Sharing the Library and Its Resources with our Two-Year-Old
Students and Their Teachers

Last week, one of the teachers of our school’s two-year-old program asked if she could bring her class to the library because they were studying “community helpers.” At my school, while the library serves all of the faculty with books and resources, students do not come to my library classes until they are in pre-kindergarten.  I was thrilled to be able to show them around and to talk about the library and what it means to the community.  

A few weeks before this, one of their teachers had asked to borrow books on community helpers, and I had checked books out to her about police officers, firefighters, and sanitation workers, among others, but I am embarrassed to admit that I had not provided her with any books about librarians!  A community helper is someone who keeps the community clean, safe, and orderly.  Librarians are very clearly community helpers, so it was great to be able to share all that libraries and librarians do for and offer to the community.   

As the two-year-olds filed into the library, they were immediately drawn to a stuffed animal of Bluey that was sitting next to a mailbox.  Last year when I visited the Orlando Public Library while in town for a Pink! concert, I borrowed their brilliant idea of writing and mailing letters to a favorite book character.  This year, I was excited to implement a letter writing program in our school library.  Each rotation, there is a new character, and students write letters and put them in the mailbox.  At the beginning of the next rotation, a letter is waiting for them from the character who has replied to them and answered all of their questions.  I even made Plaza stationery for Eloise’s reply!  My visitors wanted to take all of the letters that older students had written out of the mailbox and then put them back in.  And, of course, hugs for Bluey were a necessity! 

I showed them all of our bookshelves, and we talked about how libraries are different from bookstores because library books are free, but you do not get to keep them.  You are only borrowing them and have to return them so that others have the chance to read them.  The library books and resources belong to everyone in the community.  

We talked about how libraries are so much more than books.  I showed them our library’s board games, our “Poet-Tree” puppet theatre, and computers.  I brought them to our checkout station and told them how they all have library numbers that they will get to use when they are older.  They will get to choose whichever book(s) they want and will get to check them out and bring them home.  When asked, “Who loves to read?”  Every hand went up!

We also talked about how libraries provide storytimes and activities for patrons/visitors.  They provide food and transit passes.  There are “libraries of things” that provide cooking utensils, fishing rods, and ties and business suits for job interviews.  While “information” is a big word for two- and three-year-olds, I said this word out loud and had them repeat it.  We talked about how libraries provide “good” information to people.    

Oh!  We also talked about dogs!  I asked them who likes dogs?  And I shared that some libraries have dogs or cats so that children can read to the animals or pet them.  At the end, I asked how many thought that our library should get a dog.  Every hand went up!  Perhaps it is time I make a surprise visit to my administrator’s office…!

While I do not think any of my two-year-old friends will remember specifics from our visit, I hope that it will help to form fond memories of libraries and librarians.  While I cannot pinpoint my first visit to the library or my first encounter with a librarian, I certainly have good memories of libraries from a very young age.  Since I can remember, I have always loved libraries and felt safe in them.  This is, in large part, due to the librarians, who work there and provide books, information, and services to their community members.  

Soline Holmes is writing this post on behalf of the Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee.  She can be reached at solineholmes@gmail.com.

This post addresses ALSC competencies 5.1 Defines and communicates the role and scope of library service for children and their families to administrators, other library staff, and members of the larger community; 5.8 Communicates effectively when addressing groups of children and/or adults, writes proficiently and adjusts content, style, and delivery format to accommodate diverse functions and audiences, and possesses technology skills and cultural competencies that enhance communication; and 3.9 Delivers programs outside or inside the library, as well as digitally, to meet users where they are, addressing community and educational needs, including those of unserved and underserved populations.

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 Sharing the Library and Its Resources with our Two-Year-OldStudents and Their Teachers Last week, one of the teachers of our school’s two-year-old program asked if she could bring her class to the library because they were studying “community helpers.” At my school, while the library serves all of the faculty with books and resources, students do not come to my library classes until they are in pre-kindergarten.  I was thrilled to be able to show them around and to talk about the library and what it means to the community.   A few weeks before this, one of their teachers had asked to borrow books on community helpers, and I had checked books out to her about police officers, firefighters, and sanitation workers, among others, but I am embarrassed to admit that I had not provided her with any books about librarians!  A community helper is someone who keeps the community…
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