Happy Minot Monday! Today, I’m talking about the Minot Children’s Library (part of the Minot Public Library) and why I love it so much as a toddler mom.
I love the library. When I say “love” I really do mean it. In all of the places we’ve lived (and even the places I lived on my own before getting married) I’ve been an enthusiastic supporter of libraries everywhere.
This may be unusual to hear from a person who basically put aside most books once they stopped having pages with pictures. It’s true, I am not much of a book reader. For the most part all my “reading” happens through my ears via audiobooks. All my other reading is typically of books with large photos and small captions (think magazines, instruction manuals, how-to guides, etc.)
Nonetheless I’m a huge propionate of public libraries.
My Childhood Library Experience
I attribute a lot of this enthusiasm to the fact that growing up I didn’t have ready access to the public library. Yes, there are libraries in Northern Indiana. However, the area that I lived in was within “county limits”, but outside of “city limits.” This meant we didn’t pay taxes toward the city library and therefore weren’t eligible for a library card.
Technically I think you could pay for a library card. But the details are foggy. Our family didn’t, and I don’t know anyone who did.
We only went to the public library during science fair season to do research and make copies of pages for our reports. Remember the hard, cold days before the Internet? Sometimes we went to the library with my grandma, who lived in a different town (within city limits) and used her card. That wasn’t very often though.
I got my first library card when I studied abroad in London my senior year of college. Yes, I was eligible for a library card in London, but not Elkhart, IN. The world is a funny place.
I ‘m a Library Connoisseur
I think my years of going without a library really built up the prestige of having a library card and being part of a borrowing community. Once I finally had my own library card, I became a bit of a library connoisseur.
I get a library card in every town Derek and I move to. It has been so exciting to see all the things that libraries offer–and how small town libraries are getting creative and continuing to grow, even in an age of digital reading. I’ve loved every library I’ve been a part of. Now, as a mom the library is more valuable to me than ever. I’ll write more about Minot’s Public Library in the coming months (there are so many great things to say, I can’t cover them in one post.) But for today, I just want to highlight a few things that I love about our library as a mom of a toddler.
If you’ve got older kids, or no kids–know that the library has plenty for you too! We’ll talk about that some other day.
Baby Play
Here’s the big one. Baby Play is my current favorite Minot Children’s Library activity.
Baby Play is a weekly story and activity time for littles 6 months-3 years old. It currently happens on Fridays 10-11am. However the date/time may change as we come into holiday season. (Check the full calendar.) A fun, young, amazing librarian hosts this special time in a separate room, with the door closed to contain the kiddos.
We start with stories, songs and dances. Then when the kids get restless (sometimes after 20 minutes, sometimes after only 10 or 15 minutes) the kids are free to roam the room and play at sensory activity stations set up all around the room. It’s the best.
There are all kinds of toys–musical instruments, walkers, a play kitchen, etc. But my favorite part are mess-prone stations: Bins of dried corn with shovels, bowls and funnels; dump trucks in flour; rice bins to practice scooping and pouring. These activities are set up on large drop cloths to contain the mess.
These activities are so important for developing motor skills, but it’s not something I am eager to set up for myself at home. At Baby Play we try to contain the mess…but at the end I get to go home to a (fairly) neat house, and the wonderful/amazing/spectacular library staff takes care of heavy clean up.
Second to the sensory activities, my favorite part of Baby Play is getting to connect with other young moms. It’s a low-key way to meet new friends–you already have something in common and a place to meet up each week. This is especially sweet for someone new to town. The library was the first place I took Gideon when we moved back to town. After our first time at Baby Play, I had exchanged numbers with two other moms and had a play date for the next week.
The Minot Children’s Library is a Separate Space.
The Children’s section is on the main floor, in its own, private area. There are no adults (or teens) milling around. Your kids won’t run off into shelves of adult books, copiers, computers, or bother grownups who are trying to read quietly. The entire space is made for kids and parents.
It’s Hands On.
No one is expecting complete silence. No one is expecting still children. Yes, it is a space to be calm and respectful–but you’ll be surrounded by staff and other parents who get what it’s like to have little readers on board.
Minot’s Children’s Library has a large space for play as well as reading. There is a huge busy board, motor skills activities, mirrors, and bead mazes, kid-sized tables and reading chairs.
The Books are Easy to Access
Books for the youngest readers (and lots of great board books) are all located on the perimeter of the play space. Gideon can help me pick out books for a bit, then go play, then come read. It makes picking new books easy, since he’s playing and contained andI’m not constantly herding him.
It’s a great way to spend time on a yucky day
Much like his mother, Gideon gets really cranky if he doesn’t spend a healthy dose of time outside every day. That can be hard when weather is cold, rainy or windy. On those days, we’ll often go to the library to play and read. It’s free, warm, dry and usually has other kids to play with.
Do you use the public library? Tell me what you love (or don’t love) about your library!
