Deliver a great BookTrust Cymru Storytime
Here are some suggestions to make sure people hear about your BookTrust Cymru Storytime activities and have a great experience when they visit your library!
Myth busting for new families
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This programme aims to encourage new families to visit the library. We know there are barriers: these could be physical barriers, or perhaps transport is an issue. There can also be social barriers - our research shows that some families can feel nervous entering the library for the first time. For some families they're worried about paying surprise fees or their child being disruptive. We found that reassuring families once they got into the library encouraged them to visit again! This is also a subject you can bring up when talking to community partners.
“We have always struggled to get a well-attended Storytime. By contacting our local nursery to join in, we have now got a regular Storytime going even though we have finished the six books, which has encouraged a positive link with the nursery for other events”
Working with partners (like children's centres and nurseries) to reach new families
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We know that building relationships with new families can take a while. That's why BookTrust Cymru Storytime can be delivered at a time that suits your library throughout 2024-25.
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Working with partners who have already built trust with families can give you a head start when promoting your events. In previous years, libraries found success in reaching out to local nurseries, children's centres, baby and toddler groups and more.
Getting the word out
- Use BookTrust Cymru Storytime posters to advertise your activities. Great places to display these include local supermarkets, parks and community centres. Posters are available to download on our resources page.
- Use social media to get the word out! We're sharing social cards for you to download and use - find them by heading to our resources page.
“We found out about the library on social media. We enjoyed the session as we've never been before. Looking forward to coming back next week. Yes, I would recommend it to others.”
Excitement from the beginning
- You could create fun and enticing displays in entrance ways to direct families to the children's area.
- We have posters for you to use inside the library too (you can download these from our resources page)!
Flexible resources
We've designed the BookTrust Cymru Storytime resources to be flexible - for example, the sticker books can be used when a child takes out their first book, and when they are invited to a Storytime event, they could collect a sticker for each book.
It's up to you to decide how to use the resources as you know your community best - but we'd love to hear what's worked for you! Email [email protected] to let us know.
Interactive sessions
- Make families feel at ease. Set expectations early. For example, make sure that parents and carers know it's fine if their children aren't sitting still quietly.
- Think about the age range of the children at the session. If you have a lot of younger children attending, try sharing shorter stories.
- Mix it up. Be flexible - include a combination of interactive rhymes and stories to keep the energy levels up.
- Involve the children as much as possible. Whether it's getting them to sing along with a rhyme, do some fun actions or even turn the pages of the book you're reading, they'll love being asked to participate.