Rhymes used to share cultures in city’s libraries

Sora Chun holds a crocodile made from egg cartons. It’s one of the many props she will use over the next half-hour.

Chun is running Korean Rhymetime at Takapuna Library. It’s one of many multilingual rhyme-time sessions run around Auckland.

The Korean version of Rhymetime was started at Takapuna three years ago by former librarian Grace Kim but Sora Chun took over this year.

‘‘The first time I did this I was so nervous and someone said, ‘The only thing you need to do is make them happy’,’’ Chun said.

A normal rhymetime session incorporates songs, plays and stories in both English and the other language to help kids learn.

‘‘I love meeting the parents and children and, also, I realised delivering this I feel proud as well that, as Auckland Library staff, we provide this happiness to our customers.’’

Chun said she liked exchanging and sharing her culture.

‘‘New Zealand is a multicultural environment. If you go to school, there’s a lot of children and friends from different countries,’’ she said ‘‘Here’s this perfect way to invite them and welcome them and understand others’ language and culture.’’

Some Korean families attend and it reminds them of home, Chun said. Chun had also recruited some help from childcare provider Kuddles.

Takapuna Library children’s librarian Lisa Dam said the programme, which they also ran in English, was focused on fun and learning.

‘‘First and foremost, it’s about having fun. It’s about feeling safe and comfortable,’’ she said.

‘‘If you can make them feel that, they will come back and they will associate the library with feeling safe and comfortable.’’

Dam recalled one Korean parent who had attended Korean Rhymetime with his young child after losing touch with the

‘‘It's about reconnecting with your own culture.’’ Lisa Dam

language.

‘‘He was bringing the little one here so he could learn the language but the dad was also listening to it,’’ Dam said. ‘‘It’s about reconnecting with your own culture.’’

Takapuna Library was the first in Auckland to run a Korean Rhymetime and is one of many running the programme in a different language. For details on rhymetime in Mandarin, Arabic, Russian and more, see aucklandlibraries.govt.nz.

ZIZI SPARKS/STUFF Takapuna Library children’s librarian Lisa Dam, left, with Korean Rhymetime deliverer Sora Chun and Kuddles worker Mary Kim.