Animal magic’s back at Sefton Libraries this summer

Sefton Libraries have gone wild again this summer, bringing a little animal magic back to their venues.

Snakes, lizards, enormous spiders and more will be visiting each library in the borough throughout August, with every one getting creature calls.

Lesley Davies said:

“We have the animal people in every year, and it’s really to offer children who maybe wouldn’t have the chance to go to the zoo the opportunity to come in and meet some animals, and have a bit of fun,”

“They’re very relaxed sessions and Scott Gavin, who runs Party Central Wildlife Visits, who organises them makes sure different animals come along each time.

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“The ladies who front the sessions are very careful with the animals, and they’re well looked after and not stressed in any way,” adds Lesley, senior development manager – communities for Sefton Library & Information Service.

“Most children get to handle the animals and it’s done in a very orderly manner.”

The visits are also a way of challenging children, she says.

“Snakes and spiders are things children might be scared of, but it gives them the chance to meet these animals in a way that’s safe and feels comfortable for them.

“It’s a great experience and they can find out more about the animals. They’re informed about how to keep them, what’s safe to feed them and about their natural habitats as well. There’s a learning experience in there, but it’s done in a very fun way.”

The sessions are running from August 12-28, with two sessions in every library – Netherton, Bootle, Formby, Crosby, Southport, and Meadows (Maghull).

“We used to have an owl called Olly who used to come every summer and flew across the libraries but he’s retired now, and now we get snakes, lizards, great big spiders, and last year we had a meerkat who came along …”

Sefton Libraries do make a small charge of £3 ‘which doesn’t cover the cost of the visits for us but ensures people come along. Previously we’d have people who’d book for every single session and turn up for one or two which stopped other children coming along’.

Animal Magic's back at Sefton Libraries this summer (1)

Anyone wanting to book needs to go into the respective library to book and purchase tickets.

“For any family it’s very expensive over summer, so if there’s something we can do to alleviate that slightly and give the chance to do things other than staring at a screen we will, and it also draws people into the library and maybe they’ll take part in our reading challenge so they’ll keep reading over the long summer holidays and as they do that they’ll get incentives, like stickers, a book bag, and bookmark.

“It’s a win win all around.”

Lesley says the animal visits continue Sefton Libraries’ efforts to always go ‘beyond the book’.

“We’ll always have our core service and books will always be part of our offer, along with information and digital services.

“But we really feel we’re supporting our communities by offering them different activities and that’s so important to us.

“We’ve got a strand of work on grief at the moment that’s been really well received, so there’s reading groups and grief gathering and grief karaoke – we’ve even had a smashing party where people can come in and smash something to vent their anger. It’s about celebrating life and working through grief.

“Our summer reading challenge this year is Read to the Beat celebrating music and sound, so it’s linked to music and we’re holding musical workshops where people can make musical instruments and sound sampling sessions where the kids will go round and record sounds from around the library and come back and turn it into a musical composition.

“So there are some exciting things happening.

“We are always looking for that next thing we can do and our communities tell us they need.”