The children at The Nest Schools of Clayton notice when something changes. A fresh group of books appears in their reading area each month, and it does not take long for little hands to start reaching for them.
Some children settle in with a book during morning or afternoon transition time. Others quickly discover a new favorite. For Assistant Director Tina Joyce and Senior Director Melissa Bogue, those reactions show what can happen when books are placed within easy reach.
“They look forward to seeing what is new, and sometimes they do not want to leave until their parent reads with them,” said Joyce. “You get to see that excitement over a book become time they are sharing together.”
Those books come from Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library through Books-to-Go, an outreach service that brings library materials into organizations throughout Clayton. The Nest is one of the local institutions currently taking part.
The service is available to eligible organizations within the Town of Clayton limits, including childcare centers, preschools, senior centers, civic centers and other community groups. Participants can receive a new selection of library materials about once a month to refresh what is available at their facility.
Before those books ever reach The Nest, Library Associate Maria Bilichka spends time among the shelves in the library’s Children’s Room deciding what will make the trip.
As part of a recent delivery, she pulled books about rain and firefighters along with bilingual selections and stories about an everyday childhood milestone like potty training. Individual titles cannot be requested through the institutional service, but staff can consider reading levels and genres when choosing materials.
For Bilichka, finding that mix is an opportunity to put something unexpected into a child’s hands.
“You never know which book is going to be the one a child wants to hear again and again,” said Bilichka. “If we can put different stories in front of them, we are giving them more chances to find something that makes them curious and excited to read.”
Participating organizations may borrow up to 50 items at a time for four weeks. The materials stay at the facility, giving children and other community members plenty of opportunities to explore them before they are returned.
That means a trip to the library is not the only way someone can discover what is on its shelves. Through Books-to-Go, stories can reach people where they are already learning, spending time, and connecting with others.
“The library is a community resource, and we want children to know it belongs to them, too,” said Bilichka. “If we can introduce that feeling early, I hope they carry it with them and know there is always a place where they can come to explore.”
At The Nest, that relationship extends beyond Books-to-Go. Library staff have also visited the school to read with classes, including during Literacy Week. Bogue said whenever the school has reached out, staff have been ready to take part.
For Bogue, that connection introduces children and their families to people and resources they might not otherwise encounter.
“Only good comes from having that relationship,” said Bogue. “Children are learning to love reading, families are spending time together, and they are connecting with people in their community. It is not only the book that matters. It is everything that can happen around it.”
Sometimes that means discovering a firefighter book and wanting to know more. Other times, it is hearing a story in another language or asking a parent to sit down for one book before leaving for the day.
Those are the moments Joyce and Bogue see when Books-to-Go arrives at The Nest. The books will change again next month. New covers will fill the shelves, different stories will be waiting, and, if the past is any indication, the children will notice.
The next group of books could be headed to another place in Clayton. Organizations interested in Books-to-Go can learn more about the service and find out how to take part.
Applications, eligibility requirements and full-service guidelines are available at ClaytonLibraryNC.org/BooksToGo.