Oct. 21, 2024 – The lights are low at Sensory Story Time, and Programming Librarian Renee Greenlee speaks in a quiet voice as she reads books and leads the small group of children and caregivers who gather at the Downtown Library each Thursday in songs and activities.

This weekly story time, which Greenlee started in the fall of 2023, is designed to be less hectic and stimulating than the other story times the library holds, which can be crowded, noisy mornings attended by dozens of toddlers.

The quieter Sensory Story Time has made all the difference for children like Sawyer, a three-year-old who attends with his sister and grandparents. When he first started coming, he didn’t speak to anyone, Greenlee said, but now he participates in activities alongside the other children.

“He’s very shy. Renee has been so patient with him. She didn’t push, she let him participate at his level, whatever he felt comfortable with,” his grandmother, Becky, said. “The other story time was too big and too loud for him. He gets overwhelmed, so this is perfect.”

The Sensory Story Time is just one way library staff work to increase access to early literacy activities. Along with public programs for young children at the library, staff do outreach throughout the year to area preschools and visit pre-K to second grade classrooms at Cedar River Academy at Taylor Elementary and Johnson STEAM Academy Magnet School.

In FY2024, that outreach included 173 visits to classrooms and 73 visits to preschools. Many of the preschool visits are sponsored by Cargill Cares via the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation and include free books for children to take home once a month, along with enrichment activities for caregivers to do at home.

“We’re providing literacy enrichment. We’re not their classroom instructors teaching reading, but I see us as part of the puzzle of literacy in general. Kids can see reading modeled in a fun way. Once that’s established, a solid foundation of a love of reading is formed,” Greenlee said. “We are making that connection.”

Greenlee said whether the staff are holding public programs in the library or going out into the community, they’re always looking for ways to engage children in reading.

“It’s also about access – even though some of the places we go aren’t that far from the library, sometimes people still can’t get here for a variety of reasons, whether that’s transportation, work shifts, or other things,” she said. “We’re not serving just one group. We want to serve as many people as we can, and everyone deserves to feel welcome at the library and feel this is a place for them.”