Mrs. Stoner and Mrs. Black welcome you to Simpson’s Children’s Corner.
Just a reminder when your child attends a program at the Library, you are always welcome to join us at the program. If you choose not to stay at the program with your child, feel free to browse for books, read the newspaper or a magazine, work on the Internet or just sit and relax! Please remember we need to have you remain in the Library. We do not have any medical or emergency information available for you child and must be able to reach you quickly in the event of an emergency. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Any questions about children's programs can be directed to Linda Stoner or Paulette Black at (717) 766-0171. 

The library will be offering many ongoing programs on a regular basis.
Weekly there will be 8 Rhymetime, 4 Storytime and 4 Toddler Time storytime sessions.
Monthly programs will be the Bookworm Club, Homeschool Book Discussion Club, American Girls Club, Kindergarten Club, Family Storytime, and Tween Time.

In addition we will have special events on holidays, seasons and special topics.

Children who will be attending Kindergarten in the fall of 2011 and their parent can choose one of the three series of 12 readiness classes for kindergarten.  Our first class will meet on Thursday, September 2 at 1:00 pm.  A one-time registration is required.  For more information, please ask a librarian in the Children's Room or call 717-766-0171.

Fridays, October 8, 15, 22 & 29, 9:00-10:00 am
This 4-week-workshop is for children 1 to 3 years old and an adult during which the adult and child can work and play together in a nursery school setting. Resource people from our community will be available for adults to speak with about the challenging task of raising a toddler.
Space is limited and you must register by Monday, October 6 to participate.

The Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) has recognized the Joseph T. Simpson Public Library in Cumberland County with the Best Practices in Early Learning Award for the Family Fall Festival event and the Kindergarten Readiness Class.

Family Fall Festival was selected as a “best practice” in the seventh annual Pennsylvania Library Association’s Best Practices Awards for Programming and Services to Children under the Age of Six, Their Families and Caregivers in the category of “Family Programming” from among libraries across the state.

The Kindergarten Readiness Class received an award for “Early Learning and Parenting Programs for Adults.”

This year, 21 awards were presented to 17 libraries at the Hilton in Harrisburg on Wednesday, April 14, at the Pennsylvania Libraries: Learning Starts Here! Early Learning Forum and Best Practices Luncheon. This statewide educational symposium was attended by several hundred librarians, advocates and policymakers. The Best Practices Award celebrates public library programs that are especially creative, innovative, and effective in serving young children, their families and caregivers.

Family Fall Festival
The Family Fall Festival began ten years ago as an event that would signal the beginning of fall programming for the children’s department, as well as provide a fun, community-wide event for the families of Mechanicsburg.

When children’s librarian Linda Stoner planned the first Family Fall Festival, space was limited in the old library so she held it in the basement of nearby church. The hour-long festival now takes place in the community room of the new library on a Saturday morning. Since the Joseph T. Simpson Public Library is a popular place in Mechanicsburg for family members of all ages, Linda uses a multi-generational approach to encourage reading at the festival.

Page updated September 7, 2010