Take one quick look around the streets of town and it's not hard to see why the 樱桃视频Public Library needed to add more baby and kid's groups to its programming over the past few years.
And they are about to add even more on Monday (Oct. 22) when registration opens for the new session.The free, half-hour programs have grown from one day a week to four, and now includes seven different sessions for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and families, according to children's librarian Hilary Bloom.
"It's incredible. We used to only run this on Mondays, and now we're on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, too," she said. "We simply had to grow the number of groups we were offering because of the increased demand. There are lots of new, young families living in 樱桃视频-there's really been a bit of an explosion."
Bloom said the story times are an opportunity for parents and kids to spend a half hour listening to new stories, singing and learning new rhymes, getting up and moving about, and meeting others parents.
"This has really become a hub in the community for parents connecting with other parents, and just getting people out of the house. Of course we are here to promote early literacy, but that's not our only function," she said, adding that children of any age can get their own library card.
The most recent changes have seen the library add a third Books and Babies group on Friday at 10:30 a.m., and a second drop-in Family Storytime with no registration required on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
"There was a lot of demand for the Saturday, and we're so happy to be able to accommodate those families who work during the week," said Bloom, a new mother herself who has just returned to work after being home with her new daughter for close to a year.
"The registration we had for the last session was [lined up] down the road with parents and babies," said Bloom, who also stood in line to get a spot. "I have an new appreciation for how important storytime can be to a parent's weekly schedule!"
"It's great fun," agreed Kirsten Gagn茅, mom to 21-month-old Hailey.
"I've been taking Hailey since she was only four months old, and we love it. It's a fantastic thing to do - especially in the dead of winter --- to get out of the house and see some friendly faces. Plus I really enjoyed learning some new songs to sing to her.
"It's been a while for me, I can't even necessarily remember all the words to the ones I used to know as a child," she added.New parents can also look forward to a "Books for B.C. Babies" bag, supplied by the library, when visited at home by the public health nurse through Vancouver Coastal Health. Each bag contains a popular board book, CD, library information, as well as copies of favourite nursery rhymes and songs with lyrics, said Bloom.
For more information visit www.squamishlibrary.bc.ca, first-come, first-serve registration for the Oct. 29 to Dec. 22 session takes place Monday (Oct. 22) at 1 p.m. either in person at the library or by calling 604-892-3110.
