When we were kids, we would both go to our local libraries and choose our books for the week. It was so much fun and, in mom, it developed a lifelong love of reading. You can do that at your local library but you can also do so much more.
If you go to the events page, you will quickly see the plethora of activities available either virtually or in person. There are twenty-six libraries so there is sure to be one convenient to your house.
When our kid was little, we walked to the Northeast library for their weekly story time. We also participated in some of their special event days like the celebration of Dr. Suess’ birthday. She came home with a Cat in the Hat hat that was absolutely adorable.
Right now, many of the in-person events are not taking place but you can pick up kits to do activities at home or log on to do events virtually. There are things for kids of all ages. Mom saw a book club that looks very interesting to her. There are other book clubs for teens that look great for that age group.
Do you or your child need to learn a new computer skill? The library has many beginner computer classes that won’t cost you a dime. Are you looking for a new job? The resources available are plentiful for that too.
When the kid’s school moved to virtual learning, many of the parents had challenges with helping to do school work. Mom’s big issue was that she didn’t exactly understand how the math assignments were to be completed. We wish that we would have know about the free live homework help offered at the library. It is available for kids in grade kindergarten through the 12th grade from 1-10 and is available both in Spanish and English.
Does your teen need a summer job or volunteer hours? You guessed it. The library has resources for that too. Once they are starting to think about college, the library has them covered for that too.
The library has resources for kids of just about any age. They have a section on their website that will breakdown what is available by age groups and that starts even before they are born.
One of the greatest offerings is the Books from Birth program. Mom loves Dolly Parton. One more reason to adore her is that she has started a foundation that teams up with libraries across the country to provide free books that are mailed to kids from the time they are born until they reach the age of five. It is completely free and there are no income requirements. We were able to get these for the kid when she was a toddler and she enjoyed every single book. Now that she is nearly nine, we still read some of those books.
The DC Public Libraries can meet so many of a family’s needs. It is often an overlooked solution that has something for everyone. The best part is that almost everything is free.
