Early Childhood Education and Care & Joy of Reading
Daycare and pre-school groups are welcome to visit the library. You can either visit the library independently with your group or book a guided visit. Libraries can organize a short guidance or storytime session for visits that have been booked in advance. For more information, please contact your local library. Mobile library Onneli visits daycare centres in Oulu.
Daycare groups can participate in open storytime sessions at libraries. Remember to enroll your group in advance. You can view your local library's storytime session schedule on Oulu City Library event website (in Finnish).
We organize online storytime sessions for daycare groups. Invitation letters are sent to early childhood education units via email. The letter includes further instructions on how to participate.
You can request book recommendations and library material packages on a topic of your choice at libraries and mobile libraries. Tips and recommendations can also be found at OUTI Web Library (in Finnish). Library Route website provides educators and teachers with book recommendations on a variety of topics (in Finnish).
Joy of Reading Service Model & Printable Materials
Pregnancy and Ages 0-2
- Library is involved in family antenatal events organized by maternity and child health clinics.
- Families receive a Lukulahja lapselle ("Gift of reading") -bag from maternity and child health clinics.
- Families receive a poster containing information on library services and pictures designed to capture the baby's attention.
- Maternity and child health clinics have designated areas for library materials. This way families visiting the clinics can get to know library services and materials.
- Library visits pre-schools 1 x / autumn and spring
- Library is involved in family events targeted for families with babies and toddlers
- Libraries organize rhymetime sessions for babies
Ages 2-6
- Each early childhood education group has the possibility to visit a local library or mobile library
- Libraries send video greetings to daycare parents' nights and family clubs
- The Mad about Reading diploma for pre-schoolers
- Online storytime sessions for pre-schoolers
- Library newsletter for early childhood educators 1 x / autumn and spring
- Library is involved in Perhekuperkeikka family events 1 x / autumn and spring
- Mobile library Onneli participates in the Child Rights Week and the city's Christmas street event
- Storytime sessions at libraries
Printable Joy of Reading Materials
Partnership with Daycare Centres
Oulu City Library partners up with a daycare centre each year. The partnership year begins with a library representative visiting the daycare centre. The representative can for example read stories or perform rod-puppet theatre for the children. In December, the representative visits the daycare centre to read Christmas stories. In spring, the daycare centre organizes an exhibition at the library. Exhibition opening will be celebrated together. Storytime sessions and guided library tours can be organized at the opening event as well.