Library introduces audio storytelling for children

Library offerings and who can participate are both expanding with the addition of tonies and more accessible out-of-town library cards.

Gibson Memorial Library recently announced the popular kids audio player Tonieboxes will be added to their collection. These boxes use audio storytelling to introduce children too young to read, or just learning to read, to narrative storytelling. A tonie can be added to the Toniebox to tell a story, each tonie sharing a different narrative.

“Thanks to memorial donations and some donations by our Friends [of the Library], we are launching a new children’s collection,” Gibson Memorial Library Director Danielle Dickinson Thaden said. “We know that for young children especially, hearing speech, hearing songs is so important for their early literacy development, so I’ve been thinking about how we can meet that need.”

The library decided tonies were the solution. The boxes are screenless, wireless and don’t require wifi.

“It plays audio from little figures that you set on top, which means that they’re extremely child friendly. My one-year-old can place his tonies on top and listen to the music and songs and stories of his choice,” Dickinson Thaden said. “I think that we may have to build a little bit of awareness about what they are for those folks who don’t know yet, but for the toddler parents, it could be a game changer.”

As of now, the library has two Tonieboxes and about 40 characters to choose from.

Out-of-town cards

After a handful of requests from non-Iowa residents temporarily working in Union County, the library will be offering one-year subscription cards at $50 apiece.

“We hade a rate of about $31 per capita for in-town residents to use our library,” Dickinson Thaden said. “I did just a little searching along around the state to see who else offers kind of subscription cards. One that did was Pella and they charge $50 a year, so I penciled that in.”

Board members agreed the rate should be higher for out-of-town residents than what the library receives for Union County residents. These subscription cards will be non-refundable and cannot be used for online Libby services due to the State Library of Iowa’s contract with the company.

The board unanimously passed allowing out-of-town cards, something they noted will be especially helpful for railroad and wind turbine workers visiting.

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