Wesson Public Library reaches out to babies

Special to Wesson News

No one is too young to use a library.

That’s how Marilyn Britt at Wesson Public Library (WPL) sees it, and she has been guiding a unique program there over the past few weeks to reach an age group she thinks libraries forget.  Babies.  The little ones from zero-years old to two-years old.

A prize basket full of baby goods for moms lured mothers with their babies to WPL to participate in a special drawing that was the centerpiece of the local library’s Books & Babies program during April.

“Mothers came to the library with their babies to sign them up for library cards and, in the process, register for the drawing,” Britt explained.

On their visits to the library, the moms learned about library resources for babies, read to their babies and also allowed their children to use the special books that feature not easily damaged hard board covers and colorfully illustrated simple short stories, often with Christian themes, and nursery rhymes.

“We hope the visits started reading and library use habits for moms and their babies alike,” Britt says.

According to Britt, reading to babies provides numerous developmental and relational benefits for them: fostering language

skills, building vocabulary, promoting brain development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. It also helps babies learn about the world around them and develop their attention and listening skills. 

“Babies hear and learn new words through reading, expanding their receptive and expressive vocabulary,” she pointed out.  “Reading aloud helps babies become familiar with the sounds of language, which is a crucial foundation for later reading skills. Reading to babies early on lays the groundwork for future literacy development, such as understanding that words are written and that print carries meaning. Reading aloud stimulates brain development, especially during the early years when the brain is rapidly developing.” 

Britt says she knows of no other libraries with programs geared to babies – “certainly not in the area, probably not in the state, and only a few nationally.”  “Wesson Public Library is a leader in bringing resources to all age groups,” she says.