All library locations and services will be closed Friday, 7/4, for Independence Day.

For kids and families

The library is a place for all kinds of families to discover, explore, and have fun together.

It’s not just books (although we’ve got a great collection for kids!). At the library you can:

…and much more!

For every age

Through every stage of your lifelong learning journey, the library is there for you. From the very beginning with lapsit storytimes and board books, through homework help and fun activities for kids in school, and into the teen years and beyond – at every age, we can help you grow, learn, and have fun!

Upcoming events

Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 9:45am - 10:15am

Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd) (Southwest Meeting Room)

Toddlers and their caregivers are welcome to join us on Tuesdays mornings at 9:45 am for a toddler storytime consisting of songs, dancing, flannel board stories, read alouds, and bubbles!...

Ages: Baby, Kindergarten, Pre-School, Toddler

Playtime with Ms. Chelsea

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 10:30am - 11:00am

North Regional Library (221 Milton Rd)

Come join Ms. Chelsea for playtime! Spend Tuesday morning enjoying songs, bubbles, and building blocks! ...

Ages: Kindergarten, Pre-School, Toddler

Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 10:30am - 11:00am

Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd) (Southwest Meeting Room)

[NEW time added!] Toddlers and their caregivers are welcome to join us on Tuesdays mornings for a toddler storytime consisting of songs, dancing, flannel board stories, read alouds, and bubbles! The same storytime will be offered...

Ages: Baby, Kindergarten, Pre-School, Toddler

Family Storytime

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 10:30am - 11:15am

Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St) (Main Children's Programming Room)

Bring your family out for stories, songs, bubbles, and a craft! All ages are welcome to attend this storytime. Please register the name of every child that will be doing a craft. Thank you! 

Ages: Baby, Elementary School, Intergenerational, Pre-School, Toddler

Registration full. Join the waitlist >

Garden Club for Kids @ Southwest: Herbal Tea Blends & Sun Teas

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 3:30pm - 4:15pm

Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd) (Southwest Regional - Children's Programming Room)

Do you love gardening, nature, and being outside? Children ages 7-12 are invited to join Southwest's Garden Club. Once a month, we'll get together in Southwest's backyard garden to talk about gardening, plant things, and work on garden...

Ages: Elementary School, Middle School, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds

Registration full.

Tuesday Art Adventures!

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 3:30pm - 4:30pm

(Main Children's Programming Room)

Join us for an afternoon of making things! We will use paper and various other materials to create summer crafts! Open to toddler to tween ages.

Ages: Elementary School, Toddler, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds

This Week In the Lab: Makey Makeys

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 • 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St)

Join the STEAM Team in the Innovation Lab during specified open hours to discover how you can use the properties of electricity and circuit building in order to create a game controller with a Makey Makey kit! ...

Ages: Adult, Elementary School, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Intergenerational, Kindergarten, Middle School, Pre-School, Senior Citizen, Teen, Toddler, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds, DPS

Check for more events like this > or See all events

Featured online resources

Brainfuse HelpNow

Free online tutoring, help with writing assignments, and more.

Help and more info for Brainfuse HelpNow

Gale in Context: Elementary

Just for elementary students: search for info on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports, and more. Includes easy-to-understand articles from over 100 kids' magazines, newspapers, and reference books.

Help and more info for Gale in Context: Elementary

Just for Kids Access Video

Kids’ shows, with favorites like Sesame Street, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, and more.

NCpedia

Info about North Carolina history, people, government, and educational institutions.

More online resources for kids >

Accounts and access

Library cards

No one is too young or old to get a library card! Kids from 0 to 17 can check out items, use computers, and more with a juvenile card. A parent or guardian must be present to sign up for the card.

For Durham Public Schools students – Bull City, NC SLAM

Durham Public Schools students can also check out items through the Bull City, NC SLAM program. No sign-up is required: students already have a SLAM ID unless you’ve opted out of the program – it’s the same as your student ID or PowerSchool number. You can use your SLAM IDs for checking out books, using library resources online, and more. Learn more about how Bull City, NC SLAM works.

Meet the children’s librarians

Ms. Teresa dancing with the kids during Toddler Storytime

Ms. Teresa

Location: East Regional Library

Teresa grew up in a small mountain town where it usually snows about six months out of the year, and because of this, the local bookstore and library were her happy places. These places taught her at a young age how literature can serve a community and how books can change lives. She has always wanted to be surrounded by books, and she enjoys helping people, so she decided to make librarianship her career. Teresa is the Children’s Librarian for the East Regional Library. She loves picture books, and some of her favorites are The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield; You Matter by Christian Robinson; and Whose Moon is That? by Kim Krans. Teresa’s all-time favorite children’s book character is Ramona Quimby, from the Beverly Cleary books, because of Ramona’s whimsy and creativity. Aside from reading, Teresa enjoys writing, travel, gardening, and making arts and crafts in her spare time.

Pronouns: she/her

Meet all the children’s librarians >