Forty strollers were double- and triple-parked on the main floor of the Fort Washington Library in Upper Manhattan. As another one came through the door, Velda Asbury waved toward a spot beside a book stack.
Officially, Ms. Asbury is a library clerk, checking books in and out. But every Wednesday she doubles as a parking attendant during one of theNew York P ublic Library’s most popular programs: story time.
A library tradition is being refashioned to emphasize early literacy and better prepare young children for school, and drawing many new fans in the process.
By WINNIE HU on November 1, 2015. Photo by Sam Hodgson for The New York Times.Watch in Times Video »
“Good morning, little people,” she called out, as the library’s youngest patrons climbed, or were carried, up an old wooden staircase to the second floor for a 45-minute romp through books and music.
Among parents of the under-5 set, spots for story time have become as coveted as seats for a hot Broadway show like “Hamilton.” Lines stretch down the block at some branches, with tickets given out on a first-come-first-served basis because there is not enough room to accommodate all of the children who show up. Read more...
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| Children settled into spots on the floor during story time at the Fort Washington Library last month. Sam Hodgson for The New York Times |
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