The Library is Amazing-10 Reasons Why

During the summer kids often have more time to visit the library, so I wanted to share the my top 10 things that I love about the library and scavenger hunt you can do as you visit your local library.  Here we go with my top 10:

1. Story Time- Story time encourages students to be successful readers and learners. It also can create a social opportunity for both parents and caregivers.

2. Homework Help- A reference librarian can help students find resources to help them study or information for projects. Students also have access to online research and reference libraries that they may not be able to access without the library.

3. Access to Technology-Libraries now have newer technology such as e-books and audio files and many now also have e-readers to check out as well. They also still have computers and Wifi to help people access information.

4. Free Books-Well they are not "free" but for an affordable rate you can check out as many resources as you would like        

5. Art- In the Twin Cities Metro Area, many of the libraries have sculptures or pieces of local art to look at. As well libraries throughout the country at times will give out "cultural" passes to art or other museums to encourage people to learn and experience culture.

6. Community Participation-There are often discussion groups, book clubs or opportunities to volunteer to help students with homework at the local library.

7. Reading Programs-Many libraries have reading programs for students K-8 to encourage reading when school is out for summer.

8. College Readiness- Going to the library will help kids to have exposure to others who are reading, studying and provide a great opportunity to talk about going to college and future plans.

9. Learning a New Language- There are great resources to learn several languages and at times language conversation groups that meet up in library communities.

10. Learning Vocabulary-The library not only has books but also has a whole set of vocabulary that goes with it- Fiction, research, magazine, journal, fairytale etc. It can be a great opportunity to "find" new words if you hunt out different kinds of books or things at the library. Please check out our FREEBIE Library Detective to do just that.

Here also is a link to the American Library Association website where you can find online resources for readers and book enthusiasts at every level.