Legos Needed!!!
We are starting a Lego club and we need your help. Please consider donating your used Legos for kids to play with here at the library. Thank you!
Children's Department News - June 2013
Activities for toddlers & preschool children
Preschool story times: Tuesday & Friday: 10:30 a.m.; Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.
Story times are for children ages 2 and older and their families or caregivers.
Location: Children's Activity Room. No Registration
May 28, 30 & 31: Counting stories: Soup for One, 10 Hungry Rabbits, and Over on the Farm.
June 4, 6 & 7: Stories about pond and forest creatures, including the new stories Farfallina and Marcel and Ol' Mama Squirrel.
June 11, 13 & 14: Celebrate Father's Day with "dad" stories. We will make a special craft for our fathers.
June 18, 20 & 21: New picture books purchased at the Scholastic Book Fair.
June 25, 27 & 28: New picture books purchased at the Scholastic Book Fair.
Lap Sit every Monday at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the children's activity room, first floor.
This program is for babies, toddlers, and their parents or caregivers. Make new friends, listen to simple stories, and learn finger plays and songs
Summer Reading Club: Dig Into Reading!
Our summer reading club is for children who are age 2 through those who have just completed grade 6. It is a "read-to-me" club, too, so young children and independent readers are encouraged to join. It takes just a few minutes to enroll in the club at the "Summer Reading Club" table near the new book displays in the children's area.
All children who enroll in the program will receive a plastic book bag, a reading record form, a list of special programs scheduled for June and July, and a book mark.
Register: May 24 to June 30. Read: May 24 to July 25. Collect prizes: June 1 to August 10. There will be an "End of Summer" contest with exciting prizes for children who meet their reading goals. At the end of July, there will also be a special prize drawing for children who attend three or more summer reading club programs.
There will be summer reading programs for teens and adults again this summer. Plan to enroll at the same time you enroll your children. It's fast and easy!
June Summer Reading Club Programs
for Children of all ages and their Caregivers & Families
Place: Walnut & Elm Rooms (2nd floor) Time: 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. unless noted
No registration except for the Zoo Circle (June 15)
Children who are age 8 & younger must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information about the programs and the announcement of additional programs, please visit the library web site (Children's Page) a few days before the event.
Wednesday, June 5: Bugs! by Dr. Alan York
Wednesday, June 12: "Dig Into Crafts!" by the WLPL children's department
Saturday, June 15: "Underground Wonders": a special zoo circle by the Columbian Park Zoo Time: 2:00 and 3:30. Tickets will be required to reserve spaces for this event. The first day that the tickets will be available will be Wednesday, June 5. Parents or caregivers must come to the library to get the tickets. No phone or e-mail reservations can be accepted. (Tickets are free.)
Wednesday, June 19: Magic Show by W. L. Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Rocky Killion
Saturday, June 22: "All About Dogs & Dog Safety" by Therapy Dogs International.
Monday, June 24: Bach Chorale Children's Choir concert.
Wednesday, June 26: "Yoga for Children" by yoga instructor Betsy Totty.
Additional June Events
Saturday, June 1: Reading to the Dogs with Therapy Dogs International pet partner teams. Time: 2:00 to 3:00. Walnut & Elm rooms Registration required by Friday, May 31. For children ages 4 to 11. Children who are not yet reading are invited to visit and pet the dogs at 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 8: Lego Club Time: 1 to 2 p.m. Walnut & Elm rooms. Lego Club is open to children of all ages during the summer. As always, children who are ages 5 to 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
Scholastic Book Fair: Saturday, June 15, through Sunday, June 23
The library will host a Scholastic Book Fair again this summer. The children's department will receive free books from the sale, so we hope your families will come to this event. It is a great opportunity to purchase new books for summer reading and vacations!
Bookfair Hours
June 15: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
June 16: 1 to 4:30 p.m.
June 17 - 20: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
June 21: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
June 22: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
June 23: 1 to 4:30 p.m.
