The fifth annual “Niagara Falls Family Literacy Event” will be held  Saturday April 12th from 9:30am to 1pm throughout the MacBain Community Centre.

Our Library will once again participate as we have every year since this event was first held at the Victoria Avenue Library before more space was needed.

This year’s theme is the “Teddy Bear’s Picnic”. You’re sure of a treat that day with wonderful books to read and marvelous games to play. In fact you can bring from home any teddy bear that’s not feeling well to the Teddy Bear Emergency Room where “doctors” will remedy and repair most ailments.

Everything is free with a free book for every child, a free family swim at 1pm and a free live performance by the Smudge Fundaes. Enjoy the Early Years play centre, story and craft programs and the popular children’s book sale tables.

For more information call 905-357-2398 for event details. Pick up our Spring brochure at any of our four libraries (or view it online).

Promoting literacy, books, numbers and creative play to parents and young children is vital to fully develop current and future skills.

Children’s library collections include board books, picture books, ABC books, shapes and numbers books, learning-to-read books, phonics readers, easy-readers and children’s fiction and non-fiction, as well as books on tape and CDs with books. Children’s magazines are borrowed each month.

Non-fiction library books for children provide helpful information about a variety of difficult subjects with easy-to-understand text and colourful illustrations. The public library has an obligation to provide children and parents with easy access to materials to better understand and communicate ideas. Children need to satisfy their curious requests for information.

Parents and grandparents bring children to the library because they wish them to develop reading abilities, interests, vocabulary, language and comprehension. They point children down a road of independent, self-directed reading, learning and discovery. They visit the library often to improve their children’s intellectual fitness so they will be better prepared for school and for life.

The Library offers various story programs for children starting as early as four months of age with “Bouncin’ Baby Time: Mommy & Me & Books” to the “Funtastic Family Story Time” where parents and children of all ages come together for stories, songs, rhymes, games, a craft and a short film.