Never too Young for a Book!

Give your child a head start

Sharing a book together is an ideal way to prepare your child for learning to read. It may seem a long way ahead, but did you know that children need to have a vocabulary of 2000 words before they can learn to read?

Start now...

Borrow a book from your library: talk about the story, the pictures, the characters. Imagine what might happen next... Enjoy books together and you will be developing your child's vocabulary and imagination, paving the way towards learning to read.

Never too young

Children of only a few months enjoy nursery rhymes like "Humpty Dumpty sat on the Wall" and "Round and Round the Garden"! The list is endless. Bold, bright, colourful pictures will hold a very young attention. A favourite book can become a friend to a small child, having a calming effect in many circumstances - in a crowded waiting room or bus and, best of all, at bedtime.Sharing books about new situations which may be worrying a child, such as a visit to a hospital or the arrival of a new baby in the family, can be reassuring and help to overcome their fears.

Looking after children?

The library has books on child care and development, ideas for children's parties, collections of finger and action rhymes to use with children ... and much more

Playgroup loans

Special loans are available for playgroups.

Friendly staff

The library has friendly staff to help you choose the best book for you and your child, and to answer any questions you might have.

How do you start?

As soon as you want to borrow books for your child - and remember, you can register them as soon as they are born - fill in a simple form at your library. The number and type of items you can borrow may vary according to which library you use. No charge will be made for accidental damage to books used with a child under five years of age.