This person can help patrons find seats, address disruptive behaviors, or track attendance. Moreover, these staff don’t need presenting skills. Instead, they support presenters by understanding what to look for and completing specific tasks. Further, gathering books to check out, refreshing your flannel collection, helping move supplies between buildings, and many other storytime tasks do not involve presenting. Utilizing the skills and interests of other staff offers additional support to presenters. Look for ways that team members can engage without being front and center.
Presenting Staff: Make Magic Happen
Presenting staff support storytimes by being the faces at the front of the room, reading books, leading rhymes, dancing with families, and sharing joy. While it’s easy to see their support in action, it’s equally important to consider their behind-the-scenes prep for successful programs. Supporting both roles is necessary for storytime success. How can you be all in as a presenter? Here are some things to consider.
Divide the work among the team.
Many things make a storytime happen, including selecting themes, pulling books, finding action rhymes, preparing flannel stories, and choosing literacy tips. Even if other staff pull materials, presenters need time to review, select, and practice their storytime. You can help simplify this process by using a standard storytime outline based on age groups or pairing newer staff with more experienced presenters. Dividing the work among multiple presenters when possible helps everyone have more time to complete tasks. Further, this division ensures no one person does all the prep work.
Document and share tips and best practices.
Every presenter brings a unique style and approach. True storytime magic happens when we learn from each other. Sharing your own best practices and tips helps other presenters grow. Further, this shared knowledge of audience and community needs improves storytimes across multiple presenters.
Serve as a mentor.
As new staff express interest in storytime, serving as a mentor is part of the process. Make time to work with your mentee, share your experiences, practice, and present. Your mentee learns from you, but also allow yourself space to learn from your mentee. Work to find a successful partnership that benefits both sides.
Management: Set the Tone
While managers and supervisors aren’t always active presenters, they are still critical to the success of storytimes. They also set expectations for staff involvement and support in any position. Providing a consistent, supportive message is the first step. How can you be all in as a leader? Here are some things to keep in mind.
Provide guidance and expectations to all staff.
Setting clear expectations for roles and tasks ensures all staff are on the same page. Expectations clarify in concrete terms how you’ll support the work. For example, you might expect staff not serving as presenters to work at a service point during storytime. Or, you might give staff working on storytime tasks an extra hour each week off the desk to complete the work.
Identify candidates for training.
While some presenters may suggest others, they don’t always know which staff are ready for training. Management smooths training processes by identifying candidates and setting training expectations. Further, understanding staff training and needs ensures you know what’s working (or not) in your library and when to intervene or ask for help.
Provide time and support for all activities.
As leaders, you are the first line of defense in correcting staff misconceptions. Storytime is more than the 30 minutes needed to present. As a supervisor, you help others understand the tasks and time associated with storytime and emphasize the value of this work. Talk to staff to determine needs, then map the logistics to make it happen. Whether adjusting schedules or filling in on service points, ensuring staff have what they need is essential to the success of any program.
Looking for more storytime inspiration? Search “storytime” on the ALSC blog for a treasure trove of relevant articles. For example, you can learn about Showing the Value of Storytime with Storytime Standards. Then, up your planning game with 5 Questions for Better Storytime Planning. Or, consider best practices of Training Storytime 101.
How do you encourage your staff to be all in for storytime?
All images courtesy of the author. This post addresses ALSC Core Competency #3: Programming Skills. All images courtesy of the author and Plano Public Library.
Jaime Eastman is a senior Public Services Librarian and Early Learning Coordinator at the Harrington Library, one of the Plano (Texas) Public Library locations. She’s currently serving as a member of the ALSC Board of Directors. Jaime is also working on at least two ambitious cross stitch projects, dreaming of future travel plans, and reading far too many books at once. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be an author. Writing for the blog and publishing with Children and Libraries feel like a good start, and she regrets nothing about her adult decision to be a librarian doing storytimes who didn’t have to grow up too much.
The post All In for Storytime: Tips for Library Staff at Every Level appeared first on ALSC Blog.
Storytime is a core element of my daily work as a public librarian. In my library system, we host 32 in-building storytimes across five locations. For my branch, we staff seven storytimes across three days. This count doesn’t include our outreach or partnership storytimes. Supporting storytimes takes on many different facets. The size of your library and the number of weekly storytimes offered may also impact these decisions. While I’ll share scalable ideas, it’s important to remember that each library has unique priorities and needs. While our patrons may only see one or two faces in storytime, the reality is that it takes an entire team for our storytimes to succeed. Over the years, there have been many iterations of what supporting storytime looks like. We’ve learned that for it to work, staff must be all in for storytime. How does that work? Let me tell you more. Front-Line Staff:…
The post All In for Storytime: Tips for Library Staff at Every Level appeared first on ALSC Blog. Read More
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