LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas librarian is using music and energy to engage young readers at Whitney Library in the southeast valley.
Billy Allen, branch manager at Whitney Library, hosts “Hip-Hop Story Time” every Thursday, combining picture books with hip-hop music and dancing to draw crowds of families. Allen, known as “Mr. Billy,” plays music on his computer while rapping along to the beat and reading from picture books during the weekly sessions.
“I’ll read this book 20 different times and you’re going to get 20 different experiences,” Allen said.
He explained that his approach differs from traditional library programming.
“I used to work in another library system, and I’m like, okay, I don’t do my story times like other people,” Allen said. “I like hip hop. I like being myself. I’m influenced by comedians, battle rap, all the stuff. I said, ‘Let me incorporate music.’”
The program aims to engage young readers like 2-year-old Aaron, whose mother, Daisy Reyes, said the sessions sparked his interest in books.
“That’s how he started liking books. He didn’t like books at all,” Reyes said.
Allen said engaging parents is part of his strategy.
“So if the kids are looking at them, I’m like, ‘Okay, mom bopping to the story,’ that creates the thirst of reading,” Allen said.
He hopes families will take the hip-hop story time approach home with them to show children that books aren’t a burden.
“My big picture is, can we get adults to look and mimic this? To be like, you can have fun reading. It’s not a chore,” Allen said.
Allen said he hopes the reading habit will stick through middle and high school, boosting literacy levels across the valley.
Hip-Hop Story Time is held at Whitney Library every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. The program is free.
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