COMMUNITY News:
The Los Alamos County Library children’s librarians and Los Alamos Juvenile Justice Advisory Board (JJAB) invite children and their parents or caregivers to a community playdate 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 3 at Mesa Public Library, 2400 Central Ave., Youth Services Zone.
This free, drop-in event is being hosted to launch the Los Alamos County Library’s new board book collection and continue to introduce the Los Alamos Affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. In addition to providing families with opportunities to peruse the board book collection and sign up for the Imagination Library, there will be play activities for children and snacks provided.
Children’s librarian Angie Manfredi has a collection of 80 board books available for circulation. These books will be on display and available for check-out Feb. 3. Many of these books are available only as board books, so this collection brings a new dimension to the library’s early childhood book collection.
This is the first time the library has created and curated a specific collection made entirely of board books. The board books are geared towards children from birth to three years, but they can be enjoyed by others outside this age group. Board books are the perfect way to engage even the youngest children in sharing books. Included in the collection are bilingual books, science books, and first words books. Children also will have the opportunity to sign up or check in for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program offered at the library.
JJAB Resource Specialists will be on hand to sign-up children for the Imagination Library. The Imagination Library is a program that promotes the love of reading by giving free, age-appropriate books to children from birth until their fifth birthday. A parent registers a child for this program at any time up until the child turns five; there is no cost to the family. Each month the child receives in the mail a carefully selected book. The only criteria for participation are age and zip code. All children under five who live in the 87544 or 87547 zip code areas are eligible.
Parents and caregivers can register their children online at www.imaginationlibrary.com or by completing an Imagination Library registration form. There are no restrictions to the number of age eligible children in a family who can be registered. Registration forms will be available at the community playdate. Children registering for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at the playdate will receive their first book while there.
The Los Alamos affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is financially supported by JJAB, the Delle Foundation, Emily Bradley Family Fund, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, Los Alamos Public Schools and the Imagination Library of Grant County.
For additional information about the community playdate call Cindy Koehler at 865.223.9362 or Angie Manfredi at 505.662.8257.
