Canton library celebrates Library Card Sign-Up Month

The summer is drawing to a close, and many children and adults are beginning to anticipate the start of a new school year. Amidst all of the planning — purchasing supplies, registration materials, new clothes, arranging the logistics of the commute — don’t forget to make good use of your public library.

What do children need to be school-ready this fall? Aside from the material objects that will help them succeed, they may also need some help preparing emotionally. Many kids, especially incoming kindergarteners or children and teenagers who are attending a new school for the first time, are nervous about starting school, and the library can help them find some stories to better prepare them for what’s coming.

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the Canton Public Library wants to make sure that every child has the most important school supply of all: a library card. Library cards are free and bring people a world of opportunity — no matter what their age.

Here are some wonderful things that people can do with their new library card: Borrow books! Find a quiet spot, curl up with a book and enjoy adult fiction or nonfiction, teen books, children’s books, audiobooks, or even downloadable e-books and magazines. Library card holders can also access the library’s computers to do research for school projects, or create an impressive report using PowerPoint. They can access their library account and renew books, place holds on books, and check out the library’s catalog — all online with their new library card.

Canton residents who wish to apply for a library card can do so by coming to the library and presenting a valid proof of address. Canton library cards may be used at all libraries in the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). For children under 13, a parent or legal guardian must present the valid proof of address for themselves and sign for the child’s card.

The library’s fall story time is also starting soon, and the library staff is anxious to welcome back all of the story-time moms and caregivers, and of course, the story-time kids. There is no registration required, so if your little ones can sit and listen to a story, please bring them in and join the fun. The current story time hours are Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

Children who attend story time will have the benefit of meeting other local children and practicing positive social skills. When they participate in the stories, songs, and rhymes, they’ll develop greater language, listening, and motor skills. They might even ask their parents to read to them at home more often. When children are exposed to reading on a regular basis, both at home and at the library, it helps to cultivate a healthy appetite for reading and using the library.

In addition to signing up for a library card, the Friends of the Canton Public Library invite residents to participate in the community–wide One Book, One Community program. The Friends have selected The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps by Michael Blanding. A Boston-based investigative journalist, Blanding is currently a senior fellow at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University.

The Friends of the Library and staff are preparing exciting programs for all ages coming this October to explore the issues raised in the book, culminating with a celebration and presentation by the author, who has been in great demand throughout the region and the country.

Please note: The Canton Public Library will be closed on Monday, September 1, for the Labor Day holiday. Please have a safe and happy holiday.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 28 2014. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.