The West Oakland Library has been provided with a grant that allows for five Day Home classes to take a trip on a bus to the Library. There, the children have a story time and then browse the library to check out a book to bring back to school. This is a wonderful experience for the children as they “read” and share their books with their peers. It is a wonderful sight to observe the children “reading” their story using techniques that imitate their teachers.
The West Oakland Library works with our older classes to ensure that every child has a library card. These cards are kept at the library, making it possible for the parents to take their child to the library to check out books, listen to stories and spend quality time discovering their local library. Once the child leaves Saint Vincent’s Day Home, they are given their library card in hopes that they will continue using the library beyond their time with us.
Beyond the trips, the librarian speaks at a parent meeting held by Day Home annually to educate the parents on the importance of literacy experiences for their child and for the family. This is done in the hopes that parents will understand the benefits of reading for their child, and will continue their child’s relationship with the library.