Tiny Tips for Library Fun

Sensible Shoes and Cardigans or Sequined Gowns?

2012-01-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

PW's Tip Sheet has a very funny and spot-on article about the failure of the TV morning shows again to schedule interviews with the Newbery and Caldecott Award winners.

Coupled with that is a shout-out to the all-out hilarious Stephen Colbert interviews with Maurice Sendak this week that has folks ROTFL. You can stop over at Wisconsin's YSS blog to see both clips.

Finally the comments in the first article referenced reminded me of a conversation with friends that I had after the news hit that the Today show wouldn't invite the authors. We speculated that if the attendees at the press conference were gowned and tuxedoed up, would that get the TV producers thinking how special our children's book creators are?

Wrapping up ALA Midwinter Around the Blogosphere

2012-01-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

Just a few wrap-up posts on the adventures. Share your faves in comments!

Mary Ann at Great Kids Books shares some love and insight on the Morris seminar (that helps train people to serve on the YMA* committees).

Travis at 100 Scope Notes always provides a supportive and even-handed wrap-up of some of the YMA.

Monica at Educating Alice shares her pleasure at YMA results.

Betsy at Fuse 8 Productions gives her usual thorough and very witty take on the YMAs.

Jonathan at SLJ's Heavy Medal blog points out that all winners/honorees had great reviews/accolades.

Robin over at Horn Book's blog talks about the process of selecting honor books. Then to top it off she exactly describes the way the YMA conference feels in another Horn Book post in Calling Caldecott.

The OIF Blog championed an excellent resolution passed by Council (who says issues move slowly through ALA?) calling Arizona legislators on the carpet for a biased and censorious law targeting ethnic and minority studies that I blogged about here.

And of course the ALSC blog was the go to place for observations and news large and small.

And here's a youtube channel with honorees thanking the committees

Plus never say librarians don't know how to spend money and have fun while visiting conference cities. The locals are always a little surprised.

Finally the twittersphere was hot, hot, hot throughout the YMA announcements (#alayma). Someone announced during the mad texting that that the hashtag had trended extremely high for activity approaching top ten status for a bit. The results: many, many porn tweets popped up there. So getting popular is not always good? Hilarious!

*YMA= Youth Media Awards presented at the ALA Midwinter Meeting

Come On In, the Water's Fine

2012-01-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

I joined the ALA Council at this midwinter meeting after being elected chapter councilor for Wisconsin. I found it to be fascinating, and definitely a venue where I will be able to thrive.

I served for the last few years on the ALSC board with my good friend and colleague Rhonda Puntney Gould, ALSC's division councilor. Ever since she started, she told me that I would love Council. I did feel a little trepidation. But I also know I love process, I love working with passionate people from all kinds of libraries and I think that the work that ALA does is vital to libraries.

The reaction of my peers has been pretty funny. I think it's safe to say that they have stayed in a fairly narrow range - "Poor you." " We appreciate your sacrifice." "Better you than me." Maybe I'm being Pollyanna-ish about this but I am puzzled by the reaction.

Although Council has a reputation as a large body that spins its wheels, it is also a large body that is passionate about libraries and library work in our nation. Over the past few days, we passed a resolution opposing restrictions to materials in Arizona and supporting open inquiry in ethnic and cultural studies. We discussed and passed a resolution opposing discriminatory practices of publishers and distributors which adversely impact access to content (think ebooks, audiobooks no longer available to libraries and DVDs that are not released to the library market until a month after general release); resolutions opposing SOPA/PIPA; and resolutions to restore funding to ensure no-fee public access to government information and opposing the Research Works Act. ALA can bring its considerable weight to bear in a way individual librarians and libraries can't. There are also working groups, task forces and the Washington office working on lobbying and negotiating in many of these areas.

We have had some great ALSC folks on council over the years but right now we are few and need lots more. I have long felt that many, many of my ALSC sisters and brothers see service to ALSC - and service on award committees in particular - as the be-all and end-all of their ALA work. While of course worthy, I believe that leadership in ALSC goes far beyond this. I would love more younger members running for Council and contributing their energy, their commitment to youth and libraries and their fresh eyes to the process of supporting all types of libraries.

Just as service on ALSC O&B or Budget committees or priority group consultancy prepares members for service as a board member, so, too, service on Council is a great learning experience and a true path to leadership. The youth caucus councilors (ALSC, YALSA and AASL) play and work beautifully together and the rest of the councilors are welcoming to the new among their ranks.I will be serving my state on Council for the next three years. The nominating committee is always looking for candidates. Why don't you consider joining me. After all, the water truly is fine!

Image: 'Bali Kuta Beach : May their JOY+Embrace+U!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/32594277@N04

Post ALA Award Thoughts

2012-01-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

On the twitter hashtag for the midwinter ALA Youth Media Awards (#alayma), there are many accolades but the beginning stirrings of "What happened to this much liked and talked about book?" or "Why so few honor books when my fave wasn't mentioned?" or "What were they thinking?"

In an effort to calm the waters (or the snows) and explain the process, I have blogged over at the Wisconsin Library Association's YSS blog about how things like this happen...and how to chill.

Image: 'Brilliant Reflector' http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600090482@N01/3088778613

Amelia Bloomer Awards Announced

2012-01-23T11:54:00.001-08:00

From the ALA press release:

DALLAS – The Amelia Bloomer Project, a product of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table’s (SRRT) Feminist Taskforce, announced the 2012 Amelia Bloomer List at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, held Jan. 20-23, 2012.

The bibliography consists of well written and illustrated books with significant feminist content, intended for young readers from birth to 18 years old. This year’s list includes 78 titles published between July 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011.

Named for Amelia Bloomer, a pioneering 19th century newspaper editor, feminist thinker, public speaker and suffragist, the list features books about girls and women that spur the imagination while confronting traditional female stereotypes.

The bibliography is intended to aid children and teens in selecting high-quality books released over the past 18 months and may be used for a recommended reading list for youth and those who interact with them and as a collection development or reader’s advisory tool for interested librarians. Find the top 10 titles of the 2012 Amelia Bloomer List here.

ALA Awards - Behind the Scenes

2012-01-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging over at the WI Library Association's Youth Services Section blog (YSS Events) here and here over the past few days giving a behind the scenes look at what it's like at the ALA Midwinter conference for award committee members.

Drop by and read!

Make Yourself # 21!

2012-01-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

Even though this is from October 2010, the 20 Heroic Librarians Who Save the World always tickles me.

I believe all of us who work in libraries are heroes everyday. I blogged about it in the past here and here.

Now get out there, you heroes, and greet the day!

Please Sign White House Petition on School Libraries

2012-01-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

Need ammo for the petition below?

Check out this report from Library Research Service News, Change in School Librarian Staffing Linked to Change in CSAP Scores, 2005-2011.

Whether you are a school librarian, public librarian, academic librarian, book creator, or a book lover, supporting school libraries and the presence of trained school librarians is vital to children's reading and education.

- From Marci Merola on behalf of the ALA School Library Task Force:

Dear Colleagues,

Carl Harvey, 2011-2012 AASL president, has initiated a White House petition on school libraries, which specifically petitions the Obama administration to "ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program." 25,000 signatures are required in order for this petition to be viewed by White House staff, no later than February 4, 2012.

Please take a few seconds to sign this petition, spread the word to your member groups, ask your colleagues and library supporters in your circles to sign on and spread the word via Facebook, Twitter and other channels.

Image: 'The List' http://www.flickr.com/photos/40609437@N04/5185095492

Arizona is Afraid of Words. ..and Thoughts

2012-01-18T02:47:00.000-08:00

Wow. If you haven't been following this bizarre story, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy has a good, brief set of links. Clearly how we each vote matters.

Image: 'no evil' http://www.flickr.com/photos/36770908@N08/4385543669

Meet E.M. Kokie, an Apocalypsie from the YAmazing Race

2012-01-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

I gotta say, as a practitioner out here in the fields, I have never heard of a gathering of authors across houses like this doing this level of coordinated promotion in such an inviting and downright "perfect-storm” sort of way. I asked one of the Apocalypsie debut authors, E.M. Kokie (Personal Effects, Candlewick, Fall 2012) if she could spend a few minutes enlightening me on the fabulous race. I share her responses below.

TTFLF: How did the Apocalypsies originally come together?

E.M.: Debut YA and MG authors have been banding together for a good number of years in groups ranging from small marketing collectives to larger support communities. For example, the 2K classes have been around since 2007. And groups like the Tenners and the Elevensies preceded the Apocalypsies.

The Apocalypsies started fairly organically in that those of us who are active online and in social media knew of the Tenners and Elevensies. So, when we learned we would be 2012 debuts, we started organizing. While there were many of us helping to make decisions and organize as early as the summer of 2010, authors Gretchen McNeil and Lynne Kelly went above and beyond, really helping the Apocalypsies to organize, communicate and plan early. But this has been a group formed through self-identification and social outreach, with authors finding us, and us finding them, through word of mouth online. The group grew in numbers and in enthusiasm and in friendship faster and larger than I could have imagined. It's been amazing to have these friends to share the journey.

TTFLF: Is it unusual to have so many debut writers of YA and MG novels sharing their journey towards publication with each other and the kidslitosphere?

E.M.: I can't say it is unusual, but because we organized early it allowed us to support each other and to establish a presence early. Many of us have been members since our books were acquired, meaning we've been able to privately offer moral support and humor and advice through the entire journey - from revisions to sharing covers and title changes and now to support each other, to cheer each debut and news. We spent a good portion of 2011 organizing and supporting each other behind the scenes (and sometimes on Twitter), and lending support to the Elevensies (the 2011 debut group) through blog interviews and shout outs on Twitter and Facebook. Now we are focused a little more on efforts to get the word out - for example, we are doing monthly Twitter chats on the 12th of every month (use hashtag #2012debuts) and some of us are looking at doing some group signings and events, maybe even some in person events organized geographically or around similar themes or audiences. What's great is that the Apocalypsies is all about the support, but members can participate as much or as little as they like, and however they are comfortable.

TTFLF: If it's not unusual, how would librarians or kids lit aficionados find upcoming classes (2013; 2014) of debut authors?

E.M.: If you are active on Twitter, and follow authors and editors and other librarians, you would probably eventually see mention of the groups. But I'll give you a head start and a shout out to the Lucky 13s, the 2013 debuts. I'm not aware of a 2014 group yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

TTFLF: The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes is a great concept to alert the kidslitosphere to all you new authors and your works. How did this idea originate and grow?

E.M.: There have been scavenger hunts and blog hops before. But Apocalypsie Gina Damico suggested that we do a blog race in January to kick off the year with a bang, and she really took the lead in organizing all of the legs and creating the quizzes and deserves a hardy round of applause for all the work she put into organizing this. The enthusiasm has been amazing. And it's been fun, too, which is the important part.

TTFLF: I'm impressed by the way the Apocalypsies have embraced social media to make this very short week, a very big deal. Was this aspect - and the addition of swag - always part of the original concept?

E.M. Well, who doesn't love ARCs and swag and the tangible fun parts of being debut authors? Yes, from the beginning, from Gina's proposal, we knew that the Race would include prize packs, and even side give aways. There are so many amazing books coming out in 2012! And not all of the Apocalypsies were able to participate in the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes. If you go to our blog, you can scroll through all of the members by name or release date.

Or you can go back to the early blog posts (use the pull down menu to select October 2010) and read a bit about many of the Apocalypsies in the form of our own posts on at the blog. We are so excited to finally be sharing our books! And if you missed the Elevensies, I encourage readers to check them out, too, and maybe find some great 2011 books you may have missed.

TTFLF: Just from a day's perspective, are you (and any of the Apocalypsies you've been in touch with) seeing a significant uptick in traffic/interest in your blogs/feeds/followers/newsletter sign-ups?

E.M.: I am in the third leg of the Race, and already I'm seeing a lot of activity on my blog and Facebook page, which means there are already a good number of people at leg three - go early bird racers! And what is even more interesting is that I'm seeing increased buzz and activity at Goodreads and Twitter, too, even though my profiles there are not directly related to the Race. So, I would definitely say the buzz of the Race is causing people to check out our books - which is really what it is all about, beyond the fun, of course.

TTFLF: Anything else, you'd like to wrap-up with?

E.M.: This is such an exciting time for those of us who are moving into a more public forum and who are finally seeing all the hard work pay off in the form of our books heading out into the world. It's wonderful to have the enthusiasm of librarians and teachers who are always looking for great new books to put into the hands of teens and younger kids. Thank you for all you do to put good books in the hands of readers.

TTFLF: Thanks zillions for your time on this, E.M. It is truly a great concept and is really introducing me to alot of books and authors I am excited to meet!

White Hat/Black Ops Needed

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

From LJ/SLJ Ebook Summit via Library Journal on Facebook

Librarian Tony Greenwalt, on his theanalogdivide blog, has an idea to counter some publishers' attitudes about ebooks in relation to libraries: measure the sales impact of Caldecott and RUSA awards at midwinter. He's looking for some "white hat/black ops" cohorts. Can you help?

Image: 'untitled' http://www.flickr.com/photos/36554617@N03/5710171465

Blinkety Links

2012-01-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Man, the feeds are smokin'. Forthwith, a few shares of what seems to be hot off the web for those who love books:

The Apocalypsies, a fab gathering of 2012 debut YA and middle grade authors have launched a one week-only race through their author blogs in an effort to introduce readers to their work set to be published in 2012. The race features quizzes, swag and encourages readers to like, join, recommend and interact to get the word out. This may be the best marketing effort I've seen. But don't delay, the race only lasts from Jan 16-23. And all those book teasers...mmmmmm!

As mentioned in my previous post, World Book Night is going to debut in the U.S. this year. They are looking for 50,000 book-loving volunteers to take 20 free copies of a book to a location in their community and give them away. The goal is to give books to new readers, to encourage reading, to share your passion for a great book. Applications to be a distribution point or distributor are due Feb 1, 2012.

For those of us not yet willing to let the wonder of last summer's One World, Many Stories go, Paper Tigers blog is calling all readers who love and want to promote world literature to get involved in a very easy year-long challenge - Reading the World Challenge. They encourage readers to open up to the exciting possibilities and blend books into programming, curriculum and everywhere books and kids come together. If you are interested in expanding your and kids' horizons, you can sign up in the comments section of their post above.

World Book Night

2012-01-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

My friend and colleague Leah has a post up over at Keeping Up with Kids about World Book Night which is happening on April 23, 2012. It sounds pretty fascinating and libraries are welcome to participate and promote.

The books, perfect for adults and teens, are great!

Brews and Book Reviews

2012-01-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

Recently, Sara, my renaissance-woman colleague at the library, wrote a thoughtful piece at the Ladies of Craft Brewing blog about the importance of reviewing craft brews responsibly. As I read it I thought, "Jeez, this could pretty much be said about book reviewing as well." Then I saw a link of Madigan Reads where an author really let a reviewer know what she thought right back (before the author took the post down) and things clicked again for me.

Until recently, I was a long time book reviewer for School Library Journal. I often thought about the power of my words when considering what to say about a book I had before me. Ranganathan's Five Laws always spoke to me. In particular, his second and third laws really yakked:

Every reader his/her book
Every book, its reader

Because I found the plot strange for my tastes (after all, isn't the Marge-centric view of the universe the way everyone should look at life?), the characters rubbed me the wrong way (maybe one reminded me of my nutjob relative or another kept me in mind of the sneering, stink-eye-giving teen that I don't much care for), the writing not elevated or bright (but would reluctant readers find it a bracing and fun read), did that give me carte blanche to trash the book or dismiss it out of hand? What reader was the book truly speaking to? It didn't have to speak to me but I needed to know who it might speak to. I thought carefully about the audience for the book, about how it might be used in a library setting or in a home, about how it might speak to a reader quite different from me.

I also thought in a larger way about the fact that many people found value in this book - the publisher, editor, promotional department - and put their considerable heft behind it. So somewhere, somehow, someone thought this book had worth. And I went about finding it. I was honest in my opinion, not Polly-annish, but also willing to explore who best fit with this book. It was certainly analagous to the work I do daily at the library with kids finding just the right book for each individual reader.

As a "citizen-librarian" reviewer for SLJ (no pay), I have felt great kinship with the other citizen-reviewers who blog for the love of youth literature throughout the Kidlitosphere. I have learned whose opinion I trust the most to give clear-eyed insight into the books they read. I have also learned to be leery of those who sometimes like to talk but have little to say; and those who occasionally are pretty darn sure they could write a better book. I learned who actually speaks to the book before them and knows how to imagine the many different readers that book might have. Unlike journal reviewers who are assigned the books they review, my sister and brother bloggers can choose to review or not review a book. By their silence, a book can certainly be judged.And in that very silence, I have certainly listened and known much about books.

Our words have power, my friends, just as Sara writes about in her blog on reviews of craft beer and what they can mean. I am wondering if we are thinking about this as we write or a sense of divine privilege and insight dictates what words we share on the life work of others?

Just wondering...

Image: 'Friday: 1.2.2008' http://www.flickr.com/photos/7721141@N07/3164270664

Late to the Pinterest Party?

2012-01-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

I was happily blogging along last year when I chanced upon a new and different source when looking at where my blog traffic was coming from. It said "pinterest.com" and when I clicked through I found this bright and interesting place that had ideas on all kinds of library stuff. But it was clear to me that I needed to request an invite to come to the party. That seemed rude. Well, and I was busy. And. Well. Sigh.

Then, a few months after that, I saw our neighboring library system was planning a webinar on Pinterest. Ah, just the motivation I needed. I signed up for the webinar...and then because I am more OCD than not, I decided to ask for an invite to get a leg up. Meanwhile, a colleague did a brief post on Pinterest at the Wisconsin Library Association's YSS blog and I started getting really excited.

My invite came, I joined up...and I didn't quite get it. Wah!!!!

But thank goodness the webinar was today and, guided by the ever creative and ever confident trio of Georgia Jones, Jill Pachin and Jessi Peterson, I participated and "got" it! They provided hand-holdingly great tips and I saw how it could help my work (ohhhh, those "boards" are like my old manilla folder filing system) and even help me store some of my favorite posts and blogs. It was total kismet that the first post that I came upon to pin from my Google Reader's starred item lists was one written last week at Anne's SoTomorrow blog on...Pinterest! It includes handy tips for bloggers who are pinning as well as making it easy for folks to pin content from a blog.

