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# Plenty to read for kids at libraries
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/plenty-to-read-for-kids-at-libraries/
- Published: 2003-06-18T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:16:22.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

With the old Main Library closed, the majority of the library’s children’s books are now at the Ocean Park Branch.

The basement of the branch has been taken over by the youth services librarians and an extensive collection of non-fiction books, non-fiction videos, as well as the parenting collection and the branch’s young adult collection are now available.

The picture books, easy-to-read books, early chapter books, paperbacks and fiction are upstairs in the children’s area. Youth services librarians are available all hours that the branch is open to provide readers’ advisory and reference services. The annual summer reading program will highlight the collection by offering an additional incentive for children who visit the youth services collection in the basement and read nonfiction books from the collection. The summer reading books for the school district teen-agers are also housed there.

Youth services librarians also use the branch as a base for going out into the community for programs, offering story times and other programs in local parks. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, there are story times for 2 year olds and also preschool stories for 3-and 4 year olds at Reed Park on Wilshire Boulevard between Seventh Street and Lincoln Boulevard.

Miles Playhouse, also at Reed Park, is the site for monthly puppet shows starring Woody and his friend Lester. On Monday mornings, librarians offer stories for babies up to the age of two in conjunction with the infant and family support project of the Santa Monica School District, based at Joslyn Park.

The Temporary Main Library, located at 1324 Fifth St., has a small core collection of children’s materials and also the young adult collection on the second floor.

Youth services librarians (310) 458-8621 during open branch hours, noon to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The branch is closed on Friday and Sunday.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 18, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061803.pdf?ref=smdp.com)