In many students’ younger years, one of the most popular times during school was story time. The teacher would gather all the students up, pick out a book or two and sit themselves down in a chair. Students would then run over to the soft, fuzzy rug to hear the story that was being shown and told. The characters in the picture books came to life, and it was one of the times where imagination could be used. Characters were dressed in bright colors, and their problems seemed so simple but so extraordinary at the same time. You got to react and enjoy the time that you had.
Next week, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 8:00-9:00PM, the DeWitt Library staff will be holding an event titled Storytime with a Librarian. This event will involve librarians reading some beloved children’s stories, and even a free bedtime snack. Librarians Sara Huyser and Greta Grond will be the readers for the night. Sara Huyser is the Outreach and Engagement Librarian and Greta Grond is the Director of the Library. Students may recognize them from their long hours spent in the library or from FYS. This event is open to any students.
When asked what students should look forward to, Grond responded, “They should look forward to a fun break from their studies and regular routines, a bit of nostalgia about childhood books and time together with other Raiders.” This event was created from the campus-wide survey that was taken by undergraduate students last year. A few years ago, the library did a story time event for National Library Week, and multiple students in the survey mentioned how much they enjoyed this particular event. This led to the decision that it was time to bring the event back.
In the time leading up to the event, the library staff has rolled out a whiteboard near the circulation desk for students to write down titles of their favorite books. Sarah and Greta will choose books based off of this list. Some books that have already been written on the board are “Where the Wild Things Are”, “The Days the Crayon Quit”, “Knuffle Bunny”, “Pinkalicious”, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, “Goodnight Moon” and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”.
When asking students why they were looking forward to this event, some comments were that they are excited to engage with their inner child again. As a college student, there are not many times that you get to relive what you did as a child, and not very often you get to create new memories in that way. Now with this event, college students have a chance to do just that. This event gives students a chance to remember the simple times of getting read to and letting their imagination run wild. Another comment was how excited they are that the library is holding this event because of how much they love stories, especially the ones that they read as a kid. There are multiple classes these days that involve children’s books in some sort of manner, so getting the chance to just get read a children’s book is refreshing. This event gives the chance to revisit the stories that are a classic to their childhood, and to remember what it was like when they were a kid. This event will be great for college students as they are heading into midterms because it will give them a much-needed break from their studying.
Overall, the librarians and some students at NW are getting excited for this upcoming event. So, make sure to mark your calendars for this event, and stop by the library to write down a book recommendation for this wonderful night of stories, food and fun.