So. Two hours later I am mainlining this handy site, finding amazing ideas on library stuff and thinking, "Jeez, glad I have my party shoes and bling on!" And I guess I wasn't too late after all!

Muffins with Mom/Doughnuts with Dad = Perfection

2012-01-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

I was asked to come by one of our elementary schools today to do a story and brief presentation about the library and what's up at their monthly breakfast: Muffins with Mon/Doughnuts with Dad. This 45 minute early morning event for preschoolers, 4K and K kids and their grown-ups features a light breakfast and plenty of books for families to read together as they eat. There is always a short informational presentation and all kids who attend receive a free paperback book.

My LMC colleague Bridget and some of her school colleagues created this amazing event last year after writing a grant to the district's educational foundation. The grant helps fund the mini-muffins, glazers, fruit, milk and juices - and the books for give-away. It is going into it's second year and the funding has been extended.

The original concept is still being followed and the participation continues to grow. The breakfast is held in the LMC, the tables where families eat are covered in LMC books to read while eating and the free books to take home are enticingly displayed. The families represent a wide range of economic and cultural circumstances and everyone comes together to celebrate books. Everyone is modeling reading and I think it is very encouraging for families. It is mellow, fun and very conversational.

Simply put, I love this event. I am in awe of the original planning that went into this concept. It resulted in a strong and worthwhile program - the fact that it is still hewing to it's original form yet continuing to grow in participation speaks volumes. I appreciate being asked to be a part of the mix to highlight a few of our programs and initiatives, encourage library card sign-up and celebrate the fact the school kids are so lucky to have two libraries - a LMC and a public library to go to. And, as a supporter of literacy, I am thrilled to watch the faces of the kids as they are absorbed in books amid the whirl of activity and hum of voices. To me, this school program = perfection. Kudos to my school colleagues!

Image: 'Blueberry muffins and tangerines' http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124473190@N01/2353402378

What Do Books Do at Night?

2012-01-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh!

I KNEW it! I KNEW it!!!

All my wild imaginings are true. I was sure this is what happens after we turn off the lights at bookstores and libraries (I somehow feel Luna Lovegood-ish about this!) .

Great work to the film-makers and their group of handy helpers! And thanks Bina Williams for the link!

What the....?!?!?!?!

2012-01-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

You know how I posted a few weeks ago about how much I loved the calm days just prior to and during the holidays?

I must have angered the gods and goddesses because this first week of the new year has been rockin' out crazy. I suspect everyone put off tasks and to-do's "until after the New Year", and man, we've all been busy like little beavers. My email inbox has been bursting with requests and my own finger over the "Send" button has been tapping feverishly. And stuff around the library...aieee!

What's up?
- ALA annual housing opened up and negotiations needed to happen with my roommate
- a major typo mix-up in a handout precipitated massive negotiation between a couple of departments to create the right solution
- continuing planning on our efforts to bring in every 2nd grader in for a class visit went into high gear
- emailing art teachers with an art contest entry in collaboration with our local Earth Week committee
- helping to oversee the melding of our Youth Dept shelvers into the Circ department
- negotiating a venue for our state library association's Foundation fundraiser
- working with a colleague to suggest ways to move a request through the ALSC board
- continued detail work on eleven upcoming SLP workshop presentations in two states
- helping support a colleague across the state in a touchy situation
- starting to blog on our youth services blog and recruit a posse of colleagues to help create content
- get ready for ALA midwinter: first ALA council sessions; finish writing up cool programs for a "101 Great School Age Programs" for my committee; prep for ALSC Nominations Committee meeting
- empty out my office bookshelves for transfer into colleagues' offices and prep for new bookshelves
- looking over a colleague's resume
- meeting as library rep with our local Storytelling Festival committee to solidify plans
- getting the news that a website is up for an advisory committee I was part of and we need to help provide some good content
- working some desk time

I could go on. Suffice it to say the 2012 has started with a bang and here I gooooooooooooooooooo!

How's about you?

Image: 'Crazy Kawaii Bot' http://www.flickr.com/photos/7315825@N04/4837849029

Two Giants...and All the Words Fit to Print.

2012-01-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

What a momentous day - the inestimable Walter Dean Myers has been named as our newest National Ambassador for Young People's Literature!! A writer of rare gifts and insights, Myers has written powerfully and beautifully for young readers for over forty years. His passion and commitment is as strong today as when he started. His honor makes this the third home run for the LC's Center of the Book and Children's Book Council who sponsor this initiative (Jon Scieszka and Katherine Paterson were his ambassadorial predecessors). A huge congratulations and shout-out to WDM!!

And just to make things even more delicious on such a day, Horn Book published a lovely piece by Richard Peck based on his remarks this past October at a Horn Book/Simmons Colloquium. Reading his tribute to books, writers, readers and the power of books and words in the lives of young people gives me pause ...and hope.

Such richness today - it is a wonderful thing to be a Youth Librarian and lover of children's literature and have two such thoughtful and thought-provoking occurrences on our radar!

Secrets of Storytime Success Shared

2011-12-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

Katie over at Storytime Secrets has posted a wonderfully supportive post on lessons learned in storytime. She shares ten lessons learned and they are spot on.

Storytimes should be fun and its easy to create fun for yourself and your families. Drop by Katie's blog and enjoy!

Image: 'MingÃ¢laba' http://www.flickr.com/photos/63726798@N00/375294089

Celebrating My Favorite Days at the Library

2011-12-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

I love working around the winter holidays.

It's a little oasis of calm for professional level work (you guys are all on vacation) so my email is almost empty, my phone messages are zeroed out and my teammates are taking some well-deserved time off. I can't spend much time planning anything since colleagues everywhere are elsewhere celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Solstice and preparing hearth and home for all the food, guests and celebrations - or quiet contemplation - that the season brings.

Although we still have families coming in, our check-outs and reference dip as people clear the deck for the holidays. There will be an uptick of use between this week and the first of the year when school is out but even these visits seem to bring happier, less stressed interactions. There are delicious cookie and candy treats shared from staffers, patrons and staff families so I clandestinely sugar up as the days flow by.

And, although my work is truly caught up and I feel the calm of a deadline-less reprieve, there is always a bit of time devoted to cleaning up and readying myself for the new year - deleting emails; weeding; organizing my desk or finishing a small piece of a project that has been laying there waiting for closure like this tired old year.

Somehow it seems fitting to the moment.

Image: 'Happy Winter Solstice!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/15004954@N03/5280170521

Mixing It Up with Tykes

2011-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a group of 2-5 year olds in for a field trip adventure. My colleague Sara and I divided the group in two - she showed one group around the room while I shared stories, songs and storytelling with the other half - and then we switched the kids. Because timing is always a bit imprecise on this kind of thing, I had to be prepared to wrap up at a moment's notice as the touring group came back to the storyroom.

I ended up playing with the concept of clapping - asking kids to clap in sign language, clap like a penguin (with elbows); like a frog (with knees); like a hippo (opening and closing our mouths); like an elephant and so on. Kids started suggesting animals and characters - rabbits, aliens, monsters - and we had a great time playing and mixing it up.

It brought to mind a link from a couple years ago that spoke to this. Abby the Librarian had a delightful post about a song she keeps in her storytime arsenal that is ready in a second and can be used often. These fun and funny activities help stretch the time in a pinch and are fun and inventive for the kids.

Mixing it up happens when the creative muse pays a visit and inspires us to play. A friend taught me to do "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" as "Noggin, Shruggers, Benders, Tootsies" and it gets giggles every time. Other times, I use the fingerplay "Way Up High in the Apple Tree" (two little eyes looking at me/well I shook that tree as hard as I could/ down fell the apples/mmmmm, were they good) and do it a few times. Each time I let the kids suggest a new food. We always end up climbing pizza trees, candy trees and other nummy fauna.

Having a storybag at my side also helps to create fun and suspense and stretch out time. I keep some books, props, puppets inside relating to the stories I plan to do. Then I make a big production with much fanfare and hoohaw of groping for and finding the prop and bringing it out in triumph. The results: big-eyed kids, quiet and interest zeroed in on the story. Priceless!

What do you use to keep little kids interested and stretch out timing?

Image: 'Baby Kong' http://www.flickr.com/photos/45777632@N06/6300899555

I'm a Proud Co-Mom!

2011-12-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

I am tickled pink to see the newly revised Great Early Elementary Reads booklist available on the Association for Library Service Website (ALSC) website. My wonderful national colleagues on the School Age Programs and Services Committee (chaired so beautifully by Iowa's own Tami Finley) worked happily and virtually in Google docs this fall to suggest and annotate over sixty great books for kids just beginning to read and those who are exploring early chapter books. Each book, published between 2009 and 2011, has complete bibliographic info to make ordering copies a snap.

We were building on the pioneering work of our School Age Programs and Services committee predecessors, chaired by Shilo Pearson, who conceived of and created the first list almost three years ago. Both lists contain great books from first time authors as well as popular writers who have made a mark on children's literature. There is a smattering of non-fiction and poetry as well as plenty of fiction featuring a rainbow of child protaganists.

ALSC "recommends these titles for children who are just learning to read and beginning to read on their own. The books included were published between 2009 and 2011. However, many are part of a larger series that young readers also will enjoy. Librarians, educators, and others who work with families are encouraged to download and print the brochure and share it with parents, grandparents, and caregivers in their community."

Hats off to my co-moms on the committee who worked to create this great list to share with all of you: Tami L. Chumbley Finley, Sarah Abercrombie, Janis Cooker, Claire Moore, Sara Lissa Paulson, Erin Lynn Pierce, Elizabeth D. Rosania and Sarah Stippich and to the great staff at the ALSC office who supported our efforts to update this jewel!

Idea Sparklers #2 - Fun Ideas From the Field

2011-12-09T09:59:00.001-08:00

Next up in the idea parade from my Summer Library/Programming workshops are the marvelous minds from the South Central Library System in Wisconsin. We got involved in some fun summer ideas and then went crazy on scavenger hunt brainstorming and wild success with poetry.

There is also a mysterious note I have about a Price is Right board incorporating bubble wrap in some way but my poor forgetful brain lost the thread. If you shared that idea and want to flesh it out again for all of us, please share in comments!

Wall of Dreams – to record books that kids have read. A penny is donated for every book that is then given to a good cause like Heifer International’s animal adoption program.

Name a Star – if children reach a certain level of minutes/books read, adopt a star – funded through Friends of Library or other donation.

August Family Reading Card – to encourage reading beyond the end of the regular SLP, create a 5x5 scavenger hunt bingo card to keep kids reading and using the library.

Stuffed Animal Sleepover – popular and easy to do.

Fired Up Reading Program – mini-reading program during three weeks surrounding Fire Safety Week in October. Kids read at least three hours to complete a card. Kid who reads the most gets a ride on a firetruck. Alternative would be to put completed cards in a drawing to select winner.

Math Literacy Night – School district presenter talks to parents about making games for kids while kids are in another room participating in activities at a number of stations (storytelling; block building; story extensions play)

Acorn Scavenger Hunt – fifteen acorns are hidden in various spots in the Youth Area. Rhymes that need to be completed are the clues that lead kids to the different acorns. It helps kids learn the library. Kids who find all the acorns have their names put in a prize drawing.

Picture Clues – Take close-up pictures of objects and features around the library and let the kids see if they can discover where the photo was taken.

I Spy Scavenger Hunt – kids need to find objects listed. An inexpensive plastic mini-magnifying glass is the prize for all participants.

Poetry Breaks – during April, drop in to classrooms, announce “poetry Break” and read 1-3 short poems. It’s a five minutes or less visit and a fun surprise.

Poetry Mic Night – open mic for youth to read poems – their own or others. It has become so popular that it is moving from the library to a school to handle the huge crowds.

Image: 'whirligig' http://www.flickr.com/photos/63595585@N00/3407349475

Idea Sparklers #1 - Fun Ideas from the Field

2011-12-09T08:30:00.001-08:00

I am just starting my presentations of 2012 Summer Reading /Innovative Programming Workshops around the state (and out of state too!). With thirteen library systems scheduled, I expect to see lots of colleagues and hear amazing ideas. As I go along, I will post "Idea Sparklers" and share a listing of the fun program/display ideas that librarians from libraries small and large shared together.

Although they aren't going to be fleshed out ideas, they will hopefully spark your creativity and get you thinking of new ways to engage kids at your library!

Our first stop is the Winnefox Library System in Wisconsin. Among the ideas shared:

If You Build It, They Will Come – set up a table and let kids create things out of “junk” (recycled materials). Sometimes a theme is provided or a bag of materials for each child who participates to spark their imagination.

If You Like Reading Wimpy Kid, Try These – put up a line drawing of the Wimpy Kid near a book cart or shelf and fill it up with “read-alikes”. Kids flock to the shelf and re-stocking the choices is constant

40 Book Reading Challenge – after talking to the school staff, library staff learned that reading forty books helps kids maintain their skills over summer break. So kids who take the challenge get a sheet to record books read with rewards at school in the fall for those who both participate and reach their goal.

“No Girls Allowed” Boys Bash – we all know we can get a lot of girls at library Fancy Nancy and princess parties. This party features underwear flinging from Capt Underpants and other boy activities to give the guys a chance to shine.

Legos K-3- Put out the Lego sets; read a book to the kids at the beginning and have the kids build a lego based on the theme in the book. Wild success.

Stained Glass Windows – Using old transparencies, copy outline onto sheet. Outline in permanent marker (careful) and paint with fabric paint. Very popular with kids. With a donation of shiny paper, the kids also created shiny foil outlines to cut out.

Adult Reading Program – used a “Cootie Bug” theme. As adults reported back they would get a paper “Cootie Bug” piece to build their Cootie on paper. Very popular. Led to a brief discussion of other nostalgia toy themes to use with adults like rubber ducks or Lincoln logs.

Image: 'â¥ Love Explosion â¥' http://www.flickr.com/photos/77047514@N00/3115855390

1000 Books Hits the Local Airwaves!

2011-12-06T17:24:00.001-08:00

A little more love for our 1000 books Before Kindergarten initiative from a local news station.

A Little Love Goes a Long Way

2011-11-29T16:44:00.001-08:00

There is a delicious post, a love letter to libraries and librarians, over at the ALSC blog today. It's nice sometimes to just hear a little appreciation for work that we do.

It's a hustle bustle world - people sometimes blow in and out with hardly a word or smile to staffers. With a tough economy, we are becoming more and more crowded with users - including many families down on their luck and living at our homeless shelter. This shelter, a block away, has more families than they've ever had and they are just jammed in. The library represents a place to get away, meet up, hook into the internet and let their kids be surrounded by normalcy - or sometimes a place to just tune out and let staffers deal with acting-out behaviors by their kids because parents are just too beaten down to cope.

It is especially hard as the weather worsens to see these folks and navigate through their issues and some of the ensuing chaos that desk staff needs to manage. It gets tiring and frustrating and disheartening for the staff. I know I sometimes ask myself, "What good am I doing anyway?"

So a post that helps me reconnect to why I do what I do and love what I do gives me a chance to take a deep breath and go on. And it helps me remember that each step and smile we share with even our toughest patrons can make a difference.

Image: 'â¥ Letter Box' http://www.flickr.com/photos/46458074@N00/5187169522

Globally Yours

2011-11-21T13:37:00.001-08:00

I had the privilege - and apparent good sense - to attend an amazing one-day children's literature conference recently. The 10th annual International Children's and Young Adult Celebration was held, as it has been for all its existence, in Madison WI - my home state. This is only the second one I've attended and I can't help asking myself, "Where the deuce have I been?!?!"
Sponsored by our university and technical college departments of international studies, this was one of the best days I've spent in a long time thinking about and exploring global literature for youth. The sessions were thoughtful and thought-provoking. We started off with a trip around the world with K.T. Horning booktalking 80 international books for youth we should know. Man, if we don't have some, after this exploration, I want them all in the collection.

I was charmed by the remembrances and storytelling of Anne Pellowski but I was even more thunderstruck by her dedication to helping create children's books in minority languages around the globe. She brought samples of the cloth books created and they are miraculous. Her passion for putting books into the hands of children everywhere was inspiring.

Atinuke, author of the Anna Hibiscus books and the new No. 1 Car Spotter title (both set in "amazing Africa" and perfect for kids making the leap to chapter books) talked about growing up between two cultures - Nigerian and English - and how the expectations of people in each culture about people from the other were often quite off base. She is also a powerful storyteller and shared a spellbinding tale at the end of her speech.Her books fill a huge gap in most library collections and I was so pleased to see her in our country and reading from her works.

Miltali Perkins, author of numerous teen and tween books - most recently, Bamboo People, further explored the theme of living between two cultures. Using an autobiographical theme, she wove issues about race, expectations and societal pressures that support bias "under the waterline" into her brilliant talk. Her honesty and humor brought a fitting ending to the day.

Some of the talks and handouts of the conference will be posted here in the near future. It's also a great spot to get information on former speakers and to experience some of their presentations and handouts. Be inspired!

This funding future for the federally sponsored literature conference (US State Dept and US Dept of Education) is in limbo right now so it is uncertain if there will be a conference next year. That would be a shame. Just in case it does happen though, it is always held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Maybe mark your calendar now and if it happens, you will be in for a rare treat - oh and a gratis copy of one of the speaker's books.You can't do better than all of that!

mage: 'Blue Marble Animation' http://www.flickr.com/photos/24662369@N07/4401845574

Give Me That Old Time Paper, Give Me That Old Time Paper...

2011-11-21T12:56:00.001-08:00

The New York Times had a trez interesting article exploring the trend of ebooking and wired parents preferring to have their children read print books. It is a phenom I have seen at the library where I work.

Adults are coming to that tipping point where many more are going to own/use ebook devices than don't. Wisconsin libraries are pitching in a combined $1 million dollars for our consortium to acquire even more Overdrive content for the clamoring public (and of course steeling ourselves for the possibility of more epic fail during Christmas when all those new ebook owners are going to be trying to download content - ALL AT ONCE!!).

We haven't seen quite the brouhaha on the children's side here. Sure the kids sit down at the AWE computers. Sure they access Tumblebooks through our library online. We've had a couple of inquiries from parents on print books based on apps (some of which exist and some don't). Interestingly enough, when a public library/school library group convened to talk ebooks and readers here last week, the district schools saw nothing on the horizon from their side yet.

That hasn't stopped us from looking ahead and thinking about how to bring more e-content into our library and to our kids. We were excited to read the always forward-looking Darien CT library's ALSC blog post on their circulation of ipads in Early Literacy pack. We are looking to fund raise for this type of initiative at our library.

