I’m not sure whether Aliant’s Stories on the Phone is a very, very good thing or a very, very bad thing. I tend to lean in the “very, very bad” direction, as I think getting a bedtime story over the phone seems like it would be missing a lot of what makes bedtime stories important (i.e. the opportunity to communicate with your child). That said, I suppose if there’s nothing else available, it’s better to have a story over the phone than not at all. Call 1-888-280-7070 to find out for yourself.
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Comments
If you’re talking about the programme being operated as a partnership between the Provincial Library and Aliant I think it falls under the good thing category.
While some of the kids calling might be looking for bedtime stories, the track record with these programmes in places like Toronto shows a wide range of users. Examples are kids alone at home after school while their parents are still at work, English as a second language kids using the service as a chance to hear stories read by a native speaker, and even adults doing the same.
I don’t know whether this service will catch on on the Island, but programmes like it have proven very popular in lots of places. I think it’s another wonderful example of librarians identifying a need in the community and doing something about it.