CAPC

The Hamilton Public Library provides a variety of resources for families and children to develop early literacy and lifelong learning skills, including participation in Summer Reading Club, visits from local authors and regular storytimes for parents/caregivers and children ages 0-6 with a focus on newcomer families.

Through the library, families have access to picture books, dual language books, music and online media.  For new Canadian families this can help break down language and cultural barriers, and promote reading, early learning, language development and library use. HPL recently introduced Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Online - eBooks for kids in 25+ languages, with English translations.

The Summer Reading Club is designed to reach out to children over the summer months by providing literacy-based programs and opportunities to discover reading for fun in east Hamilton at various locations.

Annual author visits for kindergarten-aged children encourage thinking about how to tell stories and how books are made. It gives children a unique opportunity to meet an author/illustrator and discover new books.

Storytimes provide parents and caregivers with supports for their child’s early learning success and are designed to develop literacy skills.  Elements of storytime benefit newcomer families as they discover picture books, flannel boards, finger plays and puppets through a variety of songs, rhymes and stories fostering early language development and a love of reading.