Still and all, old print warhorse that I am, I am happy to see print books for kids staying, for the moment, strong in the heart of our parents. Because it is strong in our hearts too.

Image: 'for the love of books' http://www.flickr.com/photos/75632859@N00/471634239

I Spy Ipads

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-08:00

I love the post over at the ALSC blog by Kiera Parrott from the Darien CT Library about their vision and success in circulating Early Literacy Ipad kits to children. This is the kind of red meat "how-to" post that gets my blood pumping. Thanks to the Youth Services team there for leading the way towards ebook/technology circulation use for kids.

And more importantly, thanks for sharing the information in a way that helps all Youth librarians begin or improve their own technology plans!

Image: 'Eye See You' http://www.flickr.com/photos/21314760@N00/518956588

Wimpy! Wimpy! Wimpy!

2011-11-15T13:56:00.001-08:00

Yes, the Ides of November marks the publication of the sixth book in the fabulous series of everyone's favorite middle school slacker, Greg Heffley, and his always amusing exploits as chronicled in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Since we will use any excuse to host a Wimpy Kid book party, we threw a pre-publication bash yesterday that was easy, fun and very popular with the kids (and adults) that attended.

Key to our success is - we contacted the publisher for an events kit. That resulted in special game pages - but also in delivery of a stand-up display, free posters, bookmarks and pencils!! Thanks Abrams! You made my job uber easy.

We started out having the kids put their names in a sock for a grand prize drawing for two Wimpy pens we scored as swag at the ALA exhibits. After reading a letter from the author (part of the Abrams events packet) and talking a bit about the books, we played two games of Wimpy trivia bingo (also from the packet). The fan-kids knew most of the answers which is what makes this so much fun.

This was followed by our....um, more active party games. Since snow, blizzards and icy weather are prominently featured in Cabin Fever, we decided to let kids "ice skate" on the carpet by stepping on paper plates and gliding around the room. Simply boffo. This was followed by our ever-popular Manny Cereal Toss - kids got chances to try and toss mini-cereal boxes into a toilet seat placed atop a waste basket. This never fails to please the crowd. We wrapped up with the kids dividing into two teams, crumpling up recycled paper into snowballs and having a snowball fight.

We had lots more stuff but ran out of time. So kids took home a word search and Zoo Wee Mama cartoons to fill in the word balloons. Now if we could just get those ten new copies of the book in and processed....

Why Get Involved?

2011-11-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

I'm just back from our annual three day Wisconsin Library Association conference. Once more, I had the chance to attend thought-provoking sessions; chat with friends and colleagues from all sizes and types of libraries; participate in a number of business and board meetings and relax and enjoy some truly fun and funny after-hours events. I love my state association meetings and would go even if I paid my own way and had to take vacation to get there. How come?

First, foremost and always, WLA is a huge leadership and advocacy group for libraries in our state. Without their work during the craziness of the spring and the ongoing legislative madness that continues in our state, we would have had rollbacks on services and funding. And of course, WLA is us so we are able to respond quickly and effectively to legislative alerts and involve our friends, neighbors and family in speaking up for libraries.

My state association is also a leadership incubator. Opportunities exist - and we all are supported in - chairing divisions, committees, conferences and other work that brings us into contact with our colleagues in becoming leaders. Currently, the president of our 1700 strong association is Rhonda Puntney, a long time mover and shaker in WI youth services. She is joined on the "big" board by other Youth Services advocates (including me as newly elected state chapter councilor to ALA Council) to provide a strong voice for youth and libraries.

Each of us in leadership roles was mentored by colleagues outside of public library youth services (as well as YS folks of course) and have had our visions widened and enriched by this breadth of knowledge from academic, special, school, tech and adult services colleagues. I can say that without a doubt that I am the librarian I am today because of professional associations like WLA, ALA and Wisconsin Women Library Workers that gave me an opportunity to be with, learn from and laugh with dedicated library workers from all types and sizes of libraries.

WLA also provides the framework for youth librarians to gather and advocate for excellent service, collections and initiatives across our state. Together, when we are strong, we help chart the course of Youth Services. Of course like any membership organization we are only as strong as our active members make us. I have heard, in this time of tight budgets and staffing, rumblings of "no time, no money, no support- I don't think I can continue to be a member". We mustn't give up on our state or national professional commitments though. Each of us is the engine that drives greatness in our local and national associations and each and every voice is important.

I hope you are all members of your state and national library associations. We are needed now more than ever to present a strong and coherent leadership and advocacy agenda. And the friends you make, the leadership you step into and the work you do for libraries is an investment that will long remain with you and benefit your library.

Celebrate Picture Books and Quit the Whining.

2011-10-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said. Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link.

Lego-licious

2011-10-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Soooooo...

We had danced around doing a Lego Club for awhile. Last year's Games Club was a start with a variety of games played on alternating weeks - board games; Wii; Book Bingo; Giant Candyland and Lego building. Legos was clearly the most popular - and the least contentious. So we decided to morph into a Lego Club this fall.

Although we asked for donations from our public, we got only one disgusting set (eeeee-yoooooo!). So we bit the bullet and purchased six 650-piece basic sets (blocks of various sizes and colors, no bells or whistles) and planned a four week after-school series for Gr 1-5 kids.

Hot doggies, has that been a hit or what? We get anywhere from 20-30 boys and girls and many return each week. The kids love it, we love it and the check-outs before and after the program have been great. It's popular enough that more sets are on order!

We have a pretty simple set-up - three tables with a big piece of tagboard at each end. Kids empty the bricks on to the tagboard and are asked to keep the pieces on there (it helps us keep the sets basically together). When they come in, we have an upbeat older kids CD playing to set a mellow mood. We announce a challenge theme (building; transportation; animal; monster; robot) and ask kids to create their first piece to the theme. After that, it's free build! With only six sets kids gather together and build from the same brick pile - some on their own; sometimes creating complementary pieces together (horses and corrals; helicopter and landing strip) and sometimes working on one big mega-piece (deluxe dog house with build in food and water bowls and multiple entrances).

One staffer oversees the action armed with a digital camera and lots of words of encouragement and wonder. A picture is taken of each creator and their Lego. Once the picture is taken, kids can break apart their creation and start again. When we are down to five minutes we ask kids to wrap it up and at three minutes to the end, we ask everyone to break apart and help clean up the bricks. Boom! They all pitch in and before you know it the bricks are stowed and the kids literally skipping out.

What do I love about the program? I love the cooperation. I love the joy of the kids. I love the creativity(One mom said her kids only build from sets and she is astounded to see them create wheels, windows, faces and more with only little rectangualr bricks). And I love just chatting with the kids as they let their imaginations take over and create and play.

The Balance Beam

2011-10-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've been coordinating Youth Services at my new library for three years. When I arrived, programming attendance numbers beyond storytime were pretty anemic. Many changes have been instituted over time to adjust to this reality. Not all of them have been easy for the staff. At our two branches, staffers were out of the planning loop that helped other Youth Dept. staffers adapt to the changes. In an effort to help them see the direction we are heading and the balance we are trying to achieve, I sent this memo right before summer:

"We have had dwindling numbers for much of our in-house school age programming at all three locations over the past 5-6 years. We are not alone in these programming number declines. Libraries throughout our state and around the country have also seen small to large programming number losses. While library usage and circ remains high, programs are not always the services that people come to the library for (no matter how much they say they will). We have tossed a lot of spaghetti against the wall in trying to attract school-agers into programs, with pretty mixed results. Much of the programming takes considerable preparation and when we see fewer than ten kids it is economically a pretty crushing result.

So we made the decision, at the beginning of the five months we were down a full time children's librarian at Main, to re-align our school age programs to concentrate in two main areas: no school days and outreach into schools. We are taking fewer programs out to the branches and doing fewer programs here at Main. Instead we are taking advantage of opportunities to take content directly out to school kids and to parents at parent nights, noons, breakfasts, kindergarten orientations, reading camps and other events that allow us to promote the library, literacy and reading directly to that age group and their parents. So while parents may wonder if they are seeing us less we are actually reaching out to ever larger groups of school-agers and parents where they are. We plan to continue to expand this programming in the future.

We have also over the past eighteen months shortened our storytimes into smaller sessions. There are a couple of reasons for this. When I came, I noticed staffers putting so much energy into year-round storytimes that little was left to come up with other services and initiatives (like Free-quent Reader; 1000 Books B4K; Rubber Ducky Club; revamping teen and elementary school SLP’s; Early Literacy Centers; developing dynamic field trips; creating the storytime coupon books, etc) that enhance our mission: to promote reading, library use and literacy for kids.

I also saw a staff so tied to storytimes that scheduling vacations, attendance at vital conferences and other CE opportunities was almost impossible. Programs exist to bring people into libraries, to entice them to try services and collections, to help them form a “library habit”. Creating an endless cycle of programs with no breaks tells me that we place little value on our collections and services and don’t trust that people will return again and again without the lure of programs. I have found that to be untrue as I watch circ figures and gate counts continue robustly while number of programs have declined.

Finally we are trying to balance all our outreach –preschool and school age – so that everyone gets a chance to have us come to their school and site. With the loss of Lucy’s outreach hours (half time outreach position eliminated in budget reductions), our preschool outreach will continue but much less frequently. We will try to balance the needs of all our patrons but it is definitely a paradigm shift. We all know that we are in -- and face --some challenging budgetary times and I am trying to position us in a way that we can continue to give good service with self-sustaining initiatives like 1000 Books; Early Literacy centers; Free-quent Reader that add valuable service for our users and complement our in-house programs (while not necessarily expanding them)."

After our summer program ended, I was able to share more results. Despite having a fairly flat registration and offering half the number of events, we increased overall participation by kids in the program and our circulation rose by 13%. There are more ways to increase usage and invite families in than just programs. I hope all this helps us keep our balance!

Hello, Senator

2011-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, my new state senator stopped in to the library with one of her tots to check out some materials and give her little one a chance to play on the AWE computer while she browsed. It was fun to say hello and congratulate her in person and to share a bit of chat.

It's no secret that my beloved state of Wisconsin has been going through some tumultous times. As a public service worker, since January, when we had about five minutes to enjoy our Green Bay Packers Super Bowl victory before the sky fell, it has been one long series of ups and downs. In order to balance the state budget, both unionized and non-unionized public seector workers have to pay higher percentages of retirement and health benefits. Beyond that, folks who struggle financially are looking at many difficult cuts in social services, medicaid and other services that keep them afloat. We are living through - right here and right now - the decline of the middle class and increasing numbers in our community falling into poverty.

Most painful during this process has been the tone of much of the discussion when referring to my public service colleagues. Teachers, librarians, union folks, nurses, and any government workers whose wages are paid through use of our shared taxes have been denigrated, derided and disrepected by people in office (and, in a trickle down effect, by many community members) in a way that has permeated the tone of discourse. Never in my career have I heard that kind of disregard for our "community helpers".

It motivated me to write and call and advocate for libraries in the budget process. It motivated me to march at our capitol. It motivated me to join my colleagues and attend my first state Library Legislative Day. We spoke frankly with our then-Assembly rep (and now Senator - above) about our frustration; about the importance of libraries and public schools and a maintained infrastructure; about the hard work of our city, county and state colleagues; about the need to change the dialogue so we all can work together for the public good. And she heard us.

So even though we face a tough upcoming year with our library budget, hours and staff being cut, seeing my senator in the library gives me hope and makes me feel like someone is listening. We just need to keep talking.

Hot Stuff!

2011-10-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

The ALSC blog, as Abby the Librarian mentions, has been on fire lately. The content has truly popped and the guest contributors have flooded the blog with great practical and philosophical ideas on youth librarianship. It has become my go-to stop for ideas to sparkle up my creativity and jumpstart services. I mean in one week they had posts on a giant Kid Experience program, special needs storytimes, serving teen parents, floor-etry and mirrors to occupy kids at Circ desks! Man, I can use them all.

It's great to have a professional association blog that doesn't just function as the voice of the office, informing us of news of note, event deadlines and minutiae within the association. We need that stuff but that isn't content to get us rocking. We've all subscribed to blogs like that out of duty but it doesn't really inform our work on the front lines.

Now they have a survey up asking about how they are doing and what kind of content you, the reader, want. Please head on over and let ALSC know. And if you haven't already, put them on your "must-read" blog list!

Blow Out the Candles

2011-09-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Exactly four years ago, I was involved in a wonderful experience late in my career. My library system, along with two others in the state worked together to create Project Play. The multi-week, online course was set up over two semesters to help library staffers learn about the potential and reality of 2.0 technology and apps. Week 2 immediately challenged us to set up a blog. I did and Tiny Tips for Library Fun was born!

I didn't have a fancy-dancy name for it. So Tiny Tips it started as and Tiny Tips it remained. I didn't know quite what I was doing . There were already so many blogs reviewing kids and teen books so I didn't really want to go there. And then it struck me! I just wanted to talk about children's librarianship and how we run our libraries good..

Now 199 posts and 32,000 page views later, I am happily blabbity-blabbing along, thinking about why we do what we do and sharing with and hearing from my peeps near and far (hello my Australian and New Zealand friends). I am so grateful for the work my Wisconsin colleagues did to create this learning opportunity for us and so grateful to learn so much to help me navigate technology with ease. Thanks all of you for coming along for the ride!

Caution - Rut in the Road

2011-09-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

Even the most committed youth staffer runs into stale times in creative-land. Burn-out can happen after a long string of successes. It can hit when you're working in a non-supportive library. It can leap at you when your energy reserves are just plain low. It can descend on you when you feel isolated in a one- or two-person library. It can sneak up on you for no reason you can think of. What do you do?

For me, staying fresh and involved is a basic part of what makes work fun for me - and keeps me out of a rut. I need something new - a new way to create efficiencies; a new way to reach out to kids; a new conversation with a youth colleague (whether they are old friends or new acquaintances); a new thing to learn; a new program; a new approach....a "new"!

I have been roundly chastised by some for that changeability and malleabilty. Working with me can be a crazy experience...perhaps it can be compared to trying to walk on quicksand or through a temblor. Verrrry tricky. If stability and an even keel is what you're looking for, I am not the co-worker for you. But change keeps me fresh.

Short of driving co-workers insane, though, what can you do to stay out of a rut? There are lots of great ways to get inspired when inspiration seems out of reach. It can be as simple as looking for a new blog to inspire you (check out the ALSC blog -it has reinvigorated itself and is chock-full of ideas or Keeping Up with Kids); joining a listserv like PUBYAC or getting in touch with a colleague near or far to pick their brain. With email, IM, Skype and Facebook, everyone is close. Or check out the #libchat on Twitter Wednesday evenings (7-8:30pm Central time). Ideas will flow and something might sparkle for you. That's where I got turned on to a great post by Meredith Farkas of Information Wants to be Free that addresses ways to stay bright and involved when you work with, well, slackers.

Heading to system level workshops, continuing education and conferences are other fan-tab-ulous ways to get re-invigorated. And its not just the content of the sessions that can do it. Time spent talking to people next to you at lunch, in the hallway, before and after the program can introduce you to new folks who love to share ideas and work they are doing. I never leave these sessions without bumping into strangers and friends who have something new in youth services to chat about. I can't help thinking, "Wow! I have to try that!"

Chatting with your community members, family and school and organizational colleagues is another amazing way to stay fresh and check for ideas. Even if you can't implement all the suggestions, it gives you direction on where you might want to go and can start the creative juices flowing.

And if you don't have a mentor, reach out. It doesn't always need to be an ancient crone paired with a sweet young thing relationship. You can create a compadre relationship too. Find that idea generator; that enthusiast and that committed youth librarian and partner up to share ideas and creativity. They can inspire you and you can inspire them. I think all my best mentor/protege/compadre (yep, been all three) relationships have been give and take from both parties that enriched our work equally.

Ruts are out there to get stale in....but with enthusiastic delving into what's new and what works, each day can be a powerful one with smooth driving and even a challenging hill or two to keep things fun!

I Can't Lift This Book!

2011-09-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Hunt in Heavy Medal blog discusses an issue I can really relate to. He talks about the increasing page count in books that are ostensibly meant for middle graders that push them into the YA realm...when they really aren't. He isn't specifically discussing the Newbery committee's work in his post but rather questioning the publishing industry.

I think he has a point. There are increasing numbers of bloated books over 300 pages coming out that have a great premise and are well-written - but just try getting a fourth-sixth grade kid to take it from your hand. They see the size and refuse it in favor of something shorter. I sometimes wonder if it is still the last left-over vestiges of the Harry Potter big book phenomena that saw kids wading - and sometimes wandering - through Rowling's massive texts.

I don't have anything against big books. I'm just wondering if all the verbiage is necessary and whether tighter editing might result in books that middle graders can read and relate to. Deep concepts don't always need a huge page count. Besides books that Hunt cites in his post, I think of Marian Dane Bauer's On My Honor and Cynthia DeFelice's Weasel that are tautly written. I'm sure that you can think of even more.

There are, of course, many great, short early elementary titles that appeal to readers in second and third grade. We don't lack material there. But I do worry about those fourth through sixth graders and having well-written, tightly edited material that comes in at 200 pages or less. We don't want to lose those fiction readers who aren't gifted or hyper -motivated. Publishers, can you hear me now?

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a Field Trip Adventure!

2011-09-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

In the past, our tours were ok but lacked punch and direction. Kids were led around from one collection to the next and given pretty much the same spiel no matter what the age. The highlight was a half hour of stories and songs at the end. Content often depended on which staffer hosted the tour and messages and emphasis varied widely. It didn't seem like we were getting any over-arching message across like, "Hey this is a really fun place and cool too!"

So a year ago, we decided to re-imagine the tours into field trips with a concentration on fun and giving kids a glimpse into how libraries really work. But before the fun we had to work on the mechanics.

The first thing we did was make some decisions on dividing field trips into appropriate content depending on age/comprehension. Then we worked on some messages we felt all kids needed to hear: Books belong to everyone in the community and are shared. A library card allows access to great books and information. We are like your school library but you have more time to browse for books and we are open when your school library is closed (evenings; weekends; summer).

Preschool-Gr. 1
We use this scenario to explain how a library works:

Ask who the books belong to (librarian? Nooooo; Library? Nooooo. You? YES!)? The books belong to all the kids and people in La Crosse. They live here at the library but they love to visit you. When you have a visitor, do they stay forever? Noooo. That’s right, they go back home. When a book “visits” you, it stays for 3 weeks then you bring it back here to the library- its house. Then another child checks it out. We all share. [This can be expanded and played with depending on your crowd.]

