Pages in the Park: Metro-area libraries team up to bring reading outdoors

This summer, residents can join libraries across southeastern Michigan to enjoy local parks and children's stories with the outdoor reading program Pages in the Park.

The summer storytime series features outdoor reading events in partnership with Huntington Woods, Southfield and Oak Park.

Each event lasts roughly 30 minutes and features books centered around a unique theme. The suggested age range is from infant to 5 years old. Pages in the Park happens every Tuesday till August 13. Storytime starts at 10:30 a.m. with a few evening times offered. Residents can check Oak Park's library calendar for a complete list of dates, locations and times. No registration is required.



Outdoor storytimes started during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to encourage kids to get out and read. In 2024 outdoor storytimes transformed into their own event, becoming Pages in the Park.

"This is our first year doing Pages in the Park so it's something new to us. It's really fun to read in a different setting," says Melissa Connolly, a librarian from Oak Park.

"Hosting these events outdoors can be a bit of a challenge. Our last event was rained out and the heat can be an issue some days, but it's totally worth it," Connolly says.

Shari Fesko, the youth and teen services librarian for Southfield, says Pages in the Park has been a wonderful experience for her.

"One of my favorite things about these events is that I get to work with other librarians and discover new books to share."

When choosing books, Fesko says they try to find books with a lot of engagement and stick to a certain theme for each event.

"It's a lot easier for the kids when we focus on one topic. Plus, our overall theme for summer is 'Adventure begins at your library,' so we try to have each event's theme match with that."

July 9 was the third event this summer in the series and took place at Southfield's Inglenook Park. The theme was camping. Both Connolly and Fesko hosted. Each took turns reading different books, such as Finding Fergus, Big Bug and Wild About Camping to the children. In between each book was a song or rhyme.

Even as the heat began to rise, the children were highly engaged by responding as a chorus or twisting and twirling as the books instructed. Huddled around a blanket, even the parents and grandparents joined in on the fun.

The event ended with a final song and a bubble dance party.

Arrolyn Mccullough brought her grandchildren to the event, "This is my first time attending. Most of my grandchildren are in Georgia, so I was really happy to take them here. When my own children were little I took them to storytime at the Oak Park library. It was really nice to have the opportunity to come here," says Mccullough, "I think reading is extremely important. It's important to engage with books in the old-fashioned way."

The next Pages in the Park is July 23 at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Park's Best Park.