It’s free. It’s something children and parents can do together. And it takes place four times a week.

Everyone knows story time in the children’s section of the Albert Lea Public Library is good for the rugrats, but children’s librarian Patty Greibrok likes to remind folks it is good for grown-ups, too.

“I think it’s an awesome benefit not only for the children but also for the parents,” she said.

Greibrok said it gives them time to meet other parents with children the same age and to watch their kids interact.

Story time used to be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays but now it takes place at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays, too. And there is a fourth one at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

“I think it’s wonderful for working parents,” she said.

Friends of the Library sponsors story time. The booster group pays for the snacks and crafts.

On Thursday morning, 36 children attended story time, with about 20 grown-ups watching.

“If you have a yellow duck, yellow duck, yellow duck, if you have a yellow duck, bring it to the board,” Greibrok sang.

Each child had a duck, and there were seven different colors. Each duck had a magnet on the back. After she called for a color, the children brought ducks forward. In the end, she counted the ducks, and there were 36.

That was a high attendance. Usually, there are about 15 kids. Greibrok said with the poor economy she has seen attendance go up.

Each week the show has a new theme. This week was ducks. Story time lasts about 45 minutes.

On Thursday morning, she read “The Chick and the Duckling” by Mirra Ginsburg and “Duck on a Bike” by David Shannon. She sang from the book “Little White Duck,” by Walt Whippo and Bernard Zaritsky.

The finger play “Five Little Ducks” also was a hit.

Then the children head to the tables for crafts. On Thursday, they glued and colored paper ducks with googly eyes.

Father Tyler Larsen brings his 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Taylor, to story time because she likes the crafts and especially likes to color. He said he learned about it by simply being in the library.

“We were up here one day and they said they had story time right now,” he said.

Larsen said he has seen an increase in attendance from when he first starting coming.

Mother Diane Kurth brings daughter, Laural, who is almost 3, because she likes the family atmosphere and the many programs. There is plenty to do in addition to story time. She said Laural’s two grade-school-age brothers sit at the computers while Laural and Diane enjoy story time.

Kurth praised the librarians, describing them as “welcoming,” “creative” and “helpful.”

“It’s like they want the kids here to be involved. They really want to contribute to the community,” she said.

Greibrok said story time teaches numbers, colors and movement, among other educational things, but it also teaches children how to sit quietly, how to wait their turn and how to ask questions.

Most of all, Greibrok enjoys what she does.

“I just love watching the delight on children’s faces,” she said.