Q&A with Stanton Library’s children’s librarian, Yasmin Greenhalgh
We were lucky enough to record our video of Alpacas with Maracas for National Simultaneous Storytime 2019 at Stanton Library in North Sydney. And we became even luckier when we had the opportunity to chat with Stanton’s children’s librarian, Yasmin Greenhalgh (plus have her read a future story for us). Here, she offers her insights on creating a love of literature amongst children and shares her experiences as a Story Box Library subscriber.
How do you use Story Box Library in your libraries?
For us it’s been an excellent resource to directly promote to patrons. It’s one of our favourites and draws the most looks of delight from patrons when librarians are showing it to them. For example, recently all of the copies of all of the Aaron Blabey titles were checked out of the library, and it helped satisfy this demand; to be able to find it and more of his titles available immediately online.
How do you promote Story Box Library to your community?
We promote face-to-face and do it very regularly. It’s a favourite with staff and on the top of our eResources list. And it’s so simple to log on with their barcode number. We do a lot of recommending during baby and toddler rhyme times as well.
When having conversations with parents and carers about screen time, we’re able to promote it as screen time with a different value. The parents and carers enjoy that there is a literature focus. They feel like they’re sharing something of value with their child.
What’s a favourite anecdote that you’ve heard from a patron?
Recently, a grandparent was excited about Story Box Library having Australian stories. Their grandkids are overseas and they loved that they could share the stories with them without sending a clunky package. And it was similar to the Skype experience that their grandkids are already used to.
What do you find to be the biggest benefits of Story Box Library?
You can read the book then the kid can watch someone else read it as well, connecting them in. It’s the way I promote it the most often. If a patron is asking for a book, we tell them, “If you look it up here, you can get Nick Cave to read that to your kids,” for example. It’s a good way of getting people to have a look.
It’s wonderful to have another avenue for kids to discover and interact with picture books. It’s a different way to hook them in to a love of language and literature. Picture books can be seen as something alive and wonderful, not just “Here’s a physical book.” And to actually see someone enjoying this book as well is something kids pick up on. The first thing that I say to parents and carers when looking for guidance on what to read is “choose something you’re excited by”, because kids respond to that excitement. If they’re actually seeing that enjoyment of books on the screen, it’s providing further evidence for them that books, reading and stories are exciting. It’s a delightful reinforcement.
How do you find resources like Story Box Library assist in supporting the message of National Simultaneous Storytime?
It feels like a given that Story Box Library would support National Simultaneous Storytime. It just makes sense that they just fit together. You have all of these people being part of National Simultaneous Storytime in schools, child care centres, family day cares, and libraries around the country. But what if you can’t get to library, are home sick or away travelling? It’s fantastic that Story Box Library can make NSS more accessible. You’ve got kids who can’t make it, families that don’t have the book, but they can still watch it being read aloud at 11am at the same time as everyone else. Libraries can create that level of accessibility. With a library card number, they can still log in and be a part of National Simultaneous Storytime. Even if the family is out and about they can stop, get out the phone and log in. I also love that when you have something as big as NSS it helps create community connections. The same as workmates talking about TV shows at work; children and their parents and carers can share they have both read or heard the same book and voila! a shared story is a connection made!