For their tour, we do a theme each school year based on a children's book. Last year it was based on Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny. We placed stuffed book characters at the collection or room points we wanted to highlight. Then we searched for Knuffle Bunny and found all the other characters and told kids about those collections. Knuffle Bunny was found back in the storyroom where we shared another book or two. This year we are using Emma Dodd's Dog's Colorful Day. We'll have a white dog cut-out for each child and they will collect dots at each stop on the room tour. More great books to use include Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Where's Spot by Eric Hill.

Gr. 2-4

We can "play" a bit more with this age group. Our new colleague Sara came up with a great way to engage these kids. You can read about it at Bryce Don't Play.

We also give the teachers options for an activity rather than just stories. So kids can be cataloged, barcoded and shelved; can do origami ; can create spine poetry; can play Book Bingo or get a booktalk. If teachers want a non-fiction concentration we let the kids know that the non-fiction is arranged alot like grocery stores. In stores, all the cereals are together; all the canned veggies are together -they aren't arranged alphabetically and that's how it is in non-fiction. I also like to ask kids if they know words in other languages. Then I tell them my other language is Dewey Decimal and it helps me know exactly where the books are that they crave!

Finally, no matter what the age, we build in time for the kids to browse and ask questions while they go through the collection. These changes have really refreshed what we do and made our old tours into SUPER fun adventures for kids. What do you do to sparkle up these opportunities for kids at your library?

Image: 'Thor vs. Superman (49/365)' http://www.flickr.com/photos/83346641@N00/4369073183

Playing That Mystery Game

2011-09-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

An insanely simple but fun game we played with the kids this summer is actually a stealth book recommendation ploy. We offered it as one of the weekly activities kids could do in the SLP along with reading, writing and playing literacy games. We called it the "Mystery Game" and this is what we did.

We went through the collection and chose fun books that kids might not find on their own. You know the ones - picture books, easy readers, non-fiction and chapter books that you know are great and handsell when you can. Once picked we slipped them into lunch bags (or donated plastic grocery bags) and wrote a grade on the front. The grade level was a guesstimate and used as an aid for kids to narrow down their choices.

We piled them on a table by grade level, put a sign up and watched the fun begin. Kids were asked not to look inside - just pick a bag. At check-out they could take it out (and return the bag to us for refill) and take it home to test it for us.

Holy smokes! Was that popular or what? We probably had 20 books out for every grade level and we constantly re-filled or put out new bags. Kids came back again and again to pick a mystery book to try and told us how they felt about them. We are pretty pleased that we could give some exposure to books that need a little love and attention. And the game aspect really tickled the kids.

Baghead by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Paw Prints 2008.

Pudding Proofs

2011-09-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Okie dokey - the final circulation stats are in for SLP. Yesterday, the last day of August, with school starting today, was finally the quietest day since our summer reading program began June 6. Quiet enough to actually work on the wrap-up report!
So wassup?

Even though we offered half the number of events during SLP, our circulation boomed with increases higher than we had ever experienced before in that time period.
Our new SLP was a big part of this success. During July, our weekly bookmark format kept kids coming back again and again as they read and worked towards earning a book. That resulted in lots of book check-outs - we almost doubled our circ increases over the previous July. It leads us to believe that designing the program to encourage July return visits is a keeper!

August was a whole other story. In previous years, usage and circ slowed down considerably. This year, book prizes earned were available in the first two weeks of August. That brought lots of kids and families in during a traditionally very quiet time. A few well placed programs with big crowds kept the momentum going.

We are already thinking about how to keep the circulation momentum up next summer. And we are happy to let our board and community know that kids in La Crosse read and check-out..alot!

Image: 'Food Photography - Bread & Butter Pudding' http://www.flickr.com/photos/74149825@N00/1725407679

A Program is a Program is a Program?

2011-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

If you work with kids, you know that creating, planning, booking and doing programs takes a chunk of our work life. Because it is such an uber-part of our time, I can't help thinking about it and asking why it is we do what we do. Why, really, do we program? Is it to entertain? Is it to educate? Is it to get people to the library?

I'm pretty old school about it.  For me, we create programs at the library to draw people into our buildings, to create a pleasant library experience and to highlight our collections, increase check-out and support literacy. Thinking about programs this way helps me plan realistically, create breaks for patrons and staff rather than program year-round and helps focus our energy. If programs are doing what they should, our usage and circulation should be directly affected in a positive way.

I like programs that relate to books and literacy and our collection (storytimes and book parties, I heart you). I like programs that piggyback onto pop culture interests of kids and debuting media that allows us to ride a popularity wave while relating back to our books and collections. I am less impressed with clowns, magicians and other performers that our community kids can see any and everywhere around here. I'm not saying we never book them, but I always wonder how it relates to what we are doing in a larger sense.

I've also been thinking alot lately about the non-traditional program initiatives we're involved in and we've read about at other libraries - 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, Summer Library Programs (yep, we all do SLP's but do we realize they are "programs" in and of themselves?) Story Action Pods (here, here and here) , Free-quent Reader Club, Between-Storytime Coupon Books,Winter Reading programs, etc.  These initiatives are often run over a long period of time and fit all my definitions of programs listed above. What is their place in our program sphere?

Every time we plan and create one of these initiatives, we see people flocking in, circ increasing and interest in books and literacy skyrocket. Yet we don't necessarily "see" them as programs or count them as programs in terms of attendance. I think that's a mistake.

What I love about the above initiatives is that beyond the initial planning and very minimal daily administration, they take little staff time. They allow much greater staff-child interaction in the most pleasant way than almost all our traditional programs ("Wow, look at all the books you listened to!"; "Which one of these activities did you enjoy most this week?"; "What's going on in this picture?").  Much of the interaction leads to conversations about reading and books that are fundamentally important in creating a feeling of comfort and worth for these kids.

Yet, we barely count them as programs and the statistics are almost hidden. We know and report how many kids sign-up for Summer Reading Program - but if we looked at participation (how many times did kids return to the library) - an initial participation rate of 521 kids skyrockets to over 2,000 return visits made to the library by these readers. But that is usually a lost statistic. Same for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Club. 400 kids are being read to but we've had over 1,100 return visits to the library.

These initiatives - passive programs in a way or value-added programs in another light, or perhaps, best of all, stealth programs! - create just as much, and often more, response and participation than our traditional programs. We find ourselves in times of shrinking budgets turning more towards them. Since our state required program statistics only recognize traditional programming stats, we are discussing at our library how to recognize the importance of these unreported statistics that correlate to huge circulation increases and much busier Children's area.

We think they are programs. How about you?

Image: 'Juggler' http://www.flickr.com/photos/69444890@N00/404640681

1000 Books Before Kindergarten - 6 Month Update

2011-08-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

So how goes this initiative after the first 6 months?

We are happy to have over 400 kids in the program; with just a touch under 50% working actively and returning to the library to trade in their 100 book-level sheets. We have twelve kids who have reached 1000 books and as you can see from the picture, our garden is starting to fill up with color as kids add dots as they finish levels (The 100-400 levels are on the bottom and getting the most color so far!)

We have had over 1,100 visits to the library by participating families during the six months of the program. Our circulation of Picture books, Board books and Easy Readers has gone through the ceiling with an average increase of 20% over last year (usual increases hover at 2-5%).

Parents have been enthusiastic participants and the kids are pretty avid as well. As usual with preschoolers, the congratulatory stickers and stickers to put on the giant flowers are the big hits for them. The fingerpuppet and book at the 500 and 1000 levels don't quite compare to those sticker treats along the way. Parents do appreciate their little "thank you" rewards (lanyard, window cling and date-due slip magnetic holder) as they go along. But I think even without those parental rewards, they would be on board!

Publicizing the program is ongoing. We talk it up at storytimes. We have sent info to kids in area daycares. Our schools have been enthusiastic supporters of this effort and we hope to keep reaching out and growing the program as we go along. We were invited to many of the schools during Kindergarten orientation and talked about the initiative and encouraged parents to read alot before the kids start school in fall. We are connecting with the Reach Out and Read program at the health clinics and providing posters and bookmarks for parents at "Well Baby" check-ups. We present at service clubs and organizations in our area.

How is it for staff? One of our staffers keeps her eye on supplies. We planned for 1000 participants so all that material is ready when we need it. Otherwise, it consumes very little of our time and the reward for a "passive" program and quality time encouraging kids and parents on their great job is worth every minute spent at "check-in" when they trade in their sheet. Everyone loves the extra time and interaction with the kids and parents and watching them beam as we praise them.

We think we are off to a great start...and more importantly, so are the kids!!

How'd We Do This Summer? - Deconstructing an SLP

2011-08-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Abby the Librarian has a great post up at the ALSC Blog assessing their library's summer reading program. I love it because it is one of my favorite things as SLP ends.
We try to do a wrap-up meeting as soon as we are finished to look at the positives and negatives. We keep notes and incorporate any changes into our plans for the following year. It's easy, it's fun and it makes sure that the programs remain fresh and serve the needs of the community and the staff! Although our wrap-up meeting is a week away, I can share some of my thoughts on SLP 2011 efforts.

This year we introduced our Rubber Ducky Club for kids birth to 35 months that stressed pre-literacy skills and it was a huge success. Families were asked to return twice in the summer - once for a rubber duck reward and once for a book. We were pleased with the results of this program - so were the parents - and will definitely do it again.

Our elementary school Passport program with activitiy bookmarks (including reading; library book check-outs; attending programs; playing literacy games; using writing) went over great. I was pleased to read about the efforts at the Darien CT Library that Gretchen Caserotti wrote about in the Libraries and Transliteracy blog and felt like we are going in a good direction. One of my marvelous co-workers created a new early literacy activity area called "Story Action Pod" that encouraged kids to use art, writing and imagination to enhance their experience of books (you can read about it here at her fun new blog: Bryce Don't Play.). This too was an activity that counted towards completing a bookmark and was a real hit for K-2 kids.

We had lots of return visits to the library which was a huge goal and people used the library more consistently throughout the whole program. Our print circulation stayed robust because we encouraged use of the collection. And parents and kids really loved the program and let us know. I think kids liked the stamping of their passport as much as getting a little "surprise" and they love the culminating book prize they are picking up now.

Our Teen program (whoa! I forgot to blog about it!) experienced a resurgence. A key piece was adding a chance for kids to get a USB drive or $5 off their fines coupon (you can guess what 90% of the tweens and teens picked!) after 15 hours of reading/volunteering/program attendance and a book after 25 hours. In the past they had a chance to win a weekly prize but no guarantees that kids would receive a prize. So they were inspired to participate. They were also pumped about final raffle prizes: $75 gifts cards from B&N, Best Buy and Marcus Theaters.

We cut down on events and still had lots of usage - enough to consistently double staff our public service desk throughout the 8 week program - a first for us! Despite the increased circ and usage and piloting new SLP formats, we had time to do reader's advisory and chat with kids and parents. That was best of all!

Image: 'Pumpkin carving' http://www.flickr.com/photos/99472898@N00/5127099146

Covers and Spines - Valuable Real Estate

2011-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

I am always bemused (sometimes to the point of tearing out my hair, so that could take me slightly beyond bemusement) by how little regard library and automation planners and apparatchiks give to the amazing real estate we know as book covers and spines. You get a cover and a spine to sell books to kids. It freaks me out to see how much of that libraries can cover to make the book anything from asinine to undecipherable.

Two hilarious and unfortunate barcode placements highlighted recently in Awful Library Books blog here and here are perfect examples of this practice. Automation folks say the barcode MUST go here and chaos and snickers result. Of course the argument also goes that if we put the barcode on the back, we'll lose the back jacket blurb. I don't display the book backwards, though, so I harumphingly say, let the cover shine.

Full authors names on the spine are another bete noire of mine. I have heard it blatted about that it helps shelvers by giving them the info they need to shelve correctly. I'll agree (although our college-aged shelvers seem to have no trouble dealing with three letters or less in shelving exactly alphabetically...could have something to do with their excellent predictive skills or more like, their ability to read the author's full name higher up on the spine where the publisher placed it so we could see the author's moniker) somewhat. But really, kids looking at spine-out books get to see "The Secret" or "A Series" or "My Friend" without seeing the whole title. How do they choose? My favorite spine label cover-up is for a multi-volume fiction series that displays the word "The" for each book - and no, it doesn't include the series volume on the spine label, so every book needs to be pulled out to find the desired title. How very un-fourth law of Ranganathan!

And save yourselves now and don't let me get started on endless dewey numbers in juvenile non-fiction collections. Come on! Except for mega - and I mean freakin' - big collections at large urban libraries, why are we extending dewey numbers beyond one decimal for kids? They come in and want a dinosaur or lion or bug or horse or dog or truck book - and for 98% of the kids it's ANY book on this subject. They don't particularly want a certain NF author just a book on their passion. And they just want to find a book now. Long deweys mean they have to come to us (ah, it's a job security issue, not a cataloging one?) to unlock the mystery of the impossible long number.

Libraries using a BISAC model or truncating Dewey and replacing the cutter line with a clearer indication of the subject (636.1 HORSE; 796 FOOTBALL or F; 599.7 LION or L) are my BFFs and heroes. And libraries honoring preschoolers by busting out big subject areas in the picture books into more friendly subjects that tots crave (princesses, concepts, "big teeth" dinosaurs, sharks and felines", transportation, celebrations, fairytales) have my undying gratitude and respect.

I say let the book covers and spines shine out. Let kids find books easily by wise decisions in cataloging, processing and automation issues. Let those books be free!

Image: 'Finally got to make something with this+awesome+vintage+fabric' http://www.flickr.com/photos/63103685@N00/3023635136

School-Schmool/Masters-Schmasters - Ya Need the Big Picture!

2011-07-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

A great post from Mr. Library Dude questions whether it really matters exactly what MLIS school program you go through to get your degree and be employable. My favorite paragraph: " I’ve never looked at anyone’s resume/cover letter and thought: “Wow, she graduated from X library school!” Library school is what you make of it. The MLS is just the basic requirement for the job. If all you do is take the required courses, but get no work experience, then you are setting yourself up for failure." He advocates instead making sure you have some work experience; get with mentor(s); be willing to move; learn to market yourself and your skills among other direct advice.

As someone who has worked with many people from various graduate schools, both at the libraries I've worked at and professionally on a state and national level , I agree with Joe. It ain't the school -and I would add, it ain't the degree. It's the passion, the ability to look at the big picture of serving our communities and making information, literacy and books (in whatever format) touch those communities in a meaningful way. You can have a string of letters after your name, but if you can't see the forest for the trees, you'll never make a great librarian.

I have worked with amazing and less-than-amazing folks over my 36+ year career and have been humbled by the amazing work of lots of non-degreed library staffers. I have also been underwhelmed by any number of MLSed blessed professionals who have the letters but are clueless on how to really bring great service to the table.

Having just gone through the hiring process, I agree with Joe. I didn't care what school someone went through. I was looking for the telltale signs that spoke to the person's passion, energy and ability to see beyond Library Practices 101 and think about the real world of library work. I was happy to see so many great candidates who fit that description but it was still a distinct minority of our applicant pool. Folks who hire assume you can do the work. The real issue is whether you can dream, imagine and then create the new reality that looking at the big picture of library work demands.

Capturing Numbers

2011-07-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of people ask me on- and off-line how we record our stats for summer and get staff buy-in with the process.

I like to track just enough data points to give us needed info but no more than is necessary:

name
grade going into (or age, if preschool)
name of school or, if homeschooled
participation level (we all know the number of kids registered for the program doesn't reflect the actual number of kids who return and participat

These numbers point me in the direction of how effective our SLP is, where we need to devote more planning or changes in direction, what is effective in our approach. Combined with anecdotal information, it gives us the info we need to meet the needs of our kids.

We have played with a number of methods to get this data. When I worked at a one-location (no branches) library, we set up a very simple excel sheet that we would record info. We could easily handle 1000 entries that way and perhaps more. It allowed us to do single and multiple data point sorting. Staff buy-in was easy because we had been doing alot of this tracking by hand (index cards that volunteers would sort at the end of the summer according to the various data we wanted). The downside of this method is that the spreadsheet could only be open on one computer at a time.

When I moved to my present job, staff used hatchmarks to keep track of kids registered for the program and that was it. We didn't know our participation rate, what schools or ages the kids were, how many incentives we gave out - nada beyond the number involved. Planning was challenging because it was based on...nothing. Our board asked questions when I reported out to them in August that I couldn't answer.

So we designed a simple Microsoft Access database for our three locations so we could enter info and track readers with the database. The same data was collected and we could easily do sorting in the database to extract the numbers we needed. We did have some access issues that made this database too glitchy to use though so we threw ourselves on the mercy of our library's IT guru who wrote a small, helpful database within our "intranet" system to handle the same duties. This is our favorite, of course, because it fits our needs to "T" - but we know not everyone has an IT guy in their library pocket.

Staff wasn't too sure about all this as we did the design for the databases. Once they saw what we could do with the data (anticipate staffing needs; better target buying or incentives and book prizes; calibrate our printing needs more precisely), there was a much better staff buy-in for using this new technology for keeping track of summer business. We have also been able to present some powerful data to our board and school colleagues. And, of course, because we base planning on what really happens, we tailor our design to our community's response - and we are seeing real success in increasing the number of kids who participate!

Image: 'Day 214' http://www.flickr.com/photos/38451115@N04/4423765348

Statistically Speaking

2011-07-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Numbers are so boring....

...but numbers are so powerful!

Today we got our June circ stats which gave us a real "Wow!" moment. Our print youth circ leapt up 17% and total youth circ jumped 13% over last June. That is significant. Our usual increases come in at 2-5% and those are hard fought battles to raise those percentage points with our users.

What made the difference this year? I definitely think our newly revamped summer programs I blogged about in June jumpstarted our circ. The programs for elementary school kids and teens are designed to encourage frequent returns to the library and that has encouraged alot more check-out of materials. Between our circ numbers report and our SLP database that helps us track the kids reading and produces helpful data, we know we are right where we want to be.

Most interesting in this whole time period is that we actually decreased the number of events and storytimes we presented. Our staffers felt some trepidation about this decision. Would less people coming to fewer programs impact our circ and usage? We are pleasantly surprised to see that the strength and make-up of our SLP program is the driver behind the circ uptick.

