Library brings Story Time to Head Start

Havre-Hill County Library is teaming up with Head Start and doing the library's Story Time program Fridays at Havre's Head Start locations.

  Havre-Hill County Library Children's Librarian Ashley Verity will be going to each classroom at Head Start for Story Time and craft making.

"The kids will get to know me and who I am," she said. 

She said she will be visiting two classes every Friday and hopes to reach every classroom within a month.

"It is important to promote early literacy and, also, so that kids just know where the library is or that is just even a place that exists," she said. "So if one kid is running home today screaming up and down, 'We gotta go to the library.'" my job has been successful."

She added that she came up with this idea from a training course she took at the statewide Libraries Ready to Read rendezvous called "Mother Goose on the Loose," and decided to call this "Librarian on the Loose."

  "I like that I am meeting more kids and getting out into the community more," Verity said. "This is my third year being a children's librarian and I'm starting to come out of my shell."

Head Start teacher Joni Keith said the program is very beneficial.

"This is important because it encourages kids to think about the public library, a lot of kids don't even know about it. I will send some notes home with the kids, so the families will know that the kids had a visit from the librarian," Keith said. 

She said the craft component had children make library card holders. Library cards are available for all families.

"Reading is important," she added. "I enjoyed the fact that the kids were able to see someone else reading to them, interacting with them at school, other than their teachers, and the fact that Head Start is becoming more known to the community." 

Keith's class, which has 16 children, is one of seven classes at Head Start.

"I think they enjoyed how animated Ashley was when she read to them," Keith said. 

In the future, Verity said, she will will bring totes of books for the children who do have library cards. She added that the Early Childhood Investment Team is funding the upcoming project.