The COVID-19 pandemic may have changed several things in the past few months, but one of the few things it hasn’t impacted was the Southlake Public Library’s story time. With librarians Heidi Chupp and Karen Jolley reading all sorts of books to their young readers, the only thing that has changed is story time has moved online. As Texas continues to face the pandemic, Heidi and Karen will be there to give children the digital respite they need during this uncertain time.
How long have you been with the Southlake Public Library? What do you love most about it?
Heidi Chupp: I started working at the library in June 2019. As children grow more familiar with our songs, rhymes and routines, Karen and I can watch the transformation from shy, hesitant and silent to smiling, enthusiastic and engaging as the weeks go by. When children know that you love them and care about them, they respond. It's like watching flowers open up.
Karen Jolley: I’ve been with the Southlake Public Library for two years now. I love to watch the faces of children while Ms. Heidi and I are reading to them or singing a rhyme. You can see when they’ve reached that moment when they are totally immersed in the story, and their emotions are just so visible.
Where did the idea come from to start hosting digital story time?
Heidi: After the library closed to the public, Stacy Wells, our youth librarian, was the one who gave us direction to start online story times. We did two over Facebook Live and then were able to record two more before we all started working from home. We're still recording and posting story times, just shorter ones separately.
Karen: When she first told us about digital story times, my first thought was nope. But the more we talked about it, it became a way that we could reach our little ones and their grown-ups. We have some children who come to both of our story time days, and to just stop cold turkey would seem so abrupt. And of course, I never got to tell them goodbye. That was really hard.
What is the biggest difference between your regular story time and the digital story times?
Heidi: I think the biggest difference is the interaction that naturally comes from being together as a group, that back-and-forth that helps you know if it's time to move on to the next page or the next song, if kids would like to do that action rhyme again, or if they laughed at the story. It's definitely a strange feeling to create a story time without any direct feedback.
Karen: The biggest difference in our story times now is the length of time we’re able to connect. I like to play with the kids, feel like they’re having fun. I think the consolation now is that they can watch it and if they want to, go back and watch and enjoy it all over again. And I have to say that I really miss working alongside Ms. Heidi. I really enjoy being part of our team, and doing it solo really feels different.
How did you get more comfortable reading in front of the camera?
Heidi: It has definitely taken time and lots of practice! In addition to practicing, going back and watching myself — as uncomfortable as that can be — has also helped me learn and improve.
Karen: It became easier and more comfortable as we saw how many people were watching and how far away we were reaching some people. It just seemed to become something that mattered and made people happy. It’s a lot easier doing something when you get the feedback that it does make a difference. It makes me happy being able to do something that is helpful to others.
What was the response like to digital story times?
Heidi: There has been such a positive response! I am so happy that we've been able to find ways to stay connected to our community and let them know that we care about them. I think it's fantastic that we've been able to extend our reach beyond Southlake, too. I’ve heard from friends in other states and even other countries who watch regularly. Who would've thought?
Karen: The response to our videos has been wonderful. I don’t know who and where people are watching, but I love that even the little ones in my own family get to see them and connect with me.
How do you feel about continuing these digital story times throughout the pandemic?
Heidi: One thing we really wanted to do with our online story times was bring some familiarity and comfort to the children we'd normally see at the library — who are now, like the rest of us, in a new normal at home. That has really been on the front of my mind as I plan and record each story time. The library is truly a treasure, and if we can give more people the opportunity to benefit from all it has to offer, then I'm all for that.
Karen: I believe that we will be doing the digital story times for a while until there is a feeling that we can all be together again. I don’t know when that will be — no one really does. So for now, we really want to continue being a place that people want to come and be a part of.