I am a stats monster from way back when. Tracking numbers and usage can produce amazing information. The trick is to actually use the numbers we gather and only gather the numbers we'll use! It wastes time to track program attendance if we file it away and never compare the numbers to circulation patterns or other programs we did in previous years. It makes sense to keep an eye on stats for circ or programs if we institue major changes in program direction, new initiatives or added value services. And stats definitely help us say when to say when and end programs or services that no longer garner the support of our users.

Stats don't always go the way we want. But the information they provide can be a powerful tool to help us make the changes we need to keep programs, collections and services fresh and responsive to our users.

Image: 'Happy Pi Day (to the 36th digit)!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/64419960@N00/2332789392

Getting on Board

2011-06-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to talk with our board of trustees about some of the changes that we are making in Youth Services. We set an ambitious agenda for ourselves late last year and have followed through on much of what we set out to do. There has been some upheaval-level transformation in our traditional approach to service as this happened. I wanted to give the board a heads-up so they could answer community -and staff - questions and concerns that might come up.

Although boards don't always get into this kind of detail with staff, I think it is important to give them alerts when major changes are being planned for services, programs and spaces. I don't mean telling them about dropping a storytime or offering a new afterschool series. I am talking about those truly expansive, BHAG evolutions that nudge - or launch - service into a whole new direction. Offering outreach to a new demographic; curtailing a longtime service because it is no longer used; launching a new literacy initiative for an unserved demographic; etc.

Director, management and colleagues should be in from the start as well. Their buy-in, contributions and ideas contribute to making the transformation happen. But it is important that our citizen board of trustees have knowledge of the changes as well. I figure the more a board knows and understands, the more on board they will be. And the more they will share with others in the community from a great knowledge base since they've been kept informed.

The other key piece is keeping them updated with the successes or failures of any projects. It's as important to tell the story of what doesn't work as well as what works. Couple that with a brief analysis on why an effort faltered and whether a new approach to the project may produce a positive outcome. If it is a successful initiative, briefly share stats that show increased usage; share anecdotes from the public or collaborators and explain how some of the concerns expressed when it was first proposed didn't come about.

All this can be quickly done (5 minutes) in a brief address to the board once or twice a year when you have a big change to discuss. Work with your director to make sure you have this opportunity or s/he presents it on your behalf. And if you can't get on the agenda, create a very brief report and ask your director to share with the board in their packet. Support of Youth Services is something we help create and getting everyone on board for our work makes it that much easier.

Summer Timeout!!!

2011-06-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Over at Hi Miss Julie, Miss J. has a thoughtful and very passionate post up about summer library programs and their worth to libraries. From questioning the need for summer vacations in a non-agrarian modern society; to whether schools are failing to support kids in reading during those months and putting the burden on public libraries to the overemphasis in many libraries of putting massive resources into the SLP at the expense of other times of the year, it is a meaty, thought-provoking piece.

As an inveterate children's librarian tinkerer, I like to make things easier and speedier and more fun for kids. I too deplore the time and effort spent on SLP at the expense of the rest of the year. I crave workshops regionally that address issues NOT related to SLP.

Each year, I want to see lots of school age kids using us during the summer and I don't mind encouraging them to read a little each day as a fun activity to keep their brains sharp. I don't see what we are doing as replacing a school's responsibility - I see it as encouraging kids to love the library and spend time with us and our collections. We use trinkets but make sure a book prize is the best prize. The eternal optimist that I am says that kids who find that great space here in summer will visit us all year long. .

But still and all, I feel Julie's pain and am glad to hear a colleague share so honestly a needed perspective on the long SLP tradition in youth librarianship. Time out indeed.

Summer Reading Fun has Begun...

2011-06-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

...with a vengeance!
...with an exultation!
...with a bang!

Holy smokers, what a first day! We doubled our registrations over last year's first day and the place was rockin'. There is nothing better, and with 95F+ heat and A/C struggling, we were the (but a wet) place to be! Our Rubber Ducky Club got off to a great start but it was our school-aged and teen programs that really went through the ceiling. We just re-vamped both and are we glad we did. Today, let's look at the SLP materials for ages 3-10.

Our emphasis in past years for our SLP at this library was on encouraging kids to read. When they registered, we handed them a folder and we asked them to read twenty to twenty-five hours over the course of our 8 week program. Many kids came back after a week with the task completed, picked up incentives and announced that now that they were done, they were heading off to have fun (gulp). Others disappeared until the last week when they brought in completed folders, picked all the incentives and they were done. Some came in once or twice a summer to check in and get incentives. Others simply never returned.

This wasn't working. So. How to create a more meaningful program? Over the years, research told us that summer reading is most effective when kids read a little every day over the whole course of summer vacation. Beyond that, libraries are alot more than reading . They are a place to check out books, attend programs and a place where we promote literacy. We want to encourage check-out of our materials. We want kids to attend the fun events we plan. We want to be supportive of their literacy efforts on an ongoing basis. How could we include all this?

The answers were no farther than solutions we found at my former library. They evolved over a ten-fifteen year period when we experimented with alternative ways to complete the program in addition to reading - and with collaborative work with our schools as we developed a mutual winter reading program. I presented the re-designed program when I did system level SLP workshops around the state and colleagues suggested tweaks and more solutions. We gave kids weekly bookmarks with a range of activities that reflect library use and literacy.

The results at my former library were amazing. By doing the program this way, we had kids coming into the library more frequently; checking out LOTS more books; attending programs and understanding that writing and games support their reading.
So we built on that model here this year and created "Travel Log" bookmarks:

Travel Log (pictured above)
1. Complete at least 7 activities (4 days must be reading) and have a parent or guardian initial.
2. Bring this list to the library and get a surprise and a different Travel Log each week! Surprises change on Monday.
3. You may complete up to 8 Travel Logs over the summer.
4. Compete 5 Travel Logs by July 30 and earn a free book! (pick-up between Aug 1 and Aug 14!)
__________________________________________
Day 1 - Read/Be Read to 10-20 minutes____
Day 2 -Read/Be Read to 10-20 minutes____
Day 3 -Read/Be Read to 10-20 minutes____
Day 4 -Read/Be Read to 10-20 minutes____
Day 5-Read/Be Read to 10-20 minutes_____
Check out books at your La Crosse Public Libraries ____
Attend a free program at your La Crosse Public Libraries _____
Play a special game at the library ____*
Write - a poem, a joke, facts about a favorite subject or a letter _____
Play a word game at home ____

We expect the same results here and just after the first day I am confident in the change! It makes the library experience multi-layered and very fun and gives us lots more time to interact with the kids.

*The best part of this activity is that you can create games that highlight the collection. This year we have put a recommended book by grade level into a lunch bag with a suggested grade level on the front (P-K, 1, 2, etc). Inside we put great non-fiction or fiction to entice the kids and if they check out the "mystery" book and try it, they played the game. In other years, we have made "dewey decimal" slips and put them in a hat. Kids draw out a number, find a book in that dewey and check it out. We also do book character trivia. These are great ways to intrigue kids and promote the collection at the same time!

Doing the Summer Thing

2011-06-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Like the rest of our colleagues, we are about to launch into our summer busy season here at the library. We are particularly excited - and maybe a little anxious - to be premiering not one, not two, but three new re-vamped programs for our kids. We totally redesigned our ages 3-10 program; have developed a brand new toddler/baby program and have re-invigorated our teen program. Today let's look at the newest addition to our SLP family: The Rubber Ducky Club!

We have long invited our one and two year olds to be part of our summer reading club but the fit was always...uncomfortable. Food coupons and geegaws didn't really fit the tiny tots' interests or needs. And most little prizes were definitely not recommended for under three year olds. But we wanted to encourage parents reading to their children and using the six pre-literacy skills. What to do, what to do?

And then, like all good things in children's librarianship, we discovered that someone had an answer that would work for us! We stumbled on the great idea of the Rubber Ducky Club when Karen Burke at the Naperville (IL) Library in Illinois shared their information on this club on ALSCConnect newsletter (another reason to be an ALA/ALSC member...great ideas are shared!). We were intrigued. A quick email exchange ensued and Karen generously shared their club materials. And here is what we developed:

Our club is split into two months. Each month features six simplified pre-literacy skills with activities to do often with 0-35 month old kids during that time. After July 1, the June sheet can be returned, a rubber ducky is presented and the July sheet heads home with the family. That sheet can be returned in August and redeemed for a brand new book.

Record keeping is minimal and the focus is on encouraging parents in their great work supporting early literacy at home. This completes a wonderful trio of early literacy activities we launched: 1000 Books Before Kindergarten; Play Learn Read centers and now our Rubber Ducky Club.

And to make it all even sweeter, staffers created this little promo video featuring our newest spokes-creatures: Babe and Todd (baby and toddler). Get outta town! This is fun!

Short-Staffed! Lunch with a Friend, Part 2

2011-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

So we are at lunch, my out-of-town friend and I, and she asks what is happening with this blog. A librarian friend had wondered if it still existed and was I still writing it. I started to say how tough it's been over the past five months while we've been down a position. And, wise woman that she is, she said "Blog about it!"

I'm not sure I have anything insightful to say about what it's been like. I know so many of my colleagues across the country have been under such extreme duress with positions, funding and hours slashed. Short-staffing affects us and our communities on so many levels. This is just a personal reflection on what we were able to do and not do (um, this blog) while work-time marched on, minus 40 hours per week in our department.

Everyone in our department shouldered extra responsibilities and desk shifts. They covered for our lost colleague (and me during the lengthy interview process which stretched over holiday closures, vacations and ALA; essay question answering and analysis and final interviews). Our able desk assistant became uber-Jill of all trades and showed a welcome acumen for all things YS. We cut back on our programming and outreach frequency but developed early literacy initiatives like 1000 Books Before Kindergarten; Early Literacy centers; "Between-Storytime" coupon books and a new summer reading club for birth - 35 month old kids (thank you Naperville (IL) Library for sharing the Rubber Ducky Club with us). We also worked hard to partner with our schools and colleagues including a highly successful collaboration with the high school to bring in an YA author and have a "One Book, One Community" reading program. These initiatives involved advanced planning but literally ran themselves once developed.

Little things were hard to keep going. We kept up with collection development and weeding but our PR was tough to cover. We field newsletters, Facebook accounts, webpage event updates, info to the schools, handouts and etc. Much of that was on a "way-beyond-deadline-whew-we-made-it" schedule, if it happened at all. We felt lucky to have fewer programs so our lack of PR fabulousness maybe wasn't noticed. I, for one, got even more rushed and sloppy and 40 hour weeks, crept into 42, 45 and 50 hour weeks just to keep things going. The storytimes I covered weren't as good as I like to have them and though I kept all appointments, I stayed awake nights trying to keep it all in order.

This blog...hah! Lucky if I got anything in. The hardest thing for me, though, was finding time to work with and support my colleagues. Time spent with each of them meant time away from deadline-specific work and that was a balance I couldn't find. These are strong, tough people and they brought amazing resilience to the fore during this stressful time. While we were getting towards the end of our short-staffed period, our much appreciated half-time outreach librarian announced her retirement. With budget constraints we knew we couldn't fill this position, but the team stepped up again.

And now, as of six days ago, we have a new full-time team member. She will bring new skills and perspectives into the department. We will re-assess what we can realistically do and move forward to serve our public. And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else and working with anyone other than the team at my library.

Image: 'Ivi is crazy -20080804_0233edbw' http://www.flickr.com/photos/99037763@N00/2805780029

Can You Tell the Difference? Lunch with a Friend, Part 1

2011-04-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today I had lunch with a dear friend who was on her way across WI (and parts of Minnesota) to pick up her son for spring break. This friend is someone I got to know many years ago at my former library. As a homeschooling parent, she and her family use and have used multiple libraries and read and studied voraciously. With the collections of many libraries at her fingertips, she is a sophisticated library patron who really knows libraries, literacy and information. Her engineering background gives her an eye for detail, analysis and the smarts to navigate and assess libraries like no one I've ever worked with outside the world of library staffers.

Its been almost a year and a half since she stopped at our library. As she waited for me to wrap up a meeting so we could head out to a favorite local eatery, she browsed through the Youth Department. The first thing she remarked on after we hugged is how much the department has changed and how improved it was. Wow, the stuff that our department has worked so hard on plus collection and content improvement; room rearrangement; better signage and the whole changed atmosphere is noticeable?!?!? I beamed!

She gave me props for the change. But guess what? I didn't make the difference! My colleagues are the ones who stepped up to the plate when I asked them to look in new directions and be the agents of change. They chose the books and materials. They developed new initiatives. They took charge of creating a welcoming as well as well-managed environment. My job was to throw down the gauntlet and encourage and support them in helping the department grow in new ways.

My happiness is in my team and hearing from someone well outside our daily sphere that the changes we are making are having the effect we hoped for. So much of what we do in our daily work makes very small or incremental changes that we don't always notice. It's great when someone can bring new eyes to appreciate what has changed - and improved. That's a difference I think we all can be proud of.

Image: 'difference in hardness' http://www.flickr.com/photos/96703781@N00/2407761354

Big Launch 2!!

2011-03-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

During our planning for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, we also challenged ourselves to develop Play Learn Read early literacy areas similar to what Hennepin County (MN) libraries did. The idea is to create areas in the library that are print rich and use play to help encourage parents and children to discover the fun of literacy.

Our three early childhood specialists and storytime gurus on the Children's Department team took up the gauntlet thrown and began planning what they would develop in late summer of 2010. After a team meeting to look at what we could afford, they plunged ahead. They developed and prepared many activities including: a tabletop puppet theater for dramatic play; story boards to encourage kids to tell the story; and examples of print that show parents that their preschooler is already a reader. Also on tap is a growth chart and a "Letters in my Name" activity as well - even the bathrooms contain a color matching activity). The plan is for these activities to change often. We also decided to house the Early Childhood Resources (Parent/Teacher)collection in this area as well as a display of great picture books for families to share.

A logo was developed based on 1000 Books and the team developed identifying signs and bright big letters for the area. Now when families enter the Children's area, they are greeted by an inviting area that encourages reading, quiet play and discovery. We have simple encouraging statements and highlight the six pre-literacy skills in easy to understand language:

I Like Books - Have fun reading together!
I See Words -Share letters and words
I Hear Words - Help children hear the sounds of words and letters
I Know Letters - Help children identify letters and numbers
I Know Words - Share books and stories to increase vocabulary
I Can Tell a Story- Help children understand story structure

We rolled out the area at the same time that we launched 1000 Books B4K. We knew these were natural supports for each other. For the past week, we have watched parents interact with their kids and use all the early literacy center areas. It makes us feel really great to have encouraged a perfect use of our library and its spaces!

Whew! Launched!

2011-03-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

This week saw the launch of two major initiatives in our Children's area: 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Club and the debut of our new Play Learn Read literacy centers. It was a crazy few months and frantic last few weeks pulling it all together but it looks like it will be worth the effort. This post is about the first initiative.

The 1000 Books Club is based on an idea that we had seen other libraries do (including at my former job). The program encourage parents of 1-5 year olds to read a wide range of books to their child to help them get a jumpstart on learning and school . We chose a 1 year old start because we wanted the little ones old enough to appreciate the fun of receiving stickers and little incentives. And we designed it to encourage frequent trips to the library to encourage families to use us often.

We used a flower/seed/rainbow theme to build the program on. The logo we are using is above...I designed it with the help of Windows clip art and a helpful techy staffer. Families are given a folder with a simple welcome letter (which includes the "how-to") and their first colored sheet of 100 lines to fill in as books are read. Multiple readings of the same book each count; stapling date due slips to the sheet counts; putting hatch marks down for books read at a storytime or in daycare count too! We want the process easy!

Each time a filled-in sheet is returned, the child receives a congratulatory sticker (Wow! 100 Books Read!), and their next sheet to record books in a new bright rainbow color. And they get to put a big dot, whose color corresponds to the completed page, on one of the white flowers on our giant flower garden mural. The more kids that get involved and the more they read, the more colorful the garden becomes!

We also have a few extra incentives to give out to the kids and parents along the way: lanyards; window clings and refrigerator magnet date due slip holders for the parents and cute nursery rhyme finger puppets and a book to keep for the kids. When we first started planning the program, our focus group, made up of representatives from the schools, daycares, our Family Resource Center and families, all stressed that the grown-ups deserved some rewards for all they do to bring in their kids and read to them too.

We created a simple database (because we have three locations we are doing the program at) to keep track of levels achieved by each participant. But an excel spreadsheet worked as well at my former library.

We also found that a project like this, which is completely funded by donations, is easy to raise money for. We received a memorial gift, a donation from our Kiwanis Club Foundation and raised quite a bit more from a fundraising letter. We had the support of the schools, the daycares, our local media and families themselves as we prepared for the big launch. They helped us spread the word about the club. We wanted to keep the costs down so that we could afford to run the club over many years - we tell the parents that they have plenty of time to complete the goal and not to rush.

We kicked it all off a few days ago with a giant after-hours concert on a Friday night with noted children's singer Tom Pease. Having the families in after we were closed made it into a special event. And it gave us ideas on how we can do more special evenings like this for club members. After three days we have over 100 readers participating. Who knows how many more readers we can grow?

Next post: Our Play Learn Read Literacy Centers

Picture Books - Let Kids Be Free to Read!

2011-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since the New York Times ran an article last October about the fading in importance of picture books in young children's lives, the blogosphere has been talking about the craziness of the premise. The latest thoughtful post comes from my sister blogger in Australia, Susan, who blogs at the always fabulous Book Chook. She argues for the importance of picture books for preschoolers as well as kids well beyond the preschool years. Letting kids choose their reading is anathema to some parents and even some library staffers (WHAT?!?!)

That concept of "free reading" that many of us champion is one most notably advocated by Stephen Krasheen. He wrote a short article in SLJ in 2006 that explores the concept and importance based on his longer book, The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research published by Libraries Unlimited in 2004. Boiling it down to beyond basic and in Marge-speak, the concept is that all reading for pleasure is good reading and helps builds kids vocabulary, comprehension and reading skills . When kids have a choice in selecting what they want to read, their interest and excitement in the act of reading becomes more sustained.

Picture books aren't just for little kids. They are great reads for older kids as well. I like to think of them as the first graphic novels that children are exposed to. They have a visual as well as literacy component that blends together into a coherent whole. More complex books like ones by Patricia Polacco, Chris Van Allsburg, Emily McCully, Bill Peet, Lane Smith, David Wiesner and Jon Scieszka and many others beg to be shared with second, third and even fourth graders.

