Books Are Transformative: a Story of Daycare Delivery

By Alice S.

When I was a mom with a newborn, I was skeptical of how an eight-week-old could benefit from a book.  Sure, the contrast in colors (red, black, white) seemed like it’d help eye development, but babies can’t read.  I read to my infant anyway and as she got older, she began to turn the pages (dexterity and fine-motor skills). I pondered, maybe there’s more to board books than I thought. 

Yes, I’m a librarian.  Yes, I was a double-major in English and writing.  But until the evidence became literally visible to me, I was a skeptic.  I attended storytimes, I went to different programs, and I read to my daughter every night.  Books became more than just a story.  

Fast forward a few years and I had a toddler and a new baby who were headed to daycare.  Though it was hard to leave my, now two, girls at daycare, I felt lucky that it was a small in-home daycare.  It gave more one-on-one time and had a comfortable setting. 

While working, library staff were talking about Daycare Delivery.  Staff or volunteers bring a couple bins of library items to in-home daycares. Insert giant lightbulb over my head. This is what my girls needed!  I took an enrollment form to my daycare lady and got her signed up.  My two girls, who were now booklovers, had a whole new avenue of looking at books I didn’t necessarily have available at home.  Book delivery day became a new favorite day for all the littles at the daycare!  

Kids are tough on books – whether they chew on the board books, rip the page(s), or bend the cover, it can get costly to keep up your own personal library at home.  Siouxland Libraries can not only supplement your library, they can also help supplement the library at in-home daycares.  If your littles go to an in-home daycare, ask the provider if they’ve heard about Daycare Delivery.  If someone in your neighborhood has a daycare, share about Daycare Delivery.  For the details click here. 

The more we share about resources in our community, the richer our lives will be.  Siouxland Libraries has so much to offer and book delivery day can be another daycare’s favorite day, too. Enrich the lives of the littles in your life and those littles will grow and perhaps will become bookworms like mine.