All Things Baby at the Stork Storytime EXPO on Aug. 25

The North Liberty Community Library’s 5th Annual Stork Storytime EXPO, sponsored by Mercy Iowa City, will be held in the North Liberty Community Center on Sunday, Aug. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. Medical professionals and over 30 businesses, non-profits and social services from across the area will be available to share how they can support moms and families that are expecting, or those who already have a baby or young children.

The EXPO is part of the library’s Stork Storytime program initiative, which encourages new and expecting families to establish healthy literacy habits early in children’s lives, even before they arrive. Establishing a daily reading routine before baby – and chaos – arrives makes it easier to continue after they do.

“Research shows that school readiness, future success, and lifelong learning are all impacted by reading and talking to your child early in their developmental years,” says Assistant Library Director Jennifer Jordebrek. “Taking part in these programs enables caregivers to learn about the long-term benefits of early literacy skills, and this helps them to be more confident as the child’s first teachers, right from the very beginning.”

Each family attending the EXPO will receive a free tote bag, compliments of Mercy Iowa City, and a hand-made knitted or crocheted baby item, while supplies last, generously donated from the library’s Prairie Yarn Over and Stitching Around knitting clubs. Car seat safety checks, vision screenings, and a variety of mini-programs for kids will take place throughout the event. The EXPO is free and open to the public.

Screenings and Activities Include:

• Infant and toddler car seat safety checks
• Free child vision screenings (6 mos.-K)
• Live Stork Storytime TALKS podcast recording
• Collaborative community baby wishes
• Prize drawings

Mini-Programs for Children:

• Meet Chase from PAW Patrol
• “Sing & Play & Learn Today” with West Music
• “Tumbling Tots” with Iowa Gym-Nest
• “Dance!” with Tippi Toes Iowa City
• “My Baby Storytime” with North Liberty Community Library

Exhibitors Include:

• 4Cs Community Coordinated Child Care
• Bliss HypnoBirthing and Doula Services
• ChildServe
• Coralville Public Library
• Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank
• Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center, PC
• Grant Wood Area Education Agency
• Handicare
• Hope Family Chiropractic, LC
• Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral
• Iowa Children’s Museum
• Iowa City Babywearers
• Iowa Family Support Network
• Iowa Gym-Nest
• Iowa KidSight
• Iowa Newborn Screening Program
• Learning Begins Child Development Center
• Mercy Hospital Iowa City ( * Sponsor * )
• Mercy Lactation Services
• Mercy Pediatric Clinic
• Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS)
• North Liberty Aquatic Center
• North Liberty Community Library
• North Liberty Family Health Centre, PC
• North Liberty Lions Club
• North Liberty Police Department
• Prairie Yarn Over
• Rock Valley Physical Therapy
• Safe Kids Johnson County
• Sensory Kids Iowa
• Stitching Around
• Tippi Toes^® Iowa City
• University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
• UI Stead Lactation Services
• UI Stead Pediatrics
• Usborne Books & More
• West Music
• YPN

 For the most current information, visit https://northlibertylibrary.org/adult/stork-storytime/expo/.