Families can borrow Yoto Audio Players at PEI public libraries

For parents trying to encourage their children to keep up with their reading over the school break, or families wondering how their kids will stay entertained in the car during summer road trips, the PEI Public Library Service has just the thing! 

Yoto Audio Players have been added to their loanable collection so the public can borrow them for free.  They are portable and screen-free and play audiobooks, podcasts, music, radio and more. 

Grace Dawson, director of Libraries and Archives, says the players were added to their loanable collection to support families. 

“It’s a great resource that helps with literacy and reading among children. One of the Yoto's best features is that it is portable - so children and families can bring it along during vacations, road trips, you name it.”

All children should have access to literacy resources. 

“The Yoto Audio Players are awesome, but the cost can be prohibitive for some families. Islanders can now borrow them from the library or give them a test run before investing in one themselves. By providing free access to these types of learning tools, we hope to encourage literacy for young Islanders,” Dawson says.  

“It has also been a great way to expand our resources for print-disabled children, and the audio format means less screen time for kids.” 

Anyone can use the players, but the design and content are intended for children ages 3-12 years old. 

They come with cards that store an array of children's audiobooks and songs that you insert into the player to hear content even without internet access. 

With internet, you can access a free Yoto app available from Google Play or the App store and download additional free content such as music, white noise, podcasts, stories, and more. 

Dawson says there will be 20 players available to borrow across Island libraries in both French and English.

“We are thrilled with this latest addition and excited to continue expanding our loanable collection.” 

You can place a hold on a player and its cards through your library account on the library's online catalogue  or contact your local library branch. 

The players will be housed in the Charlottetown, Summerside, Cornwall, Stratford and Montague locations, but any library cardholder can have them shipped to their home library branch to pick up.