New at the Library! Read Me a Story ~ Adult Storytime
New at the Library! Read Me a Story ~ Adult Storytime
Being read to aloud isn’t something you do past childhood, right?
In centuries past, reading aloud used to be a shared experience, enjoyed by groups of people much like live theater and musical performances. Families and friends would gather around in the evenings and listen to someone read aloud. As the world became more automated, we lost touch with the past and the pleasure of these shared experiences. Reading alone took prevalence and the stories lost their unique voices.
These days, many people are recapturing the past joy of listening to stories with audiobooks. While audiobooks are a convenient medium, they can also be isolating and lonely. Unless shared in a group, audiobooks can’t reconstruct the social satisfaction the language of words provides.
Most libraries provide storytime for children why not storytime for adults, too?
Reading aloud has benefits for all ages. Studies show reading aloud to adults stimulates brain activity, provides socialization and may help, among other things, to lessen symptoms of dementia, Alzheimers, and dyslexia. Listening to books read aloud increases vocabulary and activates imagination.
With this in mind, Fort Bragg Library is bringing the magic of listening to stories back into fashion with a new program called Read Me a Story~Adult Storytime. Beginning in March, every Thursday at 2 pm, adults are encouraged to sit back, relax, and listen as Fort Bragg staffer, John Teller, reads aloud. Afterward, participants are encouraged to socialize and discuss the story with others.
