ROANOKE, Va. – Thanks to a new Library of Virginia program, you can now do storytime with the kids from your phone. It’s called Dial-A-Story and it launched this month.
Here’s how it works: grab your phone, dial 833-690-0646, choose either English or Spanish and take a listen. The phone line is available all day, every day and the book changes each week.
The books vary from folk tales to books highlighting equity, diversity and inclusion.
Amber Lowery, manager of youth services at Roanoke Public Libraries, said it’s a fun way to encourage kids to read and see reading as an experience, not a chore.
“As librarians, we’re always trying to find new and creative ways to help a child experience literature and so this is another multi-sensory activity that you can do with your child that allows them to hear a story, especially read by different people in different languages,” said Lowery.
She also mentioned to help your kids learn a different language, have them listen to both versions.
The stories are played on a voicemail box so books are read in under five minutes.
Volunteers currently read the books in English and in Spanish. The Library of Virginia plans to ask for more volunteers between January and June 2022.