How can we help kids - and parents - make that transition to free them to use these great books? Creating spaces in older fiction collections and cataloging more complex picture books into those collections is one way - whether by labeling or creating a special section of "Illustrated Fiction" - this brings these picture books to the attention and into the hands of older readers. And by locating them in the collections for older kids, we give an implied boost to their worthiness to be considered and selected by older browsers .

Featuring these books in handselling and reader's advisory on a daily basis is also a great way to promote them to older readers. Include one of these picture books among the fiction and non-fiction in booktalks at schools or a few in packs of books that you pull for schools and classrooms of older students. And when you have programs with older kids, include these in your book discussions and mini-promotions.

All these options and paths to worthy books will help you free the kids, the parents, teachers, staffers ...and you!

Image: 'Free Daddy and His Little Shadow Girls+at+The+Skate+Park+Creative+Commons' http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/179279964

Surefire Storytelling Hits for One World, Many Stories

2011-02-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

A comment on my last post asked about ideas for good multicultural stories to use with this year's CLSP (Cooperative Summer Library Program) theme, One World, Many Stories. Here are a few that I love with sources if I could track them back (being a storyteller for twenty-five years has it's drawbacks!). Give them a try.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (Africa)- Eric Kimmel
Buy a spider glove puppet. Gather your jungle animals and a blanket or rug that is green and mossy looking. You play Anansi/Narrator and tell the story while the kids play the jungle animals part. The rest of the kids chant the magic words, “Isn’t that a strange-looking, moss-covered rock?”. There are plenty of Anansi stories to share from many folklore collections..I have five or six in my storybag but this remains a favorite.

Wise Monkey Tale (Phillipines) - Guilio Maestro
Using a monkey puppet and other jungle animals, tell the story as Monkey/Narrator with kids as animals. Use a piece of rope in a circle to represent the hole and a construction paper banana leaf. Have the audience chant the banana leaf inscription: “If very wise you wish to be, come on down, wait and see!”

Fat Cat (Norway) - Jack Kent (there is also a version in print from Margaret Read McDonald)
Tie a flat sheet around yourself (or a helpful adult volunteer) like a huge bib. Have the kids play the eatees. As you chomp each one, the kids hide under the sheet. The audience chants “And now I’m going to eat you!”. You can use the same technique for the story of “The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly”

The Turnip - (Russian) Traditional
Tie a rope to a door (important note: make it tight!). Have kids play part (use scarves, ears, headbands, masks) and tug rope as you narrate. Audience chants “And they pushed and they pulled and they pulled and they pushed”. When the time comes for the turnips appearance, bring out a turnip from behind a screen.

Bear and the Seven Kids - (Poland) Traditional
I've lost the original source beyond hearing it from another storyteller 20 years ago! However, you can find it as the "Wolf and Seven Kids" and other variants in folktale collections. I use nesting dolls and pretend to forget how many kids are in the story and then reveal them one by one in the intro. Great audience particiaption tale!

Tiger's Minister (Burma) - Various; teller Janice Harrington has this on CD/tape
A tiger tests a boar, a monkey and a rabbit to determine who should be his new minister by breathing on each one in turn and asking, "Is my breath fair or foul?". Of course it is disguting and the first two animals try truth, than flattery and are eaten. The rabbit claims, with a twitchy nose, that he "can't smell anything one way or the other" and becomes the minister (and ever after rabbits have twitched their noses and now you know why!)

Roly Poly Rice Ball - (Japan) - Margaret Read McDonald's Twenty Tellable Tales
Crab Eyes - (Caribbean) - Margaret Read McDonald's Twenty Tellable Tales
Just a pleasure to tell straight without props. McDonald does a masterful job at breaking down the telling and adding emphasis to help even novice tellers deliver the story like a pro!

The Mosquito (unsure of country of origin) - Anne Pellowski's The Story Vine
Anne Pellowski's books are chockfull of great stories from many cultures perfect for storytelling. This string story has excellent instructions/illustrations and is worth the time it takes to learn. This is perfect for school visits and produces "big-eyed" results each time for all ages!

I also have used Once Upon a Hodja (long out of print, that has some good Middle Eastern Nasrudin stories (in turns wise, foolish, a trickster and a storyteller) and Caroline Peterson books for additional ideas.

What other good stories do you have?

Illustration from 2011 CLSP Manual. Images are copyrighted. Contact the CSLP for more information

Using Storytelling with Small Groups

2011-01-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

I did a storytelling workshop this week on the "One World, Many Stories" SLP theme with librarians from five systems in the southern part of the state. I wanted to give everyone tips on finding sources for stories, tips on telling and some "can't miss" stories from a few different countries to put in their story bags.

One of the participants blogged later that that while there was good information on handling a beaucoup big crowd, it wasn't very "real-world" helpful for librarians who work with small numbers of kids in storytime - ten or less; or more typically three to five kids, who can be very passive without a crowd to rev them up. So right! I skipped that part completely! So, as a mea culpa, here are a few tips I use that help when bringing storytelling into storytimes with teeny crowds!

I make it a point in my storytimes to tell a story each and every week. I believe strongly that kids need more than books and props to excite their imagination. Stories help them picture the tale on their own. Magic happens with the use of storytelling no matter how large or how small the crowd. In my years of storytimes, I have kept this practice up whether I have two kids or thirty two and it has always worked.

Although I have some large-cover-your-whole-arm puppets, I don't use these in the intimate atmosphere of storytimes. I usually tell my stories without puppets or props, letting the magic of the words and the plot carry the tale. That being said, I am also one to make a splash before the story is started to get the kids excited about a form of listening that many of them don't have alot of experience with!

My favorite intro is to put a small prop or puppet that relates to the story inside a bag that I bring out when it is time to tell the story. I reach inside the bag, feel around, do some "oohing" and "aahing" and "Hmmm, what could this be?" before I bring out the prop. This little teasing part gets the kids focused on the what is inside the bag and gets them excited. When the prop comes out, I say, "That reminds me of our story today" and off we go.

Other times I will bring along a finger puppet or two or three to small storytimes and let the kids play with them before or after the story to reinforce the story...or to let the kids engage in story play and re-imagining or telling the story themselves. When kids are too shy or the group too small to even have them engage in that much play I do a few little retellings of scenes with the puppets and hope that the next week brings more participation.

Small group storytelling can be some of the most rewarding because the stories shared can be quieter and more focused. Any other tips out there on sharing storytelling with small groups?

Image: 'Day 138' http://www.flickr.com/photos/38451115@N04/4218226857

Two Great Blogs That I Hope You Follow

2011-01-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

Travis Jonkers has been creating great content at 100 Scope Notes for awhile now. He does great links, creates great fun and I always discover something new in his short succinct posts.

A new blog that is a must stop now for me (thanks Travis!) is Read.Connect.Watch. created by John Schumacher (otherwise known in the blogosphere and on Twitter as Mr. Schu). The blog posts book trailers as well as related media for children's literature titles. There is a rich depth to this blog which will help create endless content for school and public librarians.

Image: 'Two friends!!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/13937854@N00

Looking Out at the Great Job Market

2011-01-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

Abby the Librarian has a wonderfully helpful post for people thinking about going to library school or in the midst of their graduate work. In it she talks in a very practical way about what a person should consider and how to increase one's marketability.

I want to second her suggestions. As a mentor for three new librarians on ALAConnect, it is the advice I give again and again. Finding meaningful volunteer/internship work that relates to the field you want to enter is worth gold.

It is an opportunity to get practical experience as well as suggest projects that can enhance a library's resources ("Would you like me to develop a booklist on read-alikes for Diary of a Wimpy Kid?"; "I could develop a little book of coupons to give out to families between storytime sessions that encourage them to return to the library in the interim ['Get a hug from the librarian'; '$.50 off your fines'; 'Come in for a sticker and a personal book suggestion form your librarian']; "Would you like a resource list of books and websites for that program you are doing on organic gardening?"; "Would you like me to update/redesign that flyer?"). Library staffers just might take you up on it and you get golden experience that translates into a money job search.

We are in the midst of searching for a new children's librarian to join our team and Abby's post reads like a roadmap that all our top candidates seem to have followed. Taking the extra time to learn, work and play in the stacks and among librarians makes job searchers more valuable to future employers. And you know you all can do it!!

Image: 'Free 3D Business Men Marching Concept' http://www.flickr.com/photos/22177648@N06/2136948367

Three Favorite ALA Midwinter Moments

2011-01-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

1. Meeting blogger Eva from Eva's Book Addiction and her Los Angeles Public library coworkers at a reception held for SLJ reviewers. It was better than putting a name to a face - it was meeting a woman whose mind, words and thoughts I have admired. I love it when the blogosphere and the real world mash up to bring us together.

2. Finding this Facebook post from Nancy McC, a colleague attending ALA "Overheard a local asking a conference center security person, 'Is there some type of librarian festival going on here?' When I said "Why yes, there is a librarian festival," he replied "Librarians are cool...reading is fundamental!" Seriously. Probably 22, looked like Wilt Chamberlain, complete with girlfriend. I am so wanting to rename our conferences "Librarian Festivals"!!

3. Having a set of recommendations on creating more opportunities to participate virtually accepted by the ALSC board. The subcommittee I was involved in worked long and thoughtfully and wrestled with this and it was great to help create a roadmap for our path to that goal.

Oooooohhh! Aaaahhhhh! Gasp! Snort! Wowser!

2011-01-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

There is nothing quite like being at the press conference at ALA Midwinter to hear the announcement of the Youth Media Awards. That 60 minutes is packed with tension, expectation, murmers (and screams) of surprise or acclamation, standing ovations and, in that dark, dark, cavernous room, a knit brow or two, gratefully hidden from one's peers. Today's announcements of, by my count 23, awards in San Diego were no exception.

There were expected, unexpected and wholly delightful surprises from each committee. One of the book bloggers I follow was frankly surprised at some of the buzzworthy books in the kidslitosphere getting no recognition. I am never surprised at that result. We are all readers and all passionate, but let's face it, few of us approach the rigor of reading and discussion that goes into these ALA award level committees. These groups live these books and the passionate give and take that occurs throughout the year as they make their way to final discussions and voting is simply extraordinary. They take special care and I always put my faith in their decisions because I know how profoundly seriously they take their work.

Now it is time to read, re-read, acquire and booktalk these best books and media of our children's and teen literary world. How lucky we are to have this spotlight on a passion that brings such great material into the hands of our kids! Congratulations to all the committees for a job well done!

ALA Midwinter - Distinctly Un-Winterish

2011-01-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

I hate to be so supremely shallow but I REALLY love ALA midwinters that meet in warmer climes. This year we are gathering in San Diego. Going from 6F to 60F in a mere 4 hours is a real treat for this Wisconsin woman. If you have to be in meetings, meetings, meetings, at least be in a place with pleasant warmth and incredible views.

I am on the ALSC board in my third and final year. We will be wrestling with some interesting stuff as always. It is a great group of people and I look forward to not only the camaraderie but the debate. I'll be reporting out recommendations from a subcommittee I chaired on moving our ALSC committee work to a more virtual model. It will be great to see where this all goes. And there will be time to attend the ALSC All-Committee meetings where I will peek at the work of so many of our member leaders.

Of course the exhibits will take up a chunk of time, looking at new titles and picking up a few ARCS to bring back to share with the team. There will be plenty of friendships renewed, hallway conversations, drinks clinked at after hours get-togethers and talk about how we are struggling to do good with fewer resources.

On the last day there will be the always amazing ALA Media Awards press conference where we get to ooooh, aaah and gasp at the announcements of the ALSC, YALSA and Coretta Scott King Awards. My colleagues on award committees are working hard this conference to discuss and vote on the winners. What will they present us with on Monday?

So here's to midwinter and librarians gathering where they work hard...and enjoy the sunshine harder!

Image: '~ The Real Action ~' http://www.flickr.com/photos/13898329@N00/12494645

Last Ideas for the Year

2010-12-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

I had a great time reading my RSS feeds today. People must have been saving some of their best for last. So for your edification, here are a few EOTY (End-of-the-Year) Awards to my faboo colleagues. Drop by and read them and watch your work change!

Best December Programming Creative Ideas Award:
Jen the Youth Services Librarian plays with her programs and gets great results!

Most Fun Run-up to Newbery Award Announcement Contest Award:
ALSC Blog links you to a fun survey that lets you choose your favorite among the 90 Newbery winners. Ooooh-aaaahhh!

Best Space Saving Solution That Really Works for Kids Award:
My pal Georgia Jones in her Come into Delight blog solves two problems at once: creating more shelf space and helping kids find their favorite series books with visual cues.

Best Thought-Provoking Whose in Charge of You Award:
The always fascinating Stephen's Lighthouse blog links us to Seth Godin with hints on how to boss ourselves better.

Comic Books Comic Books!

2010-12-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok, so I know that they are now called graphic novels but really they are just the nickel, dime, twelve cent, fifteen cent (I could go on but I am already starting to get scared) comix of our callow youth. We kids in the neighborhood traded copies of Superman, Batman, Archie, Little Lulu; Donald Duck; G.I. Joe and read and read and read them until they were tattered and torn. Then we'd read them some more.

Our parents hated them but we were in love. We could buy mini-spy cameras and sea monkeys and laugh at the silliness or thrill at the heroics of the costumed crusaders. We didn't have comix in the library when I was a kid. Richer neighbor kids had to buy 'em and share 'em.

But in the seventies, something changed. Charlie Brown got popular and books featuring his characters and other newspaper comic characters starting coming out and libraries - gasp- started buying them. As a college student and young librarian I was a total comix hound and collector. I also knew that Marvel and DC were publishing books of their characters and wanted them in the library too. I couldn't get them through any of the book wholesalers we dealt with so I would drive two hours to my comix store and buy them there for the library. They got cataloged into the 741.5s but at least we had 'em.

Fast forward twenty years and library jobbers starting stocking "graphic novels" - material illustrated like a comic and that also included manga and anime. One of my favorite stories is when BWI started offering graphic novels a colleague at a nearby library almost had an apoplectic fit and threatened to withdraw her business since they were now stocking trash (um, I could argue trash on all sorts of titles and authors through the centuries). But many libraries embraced them and started separate graphic novel collections.

Now fast forward to December 2010 and there is a movement afoot to start a Comic and Graphic Novel interest group at ALA. I am all for it. If you are an GN/Comix advocate and an ALA member, click on over to 8bitlibrary.com to read all about it and sign the petition. It's a great way to get ourselves together and to support a format in libraries that speaks to all ages with eye-popping and thought provoking art and text.

Image: 'DC Hero Minifigs - Wave 4' http://www.flickr.com/photos/86805026@N00/2564337011

Field Trip Fun

2010-12-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

We have been seeing a decline in the frequency of class tours of the library over the last couple of years. Certainly, economics have played a big part - when schools have many choices for their field trips but limited funding for the buses, the library often suffers. After meetings with our school library media center colleagues, they expressed an interest in having all second graders come to the library for visits and that got us inspired to look at visits for all ages.

So we put our heads together to see if we could ratchet up our usual tour and make a trip to the library into an adventure! Our first step was developing more age/interest specific content so fifth graders had an entirely different experience than preschoolers or early elementary aged kids. Our second was committing ourselves to enthusiastic presentation of info that may be old to us but is new to the kids.

For preschoolers through early elementary kids, we focus on basic collections they use (print and non-print); book check-out, book return area and info desk and fun explanations of how a library works; how to get a library card; and how to use our huge boat facade (as a place to read!!). We wrap this "business-as-usual" tour around a theme.

This school year, for younger kids, we are using a search for Knuffle Bunny and Mo Willems' book as our theme. First we read the book to the kids. Then we tell them our Knuffle Bunny stuffed animal is lost and needs to be found - by them. As we share the story, colleagues are putting book character dolls at strategic points in the library that we want to highlight (see above). The kids then join us as we find characters and describe collections and points of interest. We have no luck finding Knuffle Bunny, so return to the program room where Knuffle Bunny is discovered hiding. A few more stories shared and we are good to go!

Part of the fun with younger kids is explaining how a library really works. Here is the way we do it:

We ask the kids who the books belong to (the librarians? Nooooooo; the library? Noooooo; You? YESSSSS!!!!) The books belong to and are shared by all the kids and grownups in the community! Then we tell the kids them the library is like a house that the books live in. But books love to visit with kids at their house! With a library card, children can take home materials for a nice visit. And, just like a visit from a friend (we all know that visiting friends don't stay forever), the books have to return home to the library after a few weeks so they can visit with other children. This simple explanation hits home with kids and helps them see how a library works.

For first and second graders I am tempted to use John Perry's The Book That Eats People as the shared story and play with the concept that books aren't dangerous. Or maybe Eric Kimme's Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock - we could search for stuffed animals that might also live in the village. Hmmm or.....????? Any ideas out there for a good focusing book for first and second graders that would lend itself to field trip fun?

For older kids, we show a bit of the OPAC; the non-fiction and fiction. We talk about how a non-fiction collection is arranged very much like a grocery store - like thing is next to like thing. And just like they may know words in a world language (Hola!), our language is Dewey and that's how we know what all those numbers mean. The groups get a choice of a culminating activity pre-chosen by their teacher/leader activity - a chance to be cataloged and shelved (complete with barcode and a dewey number based on their interest); fiction booktalks; an easy experiment; some spine poetry; playing Book Bingo; or doing a easy origamil keepsake.

For our teens, we are in great shape because we have tied in mini-tours of the Teen area with middle school groups coming in to learn how to do research for projects for National History Day competition. We see a large percentage of middle school kids on these visits and it is a golden opportunity to familiarize them with that area. It is a win-win situation.

We have been test running a few of the new field trips prior to heavy advertising after the first of the year. Here's hoping for good results!
Image: 'Tour ->' http://www.flickr.com/photos/15923063@N00/298346278

Re-Aligning the Ship of State

2010-12-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

We have been undergoing some interesting changes lately. One of our co-workers, The Hedgehog Librarian, went off to academic libraryland so we been dividing out desk times, selection responsibilities and the myriad little pieces that go into wrapping up a colleague's time with us. Amidst all the good-byes and the funny feelings of not-quite-completeness, we are also looking at other changes that are keeping us big-eyed.

