Coronavirus shutdown: York Region libraries offer virtual story time, online programs

Virtual Reading Rainbow: Favourite stories read by childhood heroes and celebrities such as Dolly Parton and LeVar Burton

Yorkregion.com
April 17, 2020
Amanda Persico

For many of us, being safe at home during the coronavirus shutdown means reading and re-reading every book on the shelf. Many are getting tired of reading the same stories over and over again to our children.

Libraries across York Region are offering virtual story times with a different story being read each week, giving parents and kids a needed break from the same old stories.

Along with virtual stories, libraries across York Region are also hosting a number of virtual programs, from LEGO art challenges to coding for kids and from virtual technical support to concerts at home.

Celebrities from childhood TV shows and movies are also joining in on the reading fun, offering virtual story times with a familiar voice and character behind the words on the pages.

Check out this list of virtual offerings from your local library.

Bradford Public Library
Online story time each Tuesday and Thursday. The stories are accompanied with a family craft to create at home, using many items already found at home.

East Gwillimbury Public Library
The new Stay at Home Library series features a collection of virtual story time sessions and coding programs.

Get virtual technical support through the online series with topics such as video chat options, audiobook basics and how-to distance learning sessions.

Georgina Public Library
Munsch Mondays with fun, read-aloud, goofy storytelling based on the Robert Munsch collection.

Reading Buddies featuring videos from some teen big buddies.

Read Play Learn with hands-on activities and stories for toddlers to develop early literacy.

Ready Set Kindergarten for stories, songs and play-based activities, as well as some practice on classroom manners. 

Newmarket Public Library
Children’s Online Story Time each week;

Online presentations from the History Hound via ZOOM;

Playing the Short Game: How to Market and Sell Short Fiction goes online. Douglas Smith of the Writer’s Community of York Region will lead a free three-part online workshop.

Markham Public Library
Virtual Circle Time, an interactive session with songs, rhymes, finger play and a story.

Book a Librarian to get 30 minutes of one-on-one assistance on topics such as job searches, research and homework help.

Ask MPL to connect with the library’s virtual reference desk via web chat.

Richmond Hill Public Library
The library hosts a variety of online activities, including live Family Storytime, LEGO mosaic challenges, Concerts in Your Home and virtual book and film club sessions.

Library staff have curated days of activities and daily Learning Adventures.

Vaughan Public Library
Vaughan Public Library at Home offers a fully digital public library with a variety of free online resources, recommended learning resources from the public and Catholic school boards, collection of eBooks, TV streaming and music library programs.

A livestream of Storytime each day through the library’s social media channels, as well as STEM activity videos, French programs, and online book clubs. 

Here are some other virtual story times hosted by your favourite characters and celebrities:
LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow fame hosts a live reading on his @LeVarBurton Twitter feed, with different times for children, youth and adults stories. He also hosts and narrates a podcast of handpicked adult short fiction.

Good Night with Dolly: Snuggle in tight as each night Dolly Parton reads a collection from the Imagination Library.

Storyline Online: A collection of children’s stories read by your favourite celebrity, from Betty White to Viola Davis and from Rami Malek to Chris O’Dowd.