Nursery children in library trip to mark World Book Day

Groups of children aged from babies to pre-school who use the University’s Nursery have been visiting the library in a week-long celebration of World Book Day. 

Alongside Nursery staff, the children were given a tour of the facilities inside the JB Priestley Library including its Family Study Room which opened in September 2023.

The group of babies and toddlers who visited on World Book Day, on Thursday 7 March, dressed up as their favourite characters including The Cat in the Hat, Spiderman, a Lion and a Pirate and listened to the popular children’s stories ‘That’s Not My Lion’ and ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. This was followed by a tour of the library, where the children were given the chance to borrow and return a book. 

The sessions, which have been held each day this week, are a collaboration between the University of Bradford’s Library and Nursery. The visits also took place to promote potential future use of the Family Study Room to parents of children at the University’s Nursery. 

The room gives students the chance to continue their studies while their children play alongside them. It is open to all students to book a time slot every weekday between 9am and 5pm. Each session can be booked for up to four hours each time.

Both students and staff can make bookings for the room. The dedicated room can only be booked by one family group at a time. It is available for children aged under 12.

Kirsty Carver, Head of Library Services Manager at the University of Bradford, said: “It is about bringing the family study room alive and making memories. 

The children have been in awe of the space and what they have seen in the library. It is a big adventure for them. We will be looking to do it again next year for World Book Day

“This week has been fantastic. World Book Day gave us the ideal opportunity to promote the family study room to all parents that use the nursery at the University. We have been holding a World Book Week.”

Claire Nicholls, Assistant Manager (Early Years Teaching) at the University of Bradford, said: “It’s been amazing. The children have thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s been great to work with the library staff. 

“We want to promote a love for books and studies. Books work well to promote all aspects of development and it is about bringing books to life.”

Go to bradford.ac.uk/library/contact-and-about-us/library-spaces for more information on how you can book the Family Study Room.