When I came on board (just two years ago), the place was like a ship on storm-tossed waters. The atmosphere in the public areas felt like free-for-all-free-fall. There didn't seem to be alot of procedures or limits on what we were able to realistically offer to our public so we did alot of everything - but often without focus. Over time, we used technology to ease our way; re-examined and re-thought our services and collections and began to shift our focus in a way that helps us manage the physical space to make it inviting and a little more sane. Changes big and small are now suggested all the time by our able crew and we make progress each month in making a great space better.

Lately I have asked my colleagues to step up the pace of change. They have really gotten on board and we are creating some exciting changes on our ship.

What's ahead?

Creating hands-on pre-literacy activity areas for preschoolers around the department
Launching an initiative to encourage parents to read at least 1000 books to their preschoolers before kindergarten
Reducing in-house programs for school-agers and doing more outreach programs to that age group.
Increasing the number of outreach visits at literacy fairs, school parent nights and other venues where parents gather while reducing the frequency of preschool outreach visits slightly to accomodate offering services to a wider age range.
Creating "field trip adventures" rather than tours that make a class trip to the library the best visit in town. The content is specially targeted to specific age levels of the kids.
Networking and creating more partnerships with our schools and community organizations to create great programs and services
Streamlining our workflow to create more opportunities for creative thinking and idea generation.
Revamping our summer reading program to create a simpler experience and one that recognizes that libraries are more than just reading - they are about checking out materials; attending free programs; and a place for support of writing and other literacy activities.
Re-imaginging and remodeling our physical space to remove a much-beloved but non-ADA compliant and unsafe boat facade and replacing it with a homage to our beautiful Mississippi River and bluff country.

Some of these changes have been/are welcomed by our patrons, some less popular. Navigating through the reactions to these changes is probably our toughest challenge as a staff. It's hard to tell a teacher of one age group that we have to reduce a service in order to offer services to other ages as well; or that our new adventure field trips replace a provider's routine expectations of a traditional storytime; or that we are limiting the number of seasonal books so everyone has a chance to enjoy a winter book. On the other hand, it's easy to accept the grins of kids who experience the new field trips; listen to the excitement of our school colleagues when they hear about our Dr. Seuss presentation or our gross-out book talk; or accept the praise of families who feel more welcomed in the calmer atmosphere of the room.

I am lucky to be working with willing colleagues who are brave enough to step up to a change (or twenty) in course. It might be awhile before we hit calm water but the crew is ready to play. I hope to blog a little more in-depth about some of our initiatives over the next few months - although I have been quiet lately and don't know if this is one of those empty promises! And I'll share the reactions of our public as we sail between the shoals of change. It is a good time to be aboard!

Image: 'Ship' http://www.flickr.com/photos/31805905@N00/35838005

Wicked Funny

2010-10-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

From our friends at xkcd via LIS News, a hilarious cartoon:

Dewey...or Don't We?

2010-10-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty excited to see libraries talking about and looking into adapting BISAC to use with non-fiction classification. My buddy Ken Hall over at Fond du Lac Public Library is putting this into play at his library (and has a nice explanation here). What calls to me about this system is that it still maintains subject organization but also invites the art of browsing to sing out as well.

Many, many years ago, at my former job, my visionary director Jack Fry and I concocted a heretical new Dewey/Cuttering system that vastly simplified our kids NF collection and was easy to use. Although not quite as simple as the bookstore's BISAC, it incorporated the concept that kids are not necessarily looking for a specific book by a specific author in a subject section but rather books in general about the subject they are interested in.

I had watched for years as kids, parents and A+ student shelvers struggled to find and get the books they were looking for. And as a borderline dyslexic, I had my own nightmares with transposed numbers in the great forest of Dewey's decimals.

So we tried to use no decimals at all or at very most, when push came to shove, one number beyond the decimal. Rather than using the cutter to designate the author's last name, in sections where the decimals had been decimated (bwa-ha-ha-ha), we used a generic letter to separate types of books in a subject. That reads like Greek to me so let me give a couple of examples.

Baseball's Dewey Decimal (DD) number is 796.357; football is 796.332; basketball is 796.323. So we designated sports books as 796.3 and put all baseball books as 796.3 B (B=baseball); football books as 796.3 F (F=football); all basketball books as 796.3 C (C= "court" sports); soccer as 796.3 S, etc. We chose not to include an author's name in the spine label, just subject of the book. These collections were totally browse-worthy.

Same in mammal books in the notorious 599.7, 599.6, 599.3 sections. Bears would be 599.7 B, big cats 599.7 F (feline), and onward. We kept the same basic Dewey number but just gathered all books on bears into one designated number/letter and let the kids browse. We chose this formula in any section of the collection that had great long Dewey strings (crafts and animals spring to mind...we were never ever brave enough to tackle 398's. I'm afraid..they defeated me). We didn't assign the collection letter willy-nilly - we chose letters that matched the DD designation. We just truncated it and translated it to be user-friendly.

Kids loved it, parents loved it, shelvers worshipped at our feet. I always hoped this would catch on somewhere but catalogers were universally horrified and condemnatory and they control how we present stuff to our public (unless you were lucky like me to have a visionary director who said go for it and control of the cataloging...yes, I was cataloger AND children's librarian!). I always thought it was a shame. It made me think about whether we listen hard enough in libraries to the folks who work with kids and know gobs more than people think we do (but that's another whole 800 posts worth!)

As to whether kids can handle more complex DD numbering in later years if not exposed or taught DD early? I have a hunch they can. Someone did a study years ago saying that the average reading level of a catalog was 6th grade and I figure decimals as an everyday skill is out there in upper elementary grades as it is..a time when kids are aging out into the wild blue yonder of the adult collection for their research. It's a bit like not teaching geometry until our minds can handle that level of mathematical visualization. It's not for most 4th graders.

It has always struck me as trez bizarre that while we want to organize the info for ease of use, we continue to make it very difficult for the average Joe and Jill to find the darn stuff. I am thrillingly happy that brave souls in libraries are finally seeing BISAC as the way to a future that honors organization but does it in a language that the general public is familiar with (although I must admit I do love making the analogy with kids on class visits that Dewey is just MY world language rather than Spanish or Japanese or German!).

I am all for making libraries easy to use so that we can follow one of my most favorite of Ranganathan's Rules: "Save the time of the reader"!

Image: '09-may-20' http://www.flickr.com/photos/91255327@N00/3565110921

Librarian Rock Stars...Why Not?

2010-10-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

David Lee King started the discussion; Andy Woodworth continued it at Agnostic, Maybe; and Nancy Dowd at The 'M' Word - Marketing Libraries adds a marketing perspective. They are all talking about highlighting the real people behind the books and buildings - library staffers who make our magic happen. Getting staff into the limelight and recognizing their substantial contributions to innovation, great service and great ideas is a wonderful way to connect to our communities.

In a reply to Andy's thoughtful post that was re-posted at LIS News I stated:
"I think librarians have suffered long enough in being the "behind-the-scenes" folks. Let us put faces and rock star status on all the champions of literacy, information and free access for all. I've seen it enough times in children's work - sometimes being that Pied Piper of books and info leverages more doors opening to do good library work than pretending it's just buildings and collections that make the library great. Visionary, enthusiastic, creative, idea-filled committed library workers are THE rock stars and DO make libraries great for the community. I have a secret thrill each and every time I see a librarian celebrated and/or noted as newsworthy. Librarians rock!"

I've been thinking alot about this issue since I got the call two months ago with the surprise news that I would be receiving the WI Librarian of the Year award. I've always considered myself a working grunt. I do the very best I can for my patrons. They are the most important people in my library work formula. But because I love them up with great service and programs, by the gods and goddesses, they love me right back and it translates into massive support for new ideas, fundraising and volunteerism. I, like many of my children's and teen librarian colleagues, get to be a "rock star" with the kids and parents because they see the face behind the building and collections. We rock our little world and it makes coming to work every day a little more special.

The award came with a different "rock star" status that has surprised me and made me think alot about our place in the larger library community. I was interviewed along with a collegue from the award winning Library of the Year on state-wide public radio - and we weren't being asked, "Why did we receive this award", but substantive questions about the state of all types of libraries and libraries' future viability. And the call-ins to that show! Oh my gosh, people loved their libraries...and very specifically, LOVED THEIR LIBRARIANS!! And I didn't hesitate to say in that forum that folks in each community bond with their library staffers and take great pride in the work they do.

So let's not hide our lights under bushel baskets. Do celebrate each other in libraries - our expertise, talents, innovations and dedication. We are all -each day, in all of our libraries - Librarians of the Year. So let's rock on!

Image: 'Alma Nativa' http://www.flickr.com/photos/11229881@N05/2659070334

You Bet ALA is Not Your Mom

2010-09-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Abby (the) Librarian has a fabulous post in response to one over at Dances with Books that smokes on one particular point. I am with Abby on this one.

It is fashionable to beat ALA over the head with it's unresponsiveness; it's out-of-touchiness; the expense and "who does it really help?" trope. Abby gets right to the point...it's us kids, it's us. We are it; it is us. ALA is not mom, dad or butler. It is exactly what each of us is willing to put in to support libraries.

I've been an ALA member for over twenty years...and up until two years ago, all on my own library-salary dime. I joined long ago at the urging of mentors like Jane Botham and Ginny Moore Kruse - they encouraged me to become part of an organization that can make a difference for libraries. I started a savings account line to send myself to conferences and roomed with as many people as I could to keep costs down. With the help of colleagues like Christine Jenkins and Ruth Gordon, I learned to navigate ALSC committee work and contributed collaboratively in many ways over the years.

What have I gotten? Honed leadership skills, life-long friends and colleagues, a chance to improve librarianship for kids and libraries that work with kids. What else beyond the stuff at my fingertips has ALA provided? Just unerring championship of intellectual freedom and shining the spotlight on censorship so we face fewer of these battles (and when we do we have amazing resources to bring to bear); just incredible national lobbying efforts that have helped all types of libraries in countless ways; just efforts to keep libraries in the forefront of the news in a positive way; just financial muscle to provide Spectrum Scholarships to support diversity in our profession; just a huge umbrella to support all types of libraries. I could go on, but you get the drift.

Although I have been primarily active in ALSC, many of my youth colleagues have gone on to leadership and committee work within the larger ALA and have made change happen. It is all in what we each put in.

ALA is what we make of it. Many of the library groups I belong to give me camaraderie, support, and fun (Library Society of the World and Women Library Workers are just two), but none provide the level of support to libraries that ALA does. And I think it is because of the many people who get active and work hard to make change happen.

It's OK if this still doesn't convince you to stay a member, join or become more active. But before you start trashing', get in there, get your hands dirty and try to make a difference.

At the ALSC Institute

2010-09-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Here I am in lovely Atlanta Georgia with about, oh, 250-300 librarians from around the country (but mostly from surrounding southern states), soaking up information, listening to authors and meeting and networking with each other. Wow!

ALSC hosts a regional institute every two years somewhere around the country where ALA conferences seldom if ever meet: Salt Lake City; Minneapolis; here in Atlanta. It gives members from this region a chance to enjoy top-rate programming and mingling with folks from around the country. We have a plethora of programs: Digital Natives; Transforming Gamers to Readers; Creating Diversity in Collections; Creative Partnerships; Collection Development and a chance to listen to book creators talk about their work and the future of the book and print in a rapidly changing technological environment.

For me, it is like a balm. So much of my time at conferences is involved in behind-the-scenes committee work, that I seldom get to just absorb and learn. The programs here have been excellent and thought-provoking. My batteries are re-charged and I am learning lots from conversations at meals and in the hallways to take home and try.

If you start saving pennies now, you will be ready to join the next Institute crowd in two years in Indianapolis (I think). I am going to do the same. By that time, I'll be ready for another energy re-charge. I hope you can join me there!

"@^#^$^#&&$....I Mean, What the Deuce?!?!"

2010-09-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Kiera Parrott has a hilarious post over at the ALSC blog about one of the hidden perils of children's librarianship - keeping language squeaky clean while working around kids. Any one who spends time in children's departments, schools, provider situations and places that children frequent know that even "mild is wild" can be the order of the day when going about daily work. Parents, co-workers and kids themselves can be taken aback by meekly disguised expletives ("Fiddlesticks"; "Rats" etc). When something stronger rips...aieeee!

It's great when one never picked up the language of the street in one's home life. However, even the sweetest person is sometimes pressed to the extreme: the gerbil gripping, vise-like, on a finger while cleaning the cage; the bat that comes swooping in; the trip that resounds with the crack of a bone and sharp pain following - you know the stuff that might pop out.

What has amazed me over time, though, is how truly, remarkably creative and imaginative children's folks are. Even in the midst of shocking surprise or pain, the things that pop out are almost always appropriately mild. Perhaps we need to include this more often on our resumes...always language appropriate around kids and families!

Image: 'secret santa gift - woot!' www.flickr.com/photos/33580370@N02/4208793639

Why I Love Being a Children's Librarian

2010-08-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Besides getting to see all the new materials and read them first in my favorite reading chair at home so I know what to recommend to kids....

Besides connecting kids to information resources and answering their questions....

Besides running into a parent who I had in storytime when they were kids who tell me how much I meant to them and their love of libraries and books (and meeting their kids!)...

Besides working with colleagues in my library, the state, the blogosphere, and across the country who so generously share ideas and energy...

Besides loving to talk to kids and tease them and bring a smile out....

Besides connecting to other youth serving organizations in the community to do even better work for kids...

Well, besides all of the above, I love my work because I think nothing is better than connecting kids, books and libraries together in one big happy mish-mash.

Why do you love children's library work?

Image: 'I Love to Read' www.flickr.com/photos/90819592@N00/775089650

Wowser!

2010-08-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

The news hit today that I have been selected as this year's Wisconsin Library Association Librarian of the Year!!! This is such an amazing - and such an unexpected - honor. The confidence that the nominators and colleagues who supported the nomination showed in me really touches me deeply. And I am humbled.

I think I am not unique in trying every day to do a good job at the library for my public and my co-workers. As a front-line librarian and most recently manager, I have spent alot of time at the knees of my colleagues and friends in the library world soaking in their thoughts and opinions; their ideas and energy. I have learned from the families who have come in, from the kids and from the many partners in the community who have helped me see what a library for kids can be. Each day I learn something new that can make my work better.

After a thirty-four year career, I am happy to share and support younger colleagues and those new to the profession to step out and up and shine, shine, shine. So many of my mentors did this for me as a young thing and opened the world of librarianship in a deep and fundamental way that changed me from having a job to having a career. And I know I am not unique in giving this type of support. So many of my friends and colleagues in my age cohort are doing this and much more for proteges.

I don't think I am very different for any other librarian who works with kids. And I hope, on behalf of all the hard working children's and teen librarians out there, I can accept this honor for them as well. Youth folks rock!!

Image: 'Erin [118/365]' http://www.flickr.com/photos/62359756@N00/1096159720

Putting the Summer Library Program to Bed

2010-07-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh, my favorite day of the children's librarian year- the day after the last day of SLP. Our nifty new database produced our stats in two minutes flat:

over 10,200 hours read (we challenged kids to read at least 8,670 hours - a year of 24/7 reading - and they far exceeded that goal
958 kids in the in-house program with 55% active during the course of the eight week program
452 kids in the outreach group care reading program
350 kids earned a free book by reading at least 20 hours over the summer

We had a very rainy and, therefore, very busy summer. Our programs (all 113 of them!) here and at our branch locations were creative, fun and well-received. We had enthusiastic teen volunteers; we sent staffers off on vacation throughout and, though busy, we came out sane (I think) at the end!

We'll do a report to our co-workers everywhere in the library; to the board and most importantly back to our principals and LMC colleagues. Our plans for 2011 are already perking along and with a little design work after de-briefing on this summer, we'll be ready to head out for our trip around the world next summer. Wake uuuuuppppp!

Image: 'Asleep at the Wheel' http://www.flickr.com/photos/34653106@N00/64368770

You CAN Do It!

2010-07-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting set of posts up: one from Emily Lloyd at Shelf Check about how a library as institutional hierarchy can stand in the way of creative workers and an adjunct post by David Lee King (who is mentioned in Emily's post as an example of someone whose library lets him shine) about how to create a space and place to be creative.

Both posts give ample food for thought. Having worked in small, flexible and nimble libraries during my entire career - where yes is heard more than no - I haven't faced the challenges folks have in larger institutions, where hierarchies and rigidity are constant concerns. When I went for a week in a staff exchange to our state's largest library I ran smack up against those layers. "Wow!" I thought. While I appreciated the level of staff support (in our small library we pretty much did a little of everything) at the larger library, I also liked how quickly we could hatch and do creative projects at our place.

On the other hand, no matter how big or small the institution, creating your own path to success is possible by working to create buy-in for your ideas by keeping co-workers, supervisors and decision-makers well informed and in the loop. David Lee King speaks eloquently to that point. As a manager he has alot of flexibility for his own work and for people he works with. But he always makes sure that people are in the loop and know where he is going. His success builds in a better chance of permission as he goes along.

You can start small. Build trust in that you will do what you set out to do - without drama; with good communication; with honest evaluation and with an eye on making the case that the idea or project that you are working on enhances the overall goals of the institution. Show your competance and rewards will follow!

Be prepared to explain, demonstrate and patiently grow your project. Each time you show success and get the buy-in of managers, other departments and co-workers, you are just that much more likely to have an easier time with your next idea.

Most important, if you are in a rigid organization that gives workers few creative outlets, think about how long you really want to stay there. There are many libraries, directors and managers that encourage the best of their folks. Think about a change - my friends and colleagues who have done so have been much happier in finding places to work that encourage and nurture their creativity.

If leaving isn't an option, get involved in the larger library world: your state and national library associations; the Library Society of the World; social networks full of clever library types. Nurture your inner einstein there and share your goods! My Galaxy Quest mantra: Never give up! Never surrender!

Image: '093 - Death in a Hierarchy' http://www.flickr.com/photos/27888428@N00/4737579655

Box Town

2010-07-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

The following is an idea and article from my amazing colleague Lucy Freeman. As outreach librarian and early childhood specialist, she makes me and all her colleagues look soooo good. Below is one of her delightful ideas that has developed a life of its own. It is inexpensive and easy to replicate anywhere where young children come to libraries. Here's Lucy:

While I love doing story time and think it provides many valuable experiences, skills and knowledge, I also feel that children don’t get enough free play time. Remembering many fun hours playing with boxes when I was a child, I wanted to re-create that experience for the toddlers in my story time group.

