“After a few weeks of adjusting to this new lifestyle and working to plan online programs, I am happy to finally announce FSPL’s first virtual storytimes,” Valetta Cannon, Fort Scott Public Library

The first week’s schedule will run as follows:

Bears Storytime on Zoom (if possible, the meeting will be recorded and made available after it ends).

 11 am

Bears Storytime on Facebook Live (we may post the video on the library’s YouTube channel as well).

Join Miss Val online for the first virtual storytimes.

“Our first virtual storytime will take place through the Zoom platform, which can be fully accessed on any pc with a camera and headset, smartphone, or tablet with online access through the following link: https://kslib.zoom.us/j/725385019 ,” Cannon said.

Be sure to only click the link at the start of the meeting time. The full application will allow families to see and interact with one another, in addition to being a part of storytime. If you cannot access or do not want to use the full application, you still may listen in to the meeting by phone at either of the following numbers:

301-715-8592 or 253-215-8782.

“Thank you to Christy Peterson Graves for the suggestion of the subject: Bears. We will go on a bear hunt and share a simple craft together, after spending a few minutes socializing,” Cannon said.

“I will be filming the storytime in my house and reading ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ but will encourage participating families to put up bears for their neighbors to find as they walk and drive around town,” Cannon said.

This week’s craft:

Paper plate bear mask.

Materials required: Paper plate with the center cut out, craft stick, tape or glue, crayons, brown paper for cutting out ears (other colors welcome, too). Alternative materials: A styrofoam plate would also work, cut out circles from a paper bag can be used for the ears, any straight object that the plate can be taped or glued to, and colored pencils or markers also work for coloring.

“Thank you for your patience as we work out the kinks and launch this different version of storytime,” Cannon said.

For activity suggestions and more see the library’s Storytime Pinterest board.

Read digital books related to the theme at Sunflower eLibrary or Hoopla Digital (seknfind.org account required) or Kansas State Library Kids’ ebooks (for residents of Kansas only).

Check out the library’s Facebook page to track all upcoming events.