News

We've been thinking about all the creative ways you're using your LibraryCall services. Of course, the classic dial-a-story model of sharing stories with children is a keeper, and many of you are using that model to successfully connect with families.

Today we have a couple quick tips for our Dial-A-Story Studio customers:

 Tip #1: Use LibraryCall’s story transcripts to make your job easier

 If you’re concerned about copyright but you don’t have time to search for and adapt public domain stories, why not use our stories? Of course, you can always schedule our recordings, but if you want to feature the voices of your own staff, simply log into the Storytime Commons, open up the LibraryCall story of your choice, and grab the transcript on the bottom of the page. Most of the English and Spanish stories in the Commons are adapted, translated and written by LibraryCall. They are owned by LibraryCall, but free for you to use as customers! We just ask that you attribute the stories to us in your introductions. The transcripts are currently available in plain text, but we’re happy to provide nicer read-along copies of any story upon request. 

The Galecia Group is seeking a Content Developer to adapt, write, record, and curate stories for our Librarycall Dial-A-Story service. LibraryCall helps libraries bridge the digital divide with cost-effective Dial-A-Story and other phone-based services. We are looking for two contractors to produce stories that reflect the diverse experiences of children throughout the country. 

The LibraryCall Content Developer will be responsible for:

If you need some fall or Halloween-inspired stories to round out your Dial-A-Story service this month, here are some titles to check out in the Storytime Commons (log-in required to open story links):

 Spooky Stories 

It’s officially fall! The days may be getting shorter, but today we have bright news: our new web widget designs are ready for you to use and share! 

Can you believe the first day of fall is only a week away? My grocery store is already stocked with pumpkin spice everything, and here at LibraryCall, we’re working on new fall-themed stories to share with you in the coming weeks.

With school back in session, there’s an opportunity to reach more young story lovers by promoting your library’s dial-a-story service through local preschools and elementary schools. My sister, a second grade teacher, has already had multiple students out on periods of quarantine this year.

You may have noticed that some of the recordings featured in the Storytime Commons include charming British accents, original music, and sound effects. Did the LibraryCall readers get a dialect coach? Nope!

As Summer Reading winds down and kids head back to school, we know many of you are thinking about how to support the families in your community during these challenging times.

One of the challenges of offering a dial-a-story service is that the people who need it most are not online. That's the point.