Since I also host a monthly training program for child care providers, I decided to involve them also. A local appliance store provided refrigerator boxes for free. They also provided other sized boxes and some interesting packing materials that the child care providers used in very creative ways. Glue guns, gorilla glue, cloth scraps, wood and plastic spools, plenty of knives and scissors and yarn were used to fashion the boxes into wonderful playthings.

The child care providers had a great time using their creativity but also thinking just what their center and their children would like and use. One group grabbed a large hunk of bright yellow felt and used it to cover a long box. With the addition of wheels, steering wheel and fold-out stop sign a simple box became a darling school bus. Fancy shaped wooden dowels inspired another group to make a castle, complete with marker drawn vines on the walls.

The participants, about 30 people from 11 different centers, worked for almost two hours on their creations. They wrote their name or center, along with the address, on their box. This was so I could deliver them to the appropriate center once I was done using them with my toddler story groups.

I arranged the boxes into several “stations” adding appropriate props to go with them for play. One corner was the kitchen with a stove, refrigerator and table and chairs, all made from boxes. A few pots and pans, plates and glasses, hot pad, cookie sheet and spoons made for some great imaginative play opportunities.

Another corner was the bedroom with a cradle, book shelf and toy box made out of boxes. A few books, stuffed animals and dolls and this spot was a hit with the tots also.

The school bus, along with an RV, was put in the center of the room for the children to climb into and pretend to drive. A wonderful hot dog stand with a window to make orders at and outside seating to eat your meal just needed a few plastic baskets, napkins, glasses and play money to make for lots of interaction between the children.

One huge box turned into a castle with vines curling on its “stone” walls and purple fabric draping its doorway. The children dragged my story time unicorn into the castle and imagined themselves princes and princesses.

Probably the most popular box was simply a house with plastic flowers to water outside, windows to peek out and blankets inside to cuddle in. At one point the children gathered every stuffed animal I had placed around the room and put them all to bed in the house, carefully tucked in under the blanket.

I also put out a display of books emphasizing imaginative play, hoping that the parents would read them and be further inspired to welcome free play into their children’s lives. One mother spent a lot of time reading, not only to her own child, but to several other children. A list of the books is shown below.

Three toddler story groups had a chance to play at “Box Town” along with another group at a neighborhood center. Then the boxes were loaded on our library van and delivered to the various child care centers that made them to be used by their children.

We have so many events for children where everything is structured and there is little chance for individual imaginative play or creativity. Even in story time, I sometimes regret the special little moments that I have to pass by because of the needs of the larger group that I am responsible for. Sometimes those little questing minds have to be quieted so that the story line continues for the larger group. But in free play, those curious minds are liberated to ask questions, transform boxes into cars, and start to imagine their futures.

It was wonderful watching the children play with such simply made and cheap props. While they were mostly two year olds and didn’t really know each other, they played with very little supervision or direction. Their imaginations created countless scenarios as they made dinner and served it to their dad, or drove children to school in the bus or charged $15 for a hot dog and gave back $100 in change! Watching the imaginative and peaceful play, many parents planned on going home and making their own version of “Box Town.”

I recently visited one of the day care centers that participated in the program. They are still using the boxes they made back in March but have added some new ones. One classroom just had the children paint apple boxes and then they called them boats and sailed around the linoleum floor. In another classroom with smaller children, the teachers made a darling boat complete with a sail. The children were sitting inside waving their Fourth of July flags and rowing with the paddles, sticks with cardboard paddles taped on the end!

Book List
Six Sticks by Molly Coxe
A Box Can Be Many Things by Dana Meachen Rau
The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell
The Saucepan Game by Jan Ormerod
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
The Can by Rita Golden Gelman
What Good is a Tree? by Larry Brimner
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Proof!!!

2010-07-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

SUMMER READING PROGRAMS HELP KIDS MAINTAIN THEIR READING SKILLS OVER THE SUMMER!!!

Oh, sorry about that. I just had to shout. What we in the children's library work world have known since we started our careers has now been studied and reported out by the widely anticipated Dominican Study: Public Library Summer Reading Programs Close the Reading Gap. This three year study, administered by Dominican University GSLIS, was an evidence-based investigation into the impact of summer reading programs on student acheivment funded by IMLS; conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning and partnered with the Colorado State Library and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

And the results are in. You can read the whole study at the link above. But let me skip to some of the execuive summary results:

Students who participated in the public library summer reading program scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year than those students who did not participate and they gained in other ways as well.
While students who reported that they did not participate in the public library summer reading program also improved reading scores, they did not reach the reading level of the students who did participate.
Students who participated in the public library summer reading program had better reading skills at the end of third grade and scored higher on the standards test than the students who did not participate.
Students who participated in the public library summer reading program included more females, more Caucasians, and were at a higher socioeconomic level than the group of students who did not participate.
Families of students who participated in the public library summer reading program had more books in their homes than those families of students not participating.
Students enrolled in the public library summer reading program reported that they like to read books, like to go to the library, and picked their own books to read.
Parents of children enrolled in the public library summer reading program reported that their children spent more time reading over the summer and read more books, were well prepared for school in the fall, and read more confidently.
Parents of children enrolled in the public library summer reading program reported that they would enroll their children in a summer reading program at the library again, made more visits to the public library with their children, and read more books to/with their children over the summer.
Teachers observed that students who participated in the public library summer reading program returned to school ready to learn, improved their reading achievement and skills, increased their enjoyment of reading, were more motivated to read, were more confident in participating in classroom reading activities, read beyond what was required in their free time, and perceived reading to be important.
School librarians observed that students who participated in the public library summer reading program returned to school ready to learn, improved their reading achievement and skills, increased their enjoyment of reading, were more motivated to read, were more confident in their reading abilities, read beyond what was required in their free time, and perceived reading to be important.
Public librarians observed/perceived that students who participated in the public library summer reading program returned to school ready to learn, improved their reading achievement and skills, increased their enjoyment of reading, were more motivated to read, were more confident in their reading abilities, read beyond what was required in their free time, perceived reading to be important, were enthusiastic about reading and self-selecting books, and increased their fluency and comprehension.

The study's final recommendations:

1. Recognizing that public libraries play a significant role in helping to close the achievement gap in school performance.

2. Promoting the powerful role that public libraries play in the education community in helping children maintain and gain reading skills.

3. Engaging families in public library programs to promote early childhood literacy.

4. Investing more money in summer reading programs—especially in public libraries that serve children and families in economically depressed areas.

5. Marketing to parents of school-age children so they understand the importance of their children participating in summer reading programs and other out-of-school library activities.

Kudos to my peeps Susan Roman and Carole Fiore and to Deb Carran who authored this great report. It is just what we out on the front-lines need!

Image: 'Start Your Summer Reading Early' http://www.flickr.com/photos/47823583@N03/4664379890

Are Libraries the Next "Big" Thing?

2010-07-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

Over at NPR's Monkey See blog, Linda Holmes has a tongue-in-cheek speculative piece on whether libraries are on the verge of a ubiquitous surge of love and approbation. You got me. But we sure have been in the news in good and bad ways over the past couple of months.

The bad ways are are in the teeth-grinding, sweat-inducing budget horrors going on around the country ("Oh, yeah, we'll close ya down every Monday"; "Money for the library? Nah, better we give it as a loan to a for-profit professional sports team to keep 'em in town"; "We don't need so many stinkin' branches"). They are in the stupidity of a local Fox affiliate "reporting" that no ones uses the library and it costs money.

The good ways - in advocacy organizations like Geek the Library, I Love Libraries, Save Libraries. And in the stream of amazing and very funny videos that have absolutely gone viral on libraries (I don't think I have to link you to the Old Spice guy or the New Spice guy which have been everywhere in the blogosphere in the last week) like Librarians Do Gaga and more. Humor is always good!

Good and bad news puts libraries front and center in the public's perception. And it forces people to think about whether a shared, public, community resource (whether school, public or academic library) is worth keeping in times of real struggle.

I hope we are the next pop-culture phenom. Libraries are there for all. And we need to keep it that way!

Image: 'picture' http://www.flickr.com/photos/58428285@N00/3122529077

Saying Yes

2010-07-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Abby the Librarian has a wonderful post about the importance of giving library users a positive experience when they use the library. Saying yes is soooo much more fun than saying no.

Sometimes it is just finding a way of saying things that accentuates the positive rather than the negative. For instance:

New Library Card Check-out Limit on Materials
Negative: We know you are going to steal us blind so we only want to lose these 3 items.
Positive: Just for this first check-out, while we process your info, we ask you to just check out three items.

Parents Insisting Kids Attend Program They Are Too Young For
Negative: We have strict age limits and no one is allowed in unless they meet our age requirements
Positive: Kids need reading skills for this particular event. We also have this and this event perfect for your younger child. And if you want to drop by and observe, come on in! If your child gets bored or fussy though, you can take a break out in the hallway.

Too Loud in the Area
Negative: Be quuuuuiiiiiieeettt!!!!!!!!!!!!
Positive: I'm going to ask you to quiet down a bit - I can't hear the questions. And that's what I do best- find answers.

What other ways can negative be spun into positive gold?

Image: 'it's in your hands' http://www.flickr.com/photos/40892749@N03/4657652249

ALA Edition - Monday!

2010-06-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

How the deuce did we hit Monday already?!?! Egads!

Saturday
After the boost of that amazing Friday pre-conference, I hit the ground running with my ALSC "process" work as a member of the ALSC board. First up was our ALSC division leadership meeting. We focused on mentoring and looked at the ALA Connect's mentoring module. It's pretty slick and a great way to mentor or be mentored. Then off to our ALSC board meeting for the rest of the afternoon.

We discussed a number of issues that alternated between housekeeping and exciting new ideas. Of particular interest to me is an opening discussion of the possibility of creating a designated board position especially for newer members of ALSC to create leadership opportunities for younger members. I feel strongly that we ask our emerging young leaders to wait too long to before they can gain a place at the policy making table of ALSC. It is difficult when they are on a nominating slate to overcome the name recognition of members who have long served the organization. I have seen a few members serve more than one term on the board and I ask myslef if it is really true that our 4,000 member strong division, with 700 active committee members really doesn't have enough qualified leaders to run for board that we ask some people to serve more than once on the board level. It will be interesting to see if only a few people are interested in this change or if there is broader support in an idea like this that would require a bylaw change approved by the wider membership.

Sunday
The is All-Committee Meeting day. We board members try to visit and touch base with as many ALSC committees that are meeting simultaneously as possible. We listen, share news, advise and thank our hard working committee members. From there, I had luncheon with Scholastic and was treated to some delightful readings by authors of their new works. They all sounded great and I look forward to reading the books and sharing them with staffers and eventually with children as prizes at our programs. There was time to visit the exhibits for an hour or so, check out the new children's books coming for fall, pick up a few advanced reader's copies. Then a stop at the Book Cart Drill Team Championships for wacky cray fun as Jon Sciescka and MoWillems emcee the hilarity. The winners this year - decked out as skeletons - did a LOL Dance Macabre that simply had to be seen to be believed. Then back to the apartment to get ready for the Newbery Caldecott banquet.

The banquet is always a highlight. This year I just attended the speeches which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the evening. After dinner with friends, I nestled into a great seat in the peanut gallery and got ready for the festivities. I was so pleased to share the celebration with Jerry Pinkney as he received the Caldecott Award and loved Rebecca Stead's speech as Newbery winner. After the speeches, I got to whisk Newbery honoree Grace Lin off to the receiving line where hundreds of well-wishers congratulated the winners and honorees. Standing between Jackie Kelly's editor Laura Godwin and Grace made the evening fly by. It was tremendous seeing and hearing people giving props to these wonderful book creators!

Monday
Time to mail off the books and advanced readers copies to the library; catch the tail end of the ALSC President's program and enjoy the second round of awards for the Siebert; Batchelder; Geisel and professional awards. The highlights for me were the introduction of Claudette Colvin who accompanied Phillip Hoose as he accepted a Siebert honor for the book Claudette Colvin and Tanya Lee Stone accepting the Siebert award for Almost Astronauts.

Then the ALSC membership meeting; a quick lunch with a colleague; one last run through the exhibits to check out final book sales; one more stop at the post office; a quick bite to eat; a metro ride to the National Building Museum with 20 minutes to hit their bookstore before closing; a Metro ride back to catch Battledecks (TOO funny!); and a last stop at the ALSC Poetry Blast to listen to two poets share their work.

And now zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Tomorrow is another big day!

GREAT ALSC Pre-Conference!

2010-06-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day! 200 people attended the ALSC preconference Drawn to Delight: How Picture Books Work and Play Today. Participants were treated to outstanding panels and presentations by children's book illustrators, editors and designers including :

Caldecott award winner Brian Selznick talking about learning to really see when looking at art and life around us;
Eric Carle Museum's Megan Lambert who discussed some great strategies for enhancing picture books in storytime (more on that in another post!);
Caldecott Medalist David Small, Patricia Gauch, Neal Porter, Caldecott honoree Laura Vaccaro Seegar, Tad Hills and Lee Wade talking about the relationships of editors and illustrators to the work of book creation;
Break-out sessions on digital art; whole book approach to reading; international approach to picture books; a visit with Rosemary Wells and a petting zoo for paint that encouraged participants to play with acrylics, gouache; pastels; watercolor and charcoal to test each medium for themselves;
Break-out sessions with ten illustrators demonstrating their art techniques (Yuyi Morales; Tad Hills; Kadir Nelson; Brian Selznick; WIlliam Low; Melissa Sweet; Timothy Basil Ering; Laura Vaccaro Seeger; Javaka Steptoe and Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton);
an eloquent wrap-up by this year's Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney discussing the flow of text and story in his Lion and Mouse

I don't think I'm alone is saying that I learned a ton today. While it is always wonderful to see the rock stars of the children's book world, it is even more amazing when they stretch themselves to share insights; philosophy and the reasons behind how they they do what they do. Our dear late Kate McClelland created the initial vision for what would have been her presidential year's preconference and the able committee she appointed (Wendy Lukeheart, Nell Coburn, Sharon Hancock, Kathy Isaacs and Luann Toth) brought the vision forth. A big thank you to Thom Barthelmuss, ALSC President, for stepping up to the plate to lead the division after Kate's untimely death and for his support of this great day.

When people ask what does ALA or ALSC do for anyone, it is days like today - beyond the hard work and advocacy on behalf of libraries, beyond the partnerships forged with organizations around the country; beyond the wonderful CE and leadership opportunities for colleagues - that show the very best of what ALSC can do!

Image: 'Reading Time' http://www.flickr.com/photos/12692384@N00/255230682

At ALA

2010-06-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm here in mega-steamy Washington DC, sitting happily in a great little apartment 3 blocks from the convention center. One of my roommates and I got ourselves settled in; the third had a horrendously delayed flight and instead of arriving at 4pm is now likely to appear, ghost-like, after midnight. Travel is always an adventure these days.

Still and all, the fridge is stocked from nearby stores with water, fruits, cheeses and veggies; the A/C is nice and we think we are more oriented to get where we need to be. I am looking forward to tomorrow's ALSC preconference: Drawn to Delight. And ahead stretches days of conferencing with my library peeps.

I want to share a post from Bobbi over at Librarian By Day on getting the most from conferences. She shares great tips and each and every one is worth doing. From the practical to the philosophical, these gathered hints will make all your conferences a ton better. Now let the fun begin!

Image: 'And I Thought Yesterday Was Hot!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/17731548@N00/2569878338

ALA Bound

2010-06-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have almost all my pre-conference prep done:

Mapped Metro routes from airport and around town - check
Figured out my route to the ALSC Pre-conference Friday morning (can hardly wait - Picture Book Art learning!) - check
Determined which 2 programs I can attend outside of ALSC board duties - check
Read and studied all my ALSC board docs - check
Arranged for a last night crash since my hotel runs out earlier than my conference committments -check
Figured out the 3 minutes I can devote to the entire exhibit floor - check
Re-read my Grace Lin books so I can help out at the New/Cal post-banquet receiving line - check
Purchased scads of nuts and mini-chip bags to get me through long stretches w/o food at conference -check
Am entirely revved up to see friends and colleagues again after a long six months away - check

See you there!

Lights! Camera! Children's Literature!

2010-06-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Oooooh- ahhhhh a trailer for an upcoming feature-length documentary on children's literature, Library of the Early Mind. It looks verrrry interesting!

Thanks to Betsy over at Fuse 8 for the heads up!

Pertinently Pert?

2010-06-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

Eva over at Eva's Book Addiction kindly conferred a Pertinent Posts Award on me and my tiny blog! It's a first ever award and I'm glad it's for being pert...inent! Thanks for the shout-out Eva.

According to the rules:

Thank who gave you the award and link to them;
State what is is you look for in a blog;
Give the award to 7 people whose blogs pertain most to you.

now I get to recognize seven of my peers!

This is a tough choice to winnow down all my faves so, let me share just a few. I love looking for blog content that makes me think about libraries, working with kids there and ideas for programs and storytimes that keep me fresh. So here are my favorite go-to blogs:

Come into Delight - Georgia always has a unique view of kid's library work and great ideas.
Keeping Up with Kids - a brand new blog of a neighboring Wisconsin Library system has great tips and info
100 Scope Notes - playful, tasty info tidbits and links from Travis on children's literature make this a go-to spot for me
Hi Miss Julie - a blog that is new to me but full of thoughtful insights plus fun from a perspective of a children's librarian
Imaginary Librarian - great teen programming tips complete with pictures and instructions
Almost Librarian - I j'adore Valerie's booklists - they are hands down some of the best choices for books within a theme - but i also appreciate her insights.

One more, one more, one more...ok, I HAVE to choose the next one - I must have a laugh each and every day and when things are most dire, Cake Wrecks (with sassy commentary on cakes gone wrong) always fill the bill! What could be more pertinently impertinent?

Welcoming Summer Groups

2010-06-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

There was a question on the pubyac listserv in the last week asking librarians how they deal with large groups of children in care situations who come to the library during the summer. This is often a tough seasonal situation for libraries who struggle with increased family usage; administering a summer library program and handling increased crowds at programs in too-small meeting rooms. It's tough because so many of us want to serve kids no matter what but physical limitations in our buildings and staffing make it a challenge when a large group of kids come in.

We have tried a couple of things that have helped us over the years serve both individuals and groups:

Group Summer Reading Program
We offer daycares; summer school groups and other organizations who work with groups of kids this option. This has eliminated long lines of kids waiting to pick up prizes when the whole group comes in and gives