Our Programs
Tiger Tales
You're invited to join us at our very special, very interactive story time. We begin with a story and end with a creative hands-on project to take home!
Every Friday 11:00am - 12:00pm.
No fee, no registration required.
Ages 3 - 5
To Be Continued
Pull up a pillow, relax, and listen! We'll read a chapter book to you over a series of weeks, and celebrate at the end with a cool project or activity. Best of all, you can work your way towards a book of your very own. Five visits = one brand new paperback of your choice!
Every Wednesday 3:45pm - 4:45pm
No fee, no registration required.
Ages 6 - 7
Cotsen Critix
Like to discuss books and partake in creative (and sometimes highly unusual) activities related to books and writing? If you live and breathe books, the Critix is for you!
Every other Friday 4:00pm - 5:30pm (October - May)
No fee, enrollment is required.
Ages 8 - 14
The BiblioFiles
Dig a little deeper into the books you love to read with the BiblioFiles, our one-on-one interviews with children's book authors! From award-winning bestsellers to books you might not have heard of but should definitely check out, hear what the authors have to say about their creations! To check out our recent guests and to access our year-round audio archive, click here.
No fee, no registration required.
All ages
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Annual Events
Princyclopedia
Join us for Cotsen’s huge community event where we bring a book to life through a multitude of hands-on projects, demos, activities, live shows, and performances! Imagine elaborate chemistry experiments at Harry Potter, a live camel at Aladdin, a giant chess board at Alice in Wonderland, a taste of "bombo" at Treasure Island, historical Greek hoplites in full armor at The Lightning Thief, an archery range at Robin Hood, and you're starting to get the picture!
No fee, no registration required.
All ages
350 for 50
Polish up those pens! Cotsen’s annual writing competition challenges you to write a short, 350-word story that includes a sentence of our choosing. Winning stories will be published in Cotsen's Picture Book Press, and the authors will receive a whirlwind $50 shopping spree at Labyrinth Books!
No fee, registration is required.
Ages 8 - 16
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School Programs
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Cotsen in the Classroom
Our six facilitated trunk programs come directly to any K-5 classroom or home school within ten miles of Princeton University campus. The programs are collections-based, related to the NJ Core Curriculum Standards, facilitated by a Cotsen staff member, and come with materials for children to see, touch, and take home. For more information, please click here.
Tuesdays & Thursdays (September - May)
No fee, registration is required.
Grades K - 5
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Picture Book Press
Young writers! Yes, YOU! Submit your work to the Picture Book Press! Our full-color literary quarterly features your stories, poems, essays, and reviews. It also features unique, interesting, and unusual items in Cotsen’s rare collections. Imagine, a peek into Cotsen’s vaults AND your work published for all to see!
If you’re ready to get started, click here to see our submission requirements.
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Our programs are open to the public and free of charge. Some are run on a first-come, first-served basis and may have restrictions on class size and age range. We ask that you please respect these limitations. Additionally, some programs require registration and may have enrollment criteria. Questions? Please contact Dana Sheridan, Education & Outreach Coordinator: danas@princeton.edu