Every Monday afternoon, empty baby strollers crowd the entryway of the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library, as families gather together for back-to-back sessions of Baby Story Time hosted by Amy LaVare. LaVare, or “Miss Amy,” as she is better known to Ballard parents, has offered the Baby Story Time program to the public for the past two years. Due to give birth early next year, LaVare plans on taking a three-month maternity leave in January to care for her first child.

Joan Moran, a library volunteer who has assisted LaVare for the past year and a half, praises LaVare’s enthusiasm, energy, and ability to create an environment that engages participations from both the babies and their parents. “The sessions aren’t very long, but always filled with a variety of activities,” says Moran. “ Not everyone relates to this young age group. It takes a special person.”

Ballard parent Odette Allen-Berg, who attends LaVare’s program regularly with her young son Rowan, says “Amy is a lovely person. She puts a lot into Story Time, learning children’s names and talking to parents.”

LaVare speaks with affection for the parents who attend her Monday sessions. “Baby Story Time really works when the parents are fully engaged and I definitely get that feeling at Ballard.” As LaVare leads her audiences in singing songs, parents, grandparents and care providers respond to her prompts, echoing short refrains. “It makes it very easy for the person leading the program,” says LaVare. She applauds the inclusiveness of the group and how new parents are welcomed by regulars. “The social support that the families find is half of the benefit of coming.”

The diversity of families that participate in the Ballard program span individuals that speak Russian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish at home. Though significantly more mothers than fathers attend the program, LaVare says she’s pleased with how many dads come with their infants.

“The program is incredibly valuable and provides a desperately needed public resource,” says parent Rob Raas-Bergquist, father to one-year-old Svea. “It granted me a venue to discuss parenting issues in a casual environment, without prompts. Organic relationship-building is encouraged and watching Svea start to really interact with other children has been an amazing experience.”

LaVare built up her Monday programs after shadowing other story time presenters and observing what approaches most engaged parents. “People seemed to really enjoy variety and the little educational brain bytes,” she says. After seeing another librarian teach basic sign language, she began to integrate signing into her repertoire of reading, rhymes, and song. She works with a volunteer who helps her develop the sign language component of her programs.

To keep the room welcoming, LaVare takes a casual approach. Changing diapers and feeding the kids is encouraged. “I expect a certain amount of noise, so caregivers don’t need to worry if their baby is fussy for a few minutes. If people need to come in late, that’s okay. I want to make it as easy as possible for the families to attend.”

In addition to leading the Monday programs at Ballard, LaVare provides staffing to the Ballard branch every other Friday. She works primarily as Children’s Librarian at the Magnolia branch, where she offers ongoing story times, toddler and pre-school programs. By working across the stages of early childhood development, LaVare “gets to see all the stages of development, keeping the kids with her” through all of the different levels of their growth.

LaVare’s career in the public library started a decade ago, when she started as a volunteer. She has worked as a shelver, at the circulation desk and as a student librarian during her graduate studies in library sciences at The University of Washington.

She says she always knew that she wanted to be a children’s librarian. “It’s the best position in the library. A great balance between reference work at the info desk, doing story time presentations, partnering with schools, and working with families who visit the branch.” Her work with families also offers her a great opportunity to engage new parents who may not have traditionally been big library users. “Story Time is a great way for me to welcome them back and make these connections.”

Baby Story Times are some of the Seattle Public Library’s most popular programs across the city. The Ballard program regularly draws over 100 participants (counting both infant and caregivers) with people coming from all over Seattle. LaVare says that one family even continued coming to the Ballard program after they moved to Maple Valley.

Moran says that although Amy will be missed during her leave, the parents are very happy for her to have a chance to really put into practice what she has shared with them. “It will probably make her an even better Baby Story Time presenter,” says Moran. “Thankfully, she is only going to be on leave for three months and is coming back!”

Miss Amy’s last Baby Story Time programs of the year at the Ballard Library take place on Monday, December 8 from 12:00-12:30 p.m. and 12:45-1:15 p.m. Miss Claire, a children’s librarian from the Northgate Branch, will cover LaVare’s Ballard programs starting January 12.