The following is a press release from Regina Public Library:

RPL is supersizing storytime to celebrate the importance of reading together as a family. With help from many exciting partners, from cowboys to cats, RPL will throw a city-wide party to share in the wonder of reading.

On January 27 at 1:30 pm, every RPL branch will offer unique games and entertainment to encourage the community to make storytime an integral part of family time. There will be stories, special guests, and activities that focus on sharing literacy tools that families can try at home.

We joined forces with Canadian Western Agribition, the Saskatchewan Science Centre, Regina Fire & Protective Services, Regina Police Service, the Regina Humane Society and many other amazing organizations to demonstrate how literacy can be a fun part of family time.

“We know that a love of reading and books is highly contagious,” says Nancy MacKenzie, Manager of Community Engagement and Programming. “By sharing stories and playing literacy games together we hope that all the families attending the event will fall in love with literacy and all the ways you can have fun with it, and that they will make story time part of family time.”

Family Literacy Day is an awareness initiative created by ABC Life Literacy Canada, and has been held nationwide annually since 1999 to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in literacy activities as a family.

Literacy activities are critical to cognitive development, success in school, and lifelong learning, and not just for the little ones. Finding time to read and learn together every day fosters literacy skills for both children and adults, and helps the whole family grow together.