By Shannon McMahon

In the age of Internet, text messaging and various distractions, the Westerville “Dial-a-Story” program for children continues to thrive.

“Dial-A-Story,” a call-in phone line, is a long-standing service at the Westerville Public Library. The line lets children call the library and listen to a short story, which lasts about four minutes. Stories are pre-recorded on tapes, which the library staff changes first thing each Monday. Children have a new story to listen to each week.

Linda Wilkins, marketing coordinator for the Westerville Public Library, says the service has been offered for 25 years. It runs parallel to library story times, which are offered only on specific days and times. Due to illness or bad weather, Wilkins says, children may not always be able to make it in to the library for story time.

“The Dial-a-Story line is offered as an addition to the story times offered here,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for kids to call in and listen when they can’t come in.”

Designed primarily for ages 4 to 6, the phone line greets children with piano music, an introductory greeting and the short story. With 208 tapes, each with a different tale, the "Dial-a-Story" collection is fairly expansive. Margo Hunter, an associate librarian in the youth services department, says the tapes – which were purchased from Winsor Dial-A-Story – offer quite a variety.

“The tapes include fables, ethnic tales, fairy tales, folk tales, virtue tales, a few holiday related stories and poetry,” she says. Examples include Fire-Bringer, an American-Indian tale, Why the Sea is Salty, a pour quoi tale, and Johnny Cake, a variation of the classic story The Gingerbread Man.

At the end of each story, the storyteller reminds children, “There are many exciting stories at the library. Come and see us soon. And remember to hang up the telephone.”

Both convenient and fun for children, Hunter says the line gets between six to nine calls each day.

With its long history at the library, the “Dial-a-Story” line has become a tradition in some local households. Wilkins says many Westerville parents have had their children calling in for years. Some have developed family traditions around certain stories, especially those repeated around holidays. Many children have developed favorites, Wilkins adds, and will sometimes call multiple times during the week to hear the same story.

Besides the engaging and friendly stories, the “Dial-a-Story” line also offers young children a sense of independence. The only help they may need is dialing; the rest of the time, they are one-on-one with a fun story.

“Children get to be with their own personal storyteller,” Wilkins says. “It’s really just another way to get to know a book.”

Shannon McMahon is a contributing writer for Westerville Magazine.

FIND OUT MORE
The “Dial-a-Story” line number is 614-882-9234. It is available 24 hours a day.

Interested? Here are the story titles for January and February 2009 (by week):
January 5: Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal – The life of a kind Brahman is saved by a slow-witted jackal.
January 12: Brave Tin Soldier – After a death-defying adventure, a toy soldier is returned home by a friendly fish.
January 19: Puss in Boots – An inherited cat cleverly proves his merit to his master.
January 26: Queen Bee – Witling’s kindness to even the smallest of creatures is richly rewarded.
February 2: Town Mouse and the Country Mouse – A plain mouse learns that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
February 9: How the Camel Got his Hump – Camel’s laziness gets him into big trouble.
February 16: George Washington and the Cherry Tree – A retelling of how George Washington could not tell a lie.
February 23: Favorites by Field – “The Sugar Plum Tree” and “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” are favorites of young and old.

If you and your child are computer savvy, the Westerville Public Library also offers an online reading service called Tumblebooks. Children can have a story read to them on their home computer. Check it out at www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp.