Libraries are known to offer story times for young children with read-alouds, shaky eggs, and action rhymes; but it’s not often those story times are outside the library’s walls. This past fall, the Camden County Library System hosted eight pop up story times in local parks located throughout Camden County. The story times were outside, rain or shine, and included stories, songs, and stretches. After the story time was finished, children played on the park’s playground equipment.
Pop Up Programming was more than just story time – it was essentially a mobile library! Library staff set up a mobile check-out station and had a wagon full of family-friendly titles to borrow on the spot. Children and adults were even able to sign up for a library card and immediately use it. The events quickly gained a following and offered families an easy way to get involved without having to make the trip to one of the Library’s 8 locations around the county.
During the course of the series, staff connected with other community agencies to add even more to the story times. At Newton Lake Park, the Westmont Fire Department made a firetruck and ambulance available for the kids to explore. At Ptlm Daniel Calabrese Memorial Park, the Winslow Twp Police Department handed out stickers and invited families to check out their patrol cars.
This pop up series paved the way for other pop up story time events, including a nine week series at the Orchards Family Success Center and an upcoming pop up event at the Winslow Township Police Station. The Camden County Library System has other pop up plans and continues to find new and engaging ways to meet the people in their communities.
Submitted by
Christen Orbanus
Branch Manager
Camden County Library System