Shaler North Hills Library
Address: 1822 Mount Royal Blvd. Glenshaw, PA 15116
Hours:
Monday 8:30AM to 8:00PM *
Tuesday 10:00AM to 9:00PM
Wednesday 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thursday 10:00AM to 9:00PM
Friday 8:30AM to 6:00PM *
Saturday 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sunday (Sept 10.-May 20, 2018) 1:00PM to 5:00PM
*The Children's library doesn't open until 10 AM on Monday and Friday.
Date Visited: July 11, 2017
Program: Book Babies
The first thing I have to say is, if you have kids and you haven't been to Shaler North Hills Library. It NEEDS to be on your list. It has a HUGE play area and many many events for kids of all ages unless you have children with sensory issues. There were many kids there and it was very loud, so probably not the best place for a child sensitive to noise and many other kids.
Okay with that being said, expert tip, pay attention to where your event is being held on the event calendar. We didn't look at this just the time, and we NEVER would have found it, if I hadn't ran into an old classmate that knew where it was being held.
The program: There were about 30 kids at this program and they hold two different ones on Tuesdays 10:15 AM- 10:45 AM and 11: 15AM - 11:45 AM. This is great because it helps you work around the nap dilemma we have sometimes when story time is held during or very close to nap time.
The woman who runs this program was very good. She has a teddy bear that "sings" to all of the kids. We also did some "bouncing" songs. After a few songs we read a book. She also had a few animals to help with the songs, such as the 5 little monkeys that were jumping on the bed. Also, she taught a baby sign of the week and then reviewed signs from previous weeks. Then it was a few more songs with shakers. Then free play with bins of toys. After that, clean up and a calm down song. Then bubbles and hugs from the bear goodbye. We really enjoyed this program. The structure was very well laid out to allow for plenty of movement and interaction. It was clear that this librarian was very passionate about her work. When she asked if we were new (I have no idea how she could even tell with SO many kids), I told her about my tour of libraries. She immediately wanted to know about how this program compared to other programs and what I thought. She shared that the librarians don't collaborate as much, some had come to see her teach, but she had never gotten to see other story times.
After story time, we visited the play area. This area is VERY large. In the middle there are several turtle sandboxes that hold board books. To the left is a train table, puppet theater, several puppets, blocks ranging from a square foot to lego duplo size. To the right is a fully stocked kitchen area.
For how large this area was, children seemed to be calm and in control. There was also significant parent supervision. It was loud however, since there were several children in this area.
Beside this area is a small puzzle table, set apart but still close by. In addition, there was a small table on the other side of this room, if you needed a quieter experience. One thing that surprised me was that due to the design of the building the with many rooms the noise didn't carry into the other rooms very much.
Programming: This library has so many programs. While we were there, a kindergarten preparation class and a kids music recorder camp were also going on. The bulletin board showed about 5 or 6 kids activities for everyday. Check this link for the programs by clicking on Summer Classes and Events: http://snhlkids.blogspot.com/ . Some of their other programs include Reading with Therapy Dogs, Kids Crafts, Movies, Pool Parties, Game Nights, Play Dough Night, Parachute play, STEAM for toddlers and the list goes on and on and on.
In addition, their summer reading logs help kids earn book bucks they can spend on prizes. These prizes are prominently displayed on a prize shelf with values to motivate children if needed.
Hours:
Monday 8:30AM to 8:00PM *
Tuesday 10:00AM to 9:00PM
Wednesday 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thursday 10:00AM to 9:00PM
Friday 8:30AM to 6:00PM *
Saturday 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sunday (Sept 10.-May 20, 2018) 1:00PM to 5:00PM
*The Children's library doesn't open until 10 AM on Monday and Friday.
Date Visited: July 11, 2017
Program: Book Babies
The first thing I have to say is, if you have kids and you haven't been to Shaler North Hills Library. It NEEDS to be on your list. It has a HUGE play area and many many events for kids of all ages unless you have children with sensory issues. There were many kids there and it was very loud, so probably not the best place for a child sensitive to noise and many other kids.
Okay with that being said, expert tip, pay attention to where your event is being held on the event calendar. We didn't look at this just the time, and we NEVER would have found it, if I hadn't ran into an old classmate that knew where it was being held.
The program: There were about 30 kids at this program and they hold two different ones on Tuesdays 10:15 AM- 10:45 AM and 11: 15AM - 11:45 AM. This is great because it helps you work around the nap dilemma we have sometimes when story time is held during or very close to nap time.
The woman who runs this program was very good. She has a teddy bear that "sings" to all of the kids. We also did some "bouncing" songs. After a few songs we read a book. She also had a few animals to help with the songs, such as the 5 little monkeys that were jumping on the bed. Also, she taught a baby sign of the week and then reviewed signs from previous weeks. Then it was a few more songs with shakers. Then free play with bins of toys. After that, clean up and a calm down song. Then bubbles and hugs from the bear goodbye. We really enjoyed this program. The structure was very well laid out to allow for plenty of movement and interaction. It was clear that this librarian was very passionate about her work. When she asked if we were new (I have no idea how she could even tell with SO many kids), I told her about my tour of libraries. She immediately wanted to know about how this program compared to other programs and what I thought. She shared that the librarians don't collaborate as much, some had come to see her teach, but she had never gotten to see other story times.
Beside this area is a small puzzle table, set apart but still close by. In addition, there was a small table on the other side of this room, if you needed a quieter experience. One thing that surprised me was that due to the design of the building the with many rooms the noise didn't carry into the other rooms very much.
Programming: This library has so many programs. While we were there, a kindergarten preparation class and a kids music recorder camp were also going on. The bulletin board showed about 5 or 6 kids activities for everyday. Check this link for the programs by clicking on Summer Classes and Events: http://snhlkids.blogspot.com/ . Some of their other programs include Reading with Therapy Dogs, Kids Crafts, Movies, Pool Parties, Game Nights, Play Dough Night, Parachute play, STEAM for toddlers and the list goes on and on and on.
In addition, their summer reading logs help kids earn book bucks they can spend on prizes. These prizes are prominently displayed on a prize shelf with values to motivate children if needed.
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