Whether your child is seeking his favourite Peter Rabbit story or researching Bermuda’s indigenous plants, he is sure to find what he is looking for at the Bermuda Youth Library, which houses more than 14,000 books.

The Bermuda Youth Library is located on Church Street in Hamilton and carries titles appealing to every age group and interests across every reading level. It also has a parents resource centre.

Although the library has outreach programmes in attempts to increase patronage, head of youth services Marla Smith concedes: “We have programmes but still feel the library is greatly underused. People need to use it so much more.”

Library membership is free and so are most of the programmes. Internet access and computer games are among the free services offered.

There are two Internet stations and one computer where members can play educational games. Users can also browse the computerised catalogue for book titles.

Mrs. Smith says work is underway to have the catalogue available online via the Government website also.

In this service users would be able to determine not only which books are in the collection but also when each would be available for loan. She anticipates the service becoming available in October.

During the school year the Youth Library hosts several class visits. Teachers from the pre-school level right up to the senior school level book a time and date and bring their classes in for a formal introduction.

Library staff explain the function of the library, how to join and how to use the facilities.

Mrs. Smith tells The Royal Gazette <$>that many of the students are surprised to see computers there. And, she adds, while many students do have computer access, they are not savvy when it comes to looking for information.

“...we have found that they don’t really know how to do research. They don’t know where to go and cannot decipher information,” she reveals.

“We teach how to do this.”

Enticing children to read is the primary aim of the Youth Library’s staff and therefore mostly all of their projects stress that reading can be fun.

There is a babies book club that meets on Thursday and Saturday mornings at 9.30.

Here infants from six months to two-and-a-half years come with an adult and enjoy finger plays, action rhymes and short stories.

“There’s a lot of music and one-on-one for parents and their children,” says Mrs. Smith. “We’re just getting them exposed to literacy.”

The programme is one of the most popular: “It’s quite often that we have as many as 50 babies and adults here for it.”

For children three-years-old and up there is story time every Saturday morning from 10.30 - 11.30. Library staff or volunteers read a book to the children and lead them in an associated craft immediately after.

Mrs. Smith says on average 10 children attend this programme each week. Once a month the Youth Library shows a movie.

“We choose a piece based on a book and stress that to the children. We also display the book and encourage them to read it,” she adds. “We want them to realise how interesting reading can be.”

Movie days are usually held on Saturdays unless schools are on holiday. To help cater to the needs and wants of teenagers, the Youth Library has a Teen Advisory Board. The Board has 24 members - all teenagers that meet every Wednesday during the school year.

“They are the teen voice for the library,” explains Ms Smith. “ they recommend books we should buy and write book reviews.

“Sometimes their work is featured in Youth News<$>. We hope to have a teen page on our website by the end of September and they will write for that.”

The importance of reading is stressed even during the long summer breaks.

Mrs. Smith says research has shown that children who do not read during their summer holiday drop half a grade: “That is why it is so important to keep their comprehension and reading active.”

To address this problem, from the end of June to the middle of August the Youth Library offers a summer reading programme.

Interest in this programme was so high this year that the library’s supply of 500 brochures were depleted by mid-July and more had to be ordered.

The summer programme is geared to all reading age children. Participants read books and engage in library workshops and seminars for points.

At the end of the summer the points are tallied and winners announced. There’s also a grand celebratory beach party with this year’s being held at Hawkin’s Island.

Are you interested in your child becoming a member of the Youth Library?

All children residing in Bermuda are eligible to join. A parent or legal guardian must present photo identification at the library and a card will be issued on the spot.

Members can borrow up to four books and must return them within three weeks. Members are charged for books lost or not returned. For more information on the Bermuda National Library Youth Services Division visit them online at www.bermudanationallibrary.bm.