Library features Kids Corner

Walls painted in bright primary colors, a puppet theater, an Imagination Station, a large hollow tree, and a colorful alphabet rug are not the trappings of the libraries of old, where silence was the rule and card files directed users to the books.

The Sisters Library bears little resemblance to old-school institutions. The Kids Corner is an open, exciting, and inviting space where the voices of happy, engaged children can be heard, especially during Thursday-morning story time. The little ones are encouraged to play, read, talk, write, rhyme and sing.

The residents of Sisters Country are invited to an Open House to view the fully equipped Kids Corner at the Sisters Library, including the Early Learning Space, on Thursday, February 13, starting at 9:30 a.m. prior to the library's opening. There will be coffee and treats available.

Designed to integrate traditional library services with education, the activities and materials in the early literacy space of the Kids Corner allow the birth-to-5-year-old crowd to play while practicing skills needed to be ready to read. It has been determined that children who have these kinds of opportunities are excited and ready to learn when they enter school.

As part of a district-wide campaign to establish specific Early Learning Spaces (ELS) in each community's branch, the Sisters Library has enlisted the support of local businesses to sponsor the Imagination Station within the ELS. The station is a child-sized wooden storefront with counter and shelves and a sign above displaying the name of the sponsoring business.

For the first six months of 2014, the sponsor is Lutton's Ace Hardware. With the $500 provided by the local Ace store, toys, puzzles and other manipulatives have been purchased that are representative of things found in a typical hardware store - toy tools, wheelbarrow, hard-hats, reflective vests, and building materials (Lincoln Logs). The children are encouraged to engage their imagination with their parents and peers using the available materials.

Paige Bentley-Flannery, children's/community librarian, is excited about the new space.

"I'm hoping it's going to encourage more interactive play and fun learning between young children and their parents," she said. "What a great way to promote creativity and experience lots of books."

The Sisters Folk Festival is already lined up to sponsor the second half of this year, which will include all things musical. Melvin's Fir Street Market has agreed to be the third sponsor, with a grocery-store theme. Any business wishing to be a sponsor or wanting more information may contact Zoe Schumacher at [email protected]

The Imagination Station is available to children any time the library is open, as is the interactive puppet theater. Another offering for the younger set is the Music, Movement and Stories program held throughout the year. Check the Deschutes County Library event guide available at the library and also published in The Bulletin.

Zoe and her staff at the Sisters Library have been able to make many improvements in the Kids Corner, creating an attractive and usable space for not only the younger children but also for those ages 6 to 12. The room is subtly divided in half with bookshelves so the older children have a place to study, read, and use the computers while not feeling they are in a "little kids'" space.

All of the improvements have been possible because of a generous gift from the Friends of the Sisters Library, who received a bequest from the estate of Pearl Gent, a member of the original District Library Board as well as the Oregon State Library Board. Mrs. Gent was a big supporter of childhood literacy, and her gift will have a lasting impact on the children in Sisters. The bequest was enhanced with some money from the Deschutes County Library System.