If you would like to help with the sale, please call the library and ask to talk to Pam or Linda. All volunteers will be greatly appreciated!
The sale will be on the first floor of the library, near the entrances and information desk. If the library's total sales reach $2,000, it will receive $1,000 of books for the children's and teen's collections.
Reading to the Dogs & Cat
Reading to the Cat and Dogs! and Reading to the Dogs!
At the West Lafayette Public Library, we are very fortunate to have members of two different therapy animal organizations bring their registered therapy animals to the library about 9 or 10 times a year. Children reserve a 15 minute time period for reading to the therapy animals. They may check out books at the library to read or bring favorite books from home. The reading dates are announced on the children's web page, in the children's department newsletter, and on posters in the children's department. At the end of the reading session, families with children who are not yet reading are welcome to visit the animals and talk to their partners. When people first hear about reading to therapy animals, their usual response is "Why would anyone want to read to a dog?" or "Do the dogs really listen?" The members of the Caring Paws organizations believe that dogs have a calming effect on most children and have helped children improve their read-a-loud skills.
Therapy animals have been coming to the WLPL for 7 years. The children's department is very happy to sponsor this popular program and appreciates greatly the people who volunteer time to bring their much-loved pets to the library.
About Caring Paws
Caring Paws is a non-profit, volunteer organization based in the Greater Lafayette area. Caring Paws members visit nursing homes, retirement centers, schools, hospitals, and libraries seeking trained and registered therapy animals to interact with their patients, residents, and students.
All Caring Paws volunteer teams have been evaluated by a major national animal therapy organization, Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society). With a registered therapy animal, a facility can be assured of a visit from a pet and partner who will provide a safe and enjoyable experience.
The teams that are insured by Pet Partners present the "Reading to the Cat and Dogs!" programs. Some of the animals who visit the library are the cat, Grizzley, and the dogs Dory, Murdock, Neville, and Zeph.
For more information, please contact the Caring Paws web site: www.caring-paws.org or the Pet Partners site: www.petpartners.org
All therapy animals are current on vaccinations and insured by the groups.
Therapy Dogs International (TDI)
Therapy Dogs International (TDI) was formed in 1976 in New Jersey so that dogs could be certified, insured and registered as volunteer Therapy Dogs. All registered dogs have been tested for therapy dog work by certified TDI evaluators and are current on vaccinations. While many dogs provide companionship in the home, not all dogs are qualified or have the temperament suited to be a therapy dog.
TDI Chapter 267 is a Greater Lafayette Chapter of Therapy Dogs International. Our local volunteer teams visit schools, mental health facilities, nursing homes, camps for children and are wonderful tail waggin' tutors at library reading programs. For more information about our organization, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
At the WLPL, our program is publicized as "Reading to the Dogs." Some of the dogs who visit the library are Daisy, Frankie, Java, Jill, & Sugar. TDI members will be presenting a program on dog safety in June as part of the summer reading club series of events.
Ongoing Children's Programs
Learn more about "Reading to the Dogs" - The next Reading to the Dogs or Reading to the Cat & Dogs programs will be: Saturday, April 27: 2 to 3 p.m.; Saturday, June 1: 2 to 3 p.m.; Saturday, July 27: 2 to 3 p.m.
Lapsit for babies & toddlers who are too young to sit quietly for the regular story time and their parents or other caregivers. Mondays at 10:30 am and 11:15 am in the Children's Program Room. Lead by Volunteer Amanda Barche Lindberg from Ivy Tech. This is a good opportunity for families to make new friends and have fun at the library.
Story time is held each Tuesday at 10:30 am, Thursday at 4:00 pm, and Friday at 10:30 am in the Children's Program Room. Come and listen to Miss Linda read stories and help children create a craft. Parents and caregivers are expected to attend with their children. Programs are designed for 2 to 5 year olds, but older children are welcome to attend.
Many other special programs are held throughout the year.
