by Molly Walsh
With over two dozen branches dotted across five counties, Timberland Regional Library has well-established roots as a source of knowledge, helping nourish the minds of the communities they serve. Nestled among the shelves of Shelton Timberland Library are low and no-cost opportunities for families, teens and adults to gather around the written word, whether reconnecting with beloved childhood stories or crafting new tales.
Programming for the youngest patrons and their families can help jumpstart a lifelong love of reading, learning and community participation. According to Kristine Techavanich, youth services librarian for Shelton Timberland Library, the bottom level of the library is a devoted space for children, tweens, teens and families, and a defining feature is an interactive pirate ship, The Jolly Reader, which opened to library patrons in early 2024. Measuring 26 feet in length, Techavanich reports that The Jolly Reader is popular amongst children and their caregivers for imaginative play. A cozy nook nestled into the ship’s interior is complete with small portholes that overlook library shelves, and the sea star pillows make it an ideal spot for enjoying a picture book.
Kids Write! is a weekly club for young aspiring authors, with space to brainstorm, craft and illustrate their own stories that can be introduced into Timberland Regional Library’s Books for Kids By Kids Collection. And among the library shelves, young readers can find, read and check out their favorite titles from, Books for Kids by Kids.
Each Thursday, attendees of Cosmic Library are transported to faraway celestial worlds, where young attendees and their caregivers can choose their own space-related adventure. From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the children’s section of Shelton Library gets a planetary makeover, where tranquil music fills the space and serene lighting is used to illuminate.
“When we turn overhead lights turn off, we hear ‘oohs and ahhs’ as children and their caregivers enjoy the lights, talking about the patterns and colors on the walls and ceilings,” said Techavanich.
Techavanich said that in particular, young Cosmic Library attendees are fans of the interactive BEAM floor game and that there are lanterns on top of the bookshelves in the children’s section for attendees interested in finding a book to read during the event. Some upcoming Cosmic Library events will be taking place on March 6, 13 and 20 and 27.
Through Dog Tales, beginning readers have the chance to strengthen their literary toolbox by reciting their favorite story to certified therapy dogs, Summer and Charley, on Thursday afternoons from 4-5 p.m. Upcoming Dog Tales events include March 6, 13, 20 and 27. Techavanich said that Summer and Charley are trained by owner Lori Lipke, and the four-legged friends work well with both younger and older children.
In the case that children are nervous to read aloud during their individual time slot, Techavanich adds that Lipke is happy to narrate the chosen story.
“While we sometimes hear that children don’t know how to read yet, we encourage other ways of engaging with books like talking about the pictures or telling their own stories,” said Techavanich. “As nonjudgemental listeners, Summer and Charley, are content to listen to children as they read aloud.”
School-age children looking for a creative outlet on certain Saturday afternoons can join Art Adventures, a journey around the globe through the lens of iconic artists and art styles. After enjoying a biographic tale about the month’s featured artist, children and families can have fun crafting drawings, collage, or other types of art in the artist’s signature style. Recent events included highlights on the abstract painter, Jackson Pollock and the bold painter and sculptor, Henri Matisse.
Sean Lotz, public services specialist for the Shelton library specializes in services for adults, including a slate of events that are enriching, provide a bridge for social connection and allow adults a rest from everyday responsibilities.
“Library programs put the attendees into a group of people they might not normally hang out with, sometimes of other socio-economic classes and other races,” said Lotz. “I consider this a number one reason why a person would want to attend — get out of your bubble and create community. Also, we have such an eclectic mix of events that might not happen elsewhere.”
On the fourth Thursday of every month, Tea, Talk and Time-Out takes place from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Craft enthusiasts are welcome to bring in a personal project to work on during the event, whether knitting, crochet, embroidery, journaling or drawing. Hot tea and sweet treats are available to share while attendees partake in casual chatter and engage in their individual hobbies. Upcoming Tea, Talk and Time-Out events will be on March 27 and April 24 .
Through Story Time for Grown-Ups, Shelton Library invites adults to reconnect with the whimsy of their childhood. Meeting each Thursday from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., attendees gather around and listen to library staff read a selection of children’s stories, as well as passages from contemporary and classic literature geared toward adults. Lotz has long been a fan of the striking illustrations often found in children’s books, which served as partial inspiration to launch this program, with additional inspiration from a former colleague.
“We used to have a children’s librarian who would practice her storytime books by reading them to the staff,” said Lotz. “I loved that! One day several months ago I was talking about how much I missed that former co-worker reading to us and someone asked the obvious question, ‘Well then, why don’t you read picture books to us?’ and then that turned into the idea of program for patrons.”
According to Lotz, readings may follow a certain theme, or there may be no direct association between stories, but each meeting does contain plenty of laughter for attendees. At a recent storytime event, Lotz read the children’s book, Bad Dog, by Mike Boldt and a passage from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, both of which contain themes of mistaken identity. Upcoming events are taking place at Shelton Timberland Library on March 6, 13, 20 and 27.
“It is like children’s story time, but there is more involved and interesting conversation about the art,” said Lotz. “Adults notice all sorts of subtle nuances in the pictures.”
Photos courtesy of Kristine Techavanich, Shelton Timberland Library.
WHAT:
Event for Children, Adults and Families at Shelton Timberland Library
WHEN:
March-April 2025
WHERE:
Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W Alder Street Shelton, WA 98584
COST:
No Cost
LEARN MORE:
https://timberland.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?locations=SH