A little addition to the Junee library has proven to be a big hit with the town's youngsters.
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In mid-December last year, the Riverina's first StorytimePOD was installed, a space for small children to have stories read to them with about 500 e-book and video titles available for public access.
The StorytimePOD is aimed at children aged two to eight, and provides a variety of digital storytelling options catered to each age group a long with puzzles and games.
For the first three months of operation, the pod has recorded an average of 85 stories read per week.
It appears popular with children of all ages, with an even split between the age groups of 2-3, 4-5 and 6-8+ recorded from December to February.
Kim Richards, from the library, said the pod gave parents a great opportunity to keep their children busy during their time at the library while also helping them learn to read.
"It's a really good way for mums to have their child sit and be entertained while they go and select their books," she said.
Some of the titles available are in foreign languages, which Ms Richards said had been popular, especially with the local Chinese community.
The first family to ever use the Junee StorytimePOD was a Mandarin-speaking mother and child, and Ms Richards said they were delighted to discover books that were not just translated into Mandarin but originally written in the language.
Japanese, Turkish, Spanish and Indian language titles have also been accessed so far.
She said members of the Riverina Regional Library also had access to the Story Box Library online which allowed them to access similar audiovisual e-books from home.
With the coming months likely to see parents and children spending an increased amount of time at home together, she said this was a great option for parents who were feeling tired or overwhelmed and "don't feel like reading another five books" to sit with their child and have the book read to them both.
The StorytimePOD was purchased through State Library of NSW subsidy funding and is one of multiple planned upgrades to the library's technological offerings.
Among new tools set to pop up in the library is an Osmo station, aimed at engaging young children in games that develop their skills across language, art and STEM.
