Leading Musical Storytimes: Tools and Techniques

May 6, 2026 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM (MLS Marlborough Office) - includes a one-hour break for lunch

Description

This interactive workshop prepares library staff to lead engaging musical Storytimes for infants through early elementary age. With peers, participants explore vocal technique, songs, movement activities, and musical play while making connections to early literacy and childhood development. Each person will leave with a plan for bringing a musical Storytime into their work. 

This workshop is intended for library staff who work with children ages 0-5.

What to expect

How will I be participating?
During this in-person workshop, expect frequent, active participation for maximum impact! Collaborate with peers through the use of breakout groups and hands-on activities. Please bring your laptops - they will be needed for the final activity.

Please note, sessions will not be recorded.

After completing this workshop, learners will be able to:

1. Identify connections between music, early literacy, and childhood development. 
2. Demonstrate the use of a musical voice to engage children during Storytime activities. 
3. Select strategies for encouraging caregiver participation across diverse program settings. 
4. Practice and evaluate musical Storytime techniques through peer exchange.
5. Adapt a story into an interactive activity appropriate for a specific age group. 

Location

This workshop will be held IN PERSON at the MLS office in Marlborough, located at 33 Boston Post Road West, Suite 400 (Fourth Floor), Marlborough, MA 01752. Parking is free and plentiful.

Please see the MLS Marlborough Building Guide for directions and other helpful information 

Guidelines for conduct 

Please refer to the Learning Hub's Community Guidelines for Conduct as you engage with this workshop. Additional policies and information can be found in the site wide footer.

Accessibility 

The Massachusetts Library System (MLS) strives to create inclusive and accessible events. To request a reasonable accommodation to attend this event, please contact Sarah Donnelly (Event & Project Manager) at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org or 508-357-2121 ext. 301. All reasonable accommodation requests should be made no fewer than two (2) weeks before the event, although we will attempt to fulfill reasonable requests made after that time. 

For information about accessibility across the MLS Learning Hub, please see the Accessibility Statement located in the sitewide footer.

How do I get a certificate?

To receive a certificate of completion by email, participants must: 

• Attend the live session in full 
• Actively participate in all workshop activities, including discussions and breakout groups 
• Complete the post-workshop evaluation 

Why participation matters 

This workshop is designed to be interactive and collaborative. Active participation strengthens the experience for everyone and supports deeper learning. If you prefer self-paced learning, MLS offers self-paced courses and live and recorded webinars that do not require live participation. 

For more information (links will open in a new browser window): 

Learning Hub Self-Paced Learning

MLS provides access to our members for a variety of webinars from ALA, PCI Webinars, and LibraryWorks Webinar and more!

If registration for this workshop is full, please contact learninghub@masslibsystem.org to be put on a waitlist.

✋ Need help?

For questions about this workshop, contact Hillary Washburn at learninghub@masslibsystem.org.