Family literacy starts with reading at home, but finding time for that can be a huge difficulty and learning how to do it effectively can be even more of a hurdle! The Putnam County Library System StorybookSMASH Family Literacy Program, sponsored by a grant from the Kislak Family Foundation and the Florida Literacy Coalition, is aimed at teaching parents how to start doing more than just reading to their kids. It’s about teaching them how to engage with their children through books through exciting, expressive, interactive storytelling and open-ended questions that encourage creative thinking and forming opinions on their own.

Each branch of the Putnam County Library System will host an eight-week program on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:00 PM. Each week will focus on a different positive trait, such as diversity, honesty, courage, and individuality. The basic schedule is:

• 6:30 – Families arrive, sign in, turn in book bags, and eat dinner
• 7:00 – Storytime begins. Families will help transform the area and set chairs in a circle. Children ages 0-5 will be taken to a separate area for crafts, stories and games, while parents and children ages 6 and up will stay for storytime
• 7:30 – PACT Activity discussion
• 7:45 – Families help stack chairs and clear the spaces, then head to the circulation desk to pick up their book bags with books to read for next week.
• 8:00 – Families and staff leave.

A major component of StorybookSMASH is the Parent And Child Together Activity, also known as the PACT Activity. The activity for this year’s programming will be writing storybooks. Each family will produce a storybook written and drawn by the family together. These books will be printed and bound, and the family will receive a copy of the finished book while a copy will also be added into the library system at each branch.

StorybookSMASH has been made possible by the Kislak Family Foundation and Florida Literacy Coalition who provided the grant funding the food and PACT Activity book printing, the Putnam County Board of County Commissioners and the Putnam-Alachua-Levy Public Library Cooperative who provided the books through the library system, and the Putnam County Library Board who have provided support and sponsorship for materials.

The event is every Thursday, from 6:30 - 8:00. The dates for the events at the branches are as follows:

• Palatka Library:  September 7 - October 26
• Interlachen Library: October 26 - December 21 (Excluding November 24)
• Crescent City: January 4 - February 22
• Bostwick:  February 22 - April 11
• Melrose:  March 7 - April 25

Registration is required for this event.  You may pick up a registration form at any Putnam County Library or print one off yourself by clicking here and bringing it in to your local Putnam County Library.

The StorybookSMASH Family Literacy Program has been made possible through the generous support of our partners.