This week Liverpool Libraries have celebrated National Bookstart week with two page turning events for local children.
Sefton Park Palm House was the scene of literary merriment when children and their parents enjoyed an afternoon of storytelling, crafts, face painting, wildlife workshops and rhyme time games, in order to celebrate National Bookstart week, followed by a similar event later the same afternoon, in Stanley Park in Walton.
Liverpool Libraries don’t take a textbook approach to children’s books, there are regularly scheduled early years events at libraries across the city for children and parents.
Alongside this, working with BookTrust, they provide a Bookstart Baby Bag which is gifted from 0-12 months, predominantly through health visitors and a Bookstart Treasure Gift is given at 3-4 years of age, through a number of settings including nurseries and pre-schools.
Bookstart is the world’s first national bookgifting programme, established in 1992 and run by the reading charity BookTrust. They aims to promote and encourage families to share books, stories and rhymes as early as possible. It is based on the premise that children who have an early introduction to books and are read to every day, benefit educationally, culturally, socially and emotionally.
Deputy Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism & Events, Councillor Wendy Simon said;
‘Encouraging children to visit libraries and enjoy the pleasure of reading is something we always aspire to do, BookTrust help ensure the building blocks of this with Bookstart.
This effort is then continued by our dedicated library staff ensuring that children and parents are welcomed at local library, and have access to the best possible service that we can provide.’
