Spanish Storytime in May

Cass County Public Library’s Northern Resource Center (NRC) in Belton is excited to offer Spanish Storytime for the month of May. Each Monday in May, except for Memorial Day on May 30, NRC will host a storytime for Spanish speakers and families who are looking for a fun and educational activity for their preschool children. Each storytime will be planned by children’s specialist Kasey Gilbert Poindexter, and led by Betty Kille, a retired teacher and former daycare provider with over 40 years of experience.

Children will learn their Spanish ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes, opposites, and more during the course of the month. Teen specialist and Spanish speaker Elizabeth Nachtigall will accompany Mrs. Kille in singing traditional Spanish nursery rhymes. Each session will end with an unstructured playtime, allowing families to mingle. Storytime begins at 9:30 am and will last about 40 minutes (playtime included). It is structured for children 18 months to 4 years old and their caregivers.

The idea to offer a Spanish storytime is one way that NRC is hoping to engage with the Latino community in Cass County. “There is a strong Spanish-speaking population within the Belton and Raymore area that is currently underrepresented. Hosting a Spanish language storytime at the library is a wonderful way for the Cass County Public Library to serve that segment of our community,” said NRC Branch Manager, Rod Inman.

Library assistant Jess Mendez has noted that there already seems to be a strong interest in the program stating, “Multiple patrons have expressed excitement regarding the upcoming Spanish storytime.” The library hopes the program will grow by word-of-mouth throughout the community.

The program will also highlight CCPL’s Spanish collection, a diverse and growing collection that includes fiction and non-fiction books for both adults and children, as well as the newspaper, Dos Mundos. “This program is a way for us to let our Spanish-speaking community members know that the library has quality materials for them. We want them to use the resources that their tax dollars help pay for,” said Poindexter.

Families that are interested in attending the Spanish storytime can plan to come without any registration. The library is located in the North Cass Shopping Center next to Furniture Deals. If you would like to sign up for a library card to check out items, please bring valid photo identification and proof of address, and ask for an application at the front desk.