Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us May 2, 2005 Kids loving Third Tuesdays By Amanda Bolsinger Tidings Correspondent What started as a small pilot project has grown into a community supported event and an important part of many kids lives each month. Professional storyteller Anne-Louise Sterry uses string to tell a tale of a crocodile in search of a monkey’s liver during the Third Tuesday event at the Ashland library. The popular program continues and has expanded to include other libraries in Jackson County. Photos by Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings Third Tuesdays at the library, a program that brings storytellers to the library each month, is barely a year old but has had amazing success from the beginning. “This program has hit a chord,” said children’s librarian Perii Owen. “The storytellers are so masterful for one thing, and I think that people really relate to the essence of each story as something wonderful.” The program began in the winter of 2004 as a pilot program for the Ashland Library. Families that visited the library often were attracted to something new and entertaining at the library. Many young kids have been attending the event since the beginning. “We have been going since it started last year,” Jennifer Ropers said. “We really enjoyed the first one and my daughter really loved going. My son was a little too young last year but he likes it this year and can stay through the whole time.” Through word of mouth and advertising at the library, it grew so large that the library now has to issue tickets to the event. Numbers routinely were above 100 and the library was told that it had to monitor the number of people in the room. Ahlia Brown, left, 3, and her 8-year-old sister, Zaynab , react to a story during Ashland Library’s Third Tuesday story time. “We have wonderful turnout,” Owen said. “Numbers [have] been around 100 and 125 each time, and that’s all we can take.” Part of the large success of the program is due to the community support, which makes it possible to attract storytellers from around the country. Many bed and breakfasts that are a part of the Ashland Bed and Breakfast network have opened their doors to lodge the storytellers each month. “It’s an opportunity to be a part of an important aspect of the community,” said Deedie Runkel, the owner of Anne Hathaway’s cottage. “Libraries are an important part of the community and we have found it to be enriching for us and other guests as well. Everyone is a winner.” Albertsons has taken the program on and provides healthy snacks to all of the kids attending the Third Tuesday storytellings. Store Director Darryl Taylor adopted the program to be a part of Albertsons’ initiative to support local programs. Last year there were 12 storytelling performances at the Ashland branch of the library. This year the program has grown to a librarywide program that will include 42 performances spread around the 15 libraries in the system. Both Ashland and Medford host monthly storytellers, with Ashland’s being on the third Tuesday of each month and Medford’s falling on the third Wednesday so that the libraries can share storytellers. The most recent Third Tuesday storyteller was Anne-Louise Sterry of Portland. While Sterry was in the area, she did three events on Monday for the Prospect School system, Ashland’s story time on Tuesday and Medford’s even on Wednesday. “The way its working now is that the storyteller comes here one day, Medford one day, then another city for another day,” Owen said. “In June, we have an international storyteller who will be doing six performances all together. That’s how we spread it around.” DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Heloc Calenders 2005 Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation Home Equity Loans teleconferencing W2 Forms cortisol weight loss Diamonds Paris Hilton Mesothelioma Free Home-Loan Referrals Tatoos Website Design & Marketing Student Loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Tatoo Poker Games Homeschooling Auto Insurance Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Payday Loans Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams