The Ridley Park Library is located at 107 East Ward Street.
Phone: 610-583-7207 FAX: 610-583-2160
Email:
ridleypark@delco.lib.pa.us
The hours are Monday Noon-8:30 PM
Tuesday and Thursday:
Noon-5:00pm and 6:30pm-8:30pm
Wednesday 10:00am-8:30pm and Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
Friday Noon-5:00pm
The LibrariansThe librarians your children will meet will vary from day-to-day. There is Mrs. Rooney, the director; Mrs. Keeney, the children's librarian; Mrs. Pauley, Mrs. Truax, Mrs. McGahan, Mrs. Ireland and Mrs. Campanile, the assistant librarians.
Library Cards
To get a library card, children need to be at least 3 years old. They should come to the library with a parent and have proof of residence (driver's license, phone bill, or something with their name and address on it). The parent fills out and signs a registration card. Patrons may get their cards at any library and the cards may be used at any library in the
Delaware County Library System.
The first time children use their card we recommend 3-4 books be checked out. But, we generally leave the number to the discretion of their parents. Books are checked out for 3 weeks and can be renewed if no one is waiting for them. The fines for all books, both adult and children's is 10¢ each per day. Lost books must be paid for.
Features of the Ridley Park Library
There are books: fiction, non-fiction, biography, reference and board books for toddlers. We have a very large collection of beginning reader books in both short format and chapter form. These books are specifically designed for those just learning to read and have pictures and short sentences in bold print on each page. We have most of the
Caldecott and
Newbery Award books and also try to keep up to date on the reading lists of area schools.
In addition, we have books on tape (permanent and rotating collections) both adult and juvenile, books on CD, music CDs, assorted magazines for adults and children, and CD Roms for children's computer learning skills (also fun for the grown-ups). These are all available for 3 week check-out.
Additionally, we have videos (also permanent and rotating collections) available for 3 day check-out at a fee of $1.00. The late fee for videos is $2.00 per day. There are also some videos that are free of charge. These are mainly travel and nature oriented.
The library has 3 internet computers and 1 word processing computer available for public use. Computer printouts cost 15¢ a page for black and white and 25¢ for color. From your home computer or a library computer you can search the
online card catalog of all the libraries in Delaware County including the Ridley Park Public Library.
Students and parents can access databases the county subscribes to from home. There are several that are very useful for projects:
Searchasaurus,
Facts.com, and
Encyclopedia Americana to name a few. The librarians can give you the instructions and a list of the databases, if you like.
We have a copying machine and copies are 10¢ each.
The Daily Times is available for in-library reading.
Children's Library Programs
Children's Programs are also listed here:
http://www.delcolibraries.org/Kids_LibraryEvents.htm
Dial-A-Story 610-891-8625 Each selection runs from 2 to 4 minutes and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Stories change on Fridays. There is no charge for the call unless it is a toll call from your area.
2006-2007 programs include Infant Storytime for children birth the 2 years, Toddler Storytime for ages 2-3 years and preschool storytimes for children ages 3-K.
Storytime is for ages 3-5 during summer, fall and winter for 6 to 10 weeks. We read books, use the flannelboard, do some easy crafts, see a movie and sometimes do a short coloring page. In the winter of 2007, Storytime starts in January and February and registration opens December 1, 2006. Parents need to register their children before each session starts. They can either come in to the library to register or call 610-583-7207. A librarian will call everyone the week before Storytime starts to remind them.
Infant Storytime is for children from ages 6 months to 24 months. Registration is required. Check the
Delaware County Library System website for times and Libraries.
We usually have a
special event program in the summer and winter. Various artists and performers put on free shows in the borough hall. One summer Jungle John showed the audience an assortment of exotic insects and animals including a beautiful 30 foot albino python! During the summer of 2002 we had the Segal Puppets. They did a really funny puppet show called Cowboy Capers. We had a man who came and did Stories with Strings. He read stories and played the harp. He was wonderful and the kids loved playing his harps! The Musical Mommy Program allowed the kids to play with a variety of instruments. They sang songs and marched around the Boro Hall. In the winter of 2005 we had a Segal Puppets Workshop.
Summer Programs for Children and Teens
Ridley School District supplies the Library with the summer reading lists for all grades. The Ridley Park Librarians do Storytime in some of the Elementary schools that have a Summer Reading Program.
There is Summer Storytime for ages 3-5. You need to register.
There will be free programs at the Ridley Park Boro Hall.
For students going into 1st grade through 5th grade we have
Summer Reading Club. You need to register. The children select and keep track of the books they read for school and they get a prize each week. They do weekly crafts. They also choose "best books" to list for other patrons. One summer the theme was "The Arts" so the Reading Club kids put on a puppet show for the Storytime kids. The Reading Club kids made the puppets, built the stage and props and learned their parts. All the kids had a good time! The Summer Reading Club kids who can't come every week get a bag for their books and a sheet to keep track of what they are reading.
Teen Beat is for 6th through 12th grade. Teens need to register. During the summer, the kids get cards to critique the books they are reading for interest and content and there is a weekly drawing for a prize such as, baseball and movie tickets, videos, etc.
Another program offered each year in July is
Science in the Summer, run by Glaxo-Smith Kline. It is available to students going into 2nd grade through 6th grade and is presented by science teachers from the Philadelphia area. Every summer they present a different science course: oceanography, chemistry, etc. The topic in 2002 was Magnetism and Electricity. The kids had a great time experimenting with batteries and wires. During one session everyone got to see their hair stand on end!
