Family Literacy Night at Bartlett Library was a roaring good time!
The Bartlett Library hosted a "Dinovember Family Literacy Night" on Thursday, Nov. 19, in order to celebrate Family Reading Night.
Throughout the state of Illinois, Family Reading Night takes place on the third Thursday in November to encourage families to spend true quality time reading together. The statewide event is sponsored by the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White and Illinois Center for the Book.
Youth & Teen Services assistant manager Phyllis Sadowski said that the Family Reading Night is a great way for families to turn off the TV and read together. Family time is crucial, so what better way to enjoy each others' company than by reading fun stories together.
Dinovember at the Bartlett Library brought families together to listen to dinosaur themed stories and partake in dinosaur activities and crafts. In total, there were 72 patrons in attendance who had fun getting to learn about dinosaurs, as well as enjoy some quality family time.
Library patron Jennifer Slodki attended with her three children, Samantha, Matthew and Nathan Slodki.
"[My kids] constantly have so much fun at storytime," Slodki said. "The librarians who put on the event tonight are always energetic and great storytellers. They really make the library a place where learning is always fun."
The night started out with librarians Sadowski and Mary Beth Fuller reading aloud three dinosaur stories, which they incorporated songs and movement into for the children to be able to participate. Puppets and stuffed animals were also used to really bring the stories to life.
With all of the fun going on, there was also plenty of educational value within the event. The children were able to learn about different dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and Pterodactyls. The children stomped around and roared like the T-Rex and Triceratops, and flapped their arms like the Pterodactyl to show off their dinosaur imitation skills.
When storytime was over, the families went to four stations set up in the Youth & Teen Services Department. One was a fossil rubbing station where the children could create their own fossils by using crayons, another was a coloring sheet where they could then place foam stickers on the page to create their own dinosaur scene, and then there was a station to create Triceratops paddles where the children glued Popsicle sticks to paper plates decorated with a Triceratops cutout in order to bounce a small balloon around the library.
Then in the storytime room, there was a running DVD about dinosaurs that children could watch while playing with dinosaur toys.
When all was said and done, the children were able to pick out a few goodies to take home, which included stamps, small dinosaur figurines and bookmarks.
Library patron Michelle Sauvageau went with her son to the event. Sauvageau said that they go to the library all the time.
"There are such a variety of items, programs and events," Sauvageau said. "Everything and everybody is wonderful here. Whenever we come in, the staff always asks my son about his day. It's just a very welcoming environment."
The Bartlett Public Library District, 800 S. Bartlett Road, provides programs and services to meet the needs of the community. For information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call (630) 837-2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.
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