Ashley Waring is the Children’s Librarian at the Reading Public Library in Reading, MA. In 2012, she wrote for the Association for Library Service for Children (ALSC) that some families hesitated to bring their children to “regular” storytimes “for fear of disrupting the group and getting ‘the look’ from other parents.”
Waring wrote that children who experience sensory processing issues may find a “sensory storytime” more comfortable and engaging than traditional library programming for children. The ALSC – a division of the American Library Association – offers online resources to support libraries in providing this type of programming.
Wednesday, December 15 at 10:30 a.m., the Corvallis-Benton County Library will host a 20-minute sensory storytime — via Zoom — for children up to five years old. The storytime will include a visual schedule, an opening and closing song, a movement rhyme, and two short stories, accompanied by visual aids and sensory activities. Parents should register before the event to reserve their child’s spot.
By Grace Miller
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