The Richland County Public Library now lets patrons check out hand-held video players for children, a popular diversion for car trips.
The new Playaway videos, added to the library’s collection this year, are preloaded with “animated books” geared toward children older than 3, spokeswoman Padgett Mozingo said.
They have proved popular. “The whole goal is trying to get kids interested in reading, and keep the library on their minds.”
Richland County Public Library now lets people check out reading devices, for kids -- perfect for car traveling during the holidays. Here, Sky Shimizu, 3, and his mom, Aya, look at the PlayAway View video book player.
- TIM DOMINICK /tdominick@thestate.com
Library hours
Richland County Public Library sites are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
They are closed this Friday through Monday, and open again on Tuesday.
Video from around the world
The hand-held video players are about the size of a GPS screen. Mozingo said they expand the reading experience, just like movies, books on tape and e-books, which the library has added to its collection by the thousands the past two years.
Earlier this week, we asked a couple of children at the library to try the video players so we could see how they work.
“That was awesome,” said avid reader Neveah Haley, 8½, who read along as she watched a video.
Patrons can check out five of the video players at a time, and keep them for a week.
Here’s more:
How many Playaway Views does the library own?
There are about 23 titles in the system, with multiple copies of each, for a total of 242 items. The library is adding two or three new titles a month.
What genres?
All are for children. Topics include history, health and wellness, along with basic concepts like the alphabet and numbers. The library also carries storybook titles such as “Owen,” by Kevin Henkes; “The Snowy Day,” by Ezra Jack Keats; and “Caps for Sale” by Esphyr Slobodkina. There are also episodes from TV favorites Sesame Street, Arthur and Dinosaur Train.
What has been the reaction?
Georgia Coleman, branch manager at the Sandhills library, said they have been well-used. “As a parent, I can attest to the fact that not only are they captivating, they’re also toddler-proof.”
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