We moved at the start of October. In our old town me Koti & Joshie spent a lot of time at the local library. We were there so often everyone knew our names. They were always so glad to see the kids. We went to many wonderful and free (love free) programs there. Koti went to one in the evening where someone from the planetarium came with a big telescope and out on the grounds showed the kids the stars and taught them about the night sky. Both kids went to programs learning about bugs, reptiles, art, and music. Over the summers they took part in summer reading club which rewarded them for reading with free books. It was a warm and welcoming place.
Now we are in NYC and there are 3 libraries very close to our house and a city full of branches at our disposal if we choose to travel a little or a lot. I have visited 2 in the month and a half we've been here. The second last night with the kids and this is when I got so sad.
Koti wanted to take part in a tween book club & craft group. The description said meet once a month, talk about a book read over the previous month (which the library was supplying and the kids get to keep) and do a craft. We went last night and she was the only one to show up. The club stays on the calendar in hopes kids will take part but they never do. They let Joshie (who not a tween) do the craft with Koti and gave both kids a book. But they told me how there is no turn out for these things, how they can't, try hard as they do, get the kids in the area interested in reading.
This makes me even sadder!!!
I miss my old library!!!!
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4 comments:
Awww that is sad!
That would make me uber sad too! We have kind of an opposite problem here - it's a very small town and only one library that's about a block away from us, but I can't get the kids interested in the stuff they do there. There's always kids to show up to them, too. But mine DO go up to the library on their own to get books, so that's alright I guess. :) At least they're close and -our- kids appreciate it, right?
Kara, I love to read and passed that on to my kids. I guess not all parents are like that. In our old area people took advantage of all the wonderful free programs at the library, not here...sad indeed.
I haven't been reading your blog in a while, and wanted to catch up. If you want volunteer work, I can help you out a little in advising on what the library should do to get the kids in and interested in reading. If you are interested in this, let me know and I'll give you a list of questions to ask the library and we can go from there. If you want it done, you might have to do it yourself.
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