Politics & Government

How Early Is Too Early To Take Your Child To The Library?

Experts encourage parents to not only use the library to foster strong reading skills, but also to use the library as a community hub.

Looking to instill a love of learning and reading in your child?

Start at the library.

While you may have missed "Take Your Child To The Library Day" on Feb. 4, check out these story time hours at the Greendale Public Library. They have story time hours for newborns to five-year-olds.

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So how often should you take your older child to the library once they start reading on their own? According to BabyCenter.com, this should be based on how quickly your child reads.

You should take your child to the library as often as he needs more books to read. I spent about a third of my professional educational career as a school librarian and my practice was to have students in kindergarten through 2nd grade visit the library almost every day.Β 

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Libraries also serve other purposes, especially when you are trying to teach children to navigate different types of media.

In an editorial for the Huffington Post, Molly Raphael, president of the American Library Association (ALA), said libraries benefit individual users as well as the community.

They also act as community hubs, bringing people together and connecting them to worlds beyond their communities. Libraries offer more than just books; they are community centers where everyone has access to programs and services that fuel lifelong learning.

Happy reading!

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