The Road to Learning Begins at the Library

Where in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area can your child have the joy of meeting a big red dog, a cat in a hat, a curious monkey, a persnickety train and a bespectacled man named Mr. Pine who confused a whole town when he lost his glasses?
 
At the library, of course.

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and if you and your children didn’t make it to your local library to get their first library card, put it at the top of the to-do list for October. According to the American Library Association, the observance was launched in 1987 to meet the challenge of then-Secretary of Education William J. Bennett who said: "Let's have a national campaign ... every child should obtain a library card -- and use it."  

It’s never too early to introduce your child to books. Thanks to preschool story times at a number of our local libraries, even children growing up in the digital age can learn to love the wonders of books before they learn to read. 

But don't just take our word for it. According to the U.S. Department of Education, here is the countdown to the Top 4 reasons children should have a library card:​

4. Opening New Worlds: Most Americans see the library as an educational support center for students of all ages. For parents in particular, helping their children enjoy reading is one of the most important things they can do.  Reading is fundamental to student development and learning; reading sparks curiosity and imagination. And this is where the library card comes in; it opens wide the world of books.
3. Expert Help: Not only does the public library have books for parents and children to take home and share or read on their own, it has librarians to help locate specific books for every age group and on any and every topic imaginable. And being able to use all of these wonderful books is free to the cardholder!
2. Getting Connected: About 30 percent of all students do not have home access to the Internet, according to the Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, so for these students having a library card is extra important. The Library is a hot spot for free Internet access and word processing computers, and even computer classes and Internet instruction are available. In addition, libraries often offer free programs on everything from astronomy to zoo keeping and writing resumes to learning a language, as well as summer reading programs that keep those reading skills strong during summer vacation.
1. Student Success: For all students, the card provides the information resources they need to succeed in school and in life. Resources not only include free access to eBooks and eAudioBooks, online databases for articles and reports, encyclopedias and test preparation materials, but also free access to library staff who can help find additional materials to complete homework assignments, recommend an interesting read for an upcoming book report or teach how to select and use a database to research a science project.  Since most public libraries have Web sites, many services are available from the Internet 24×7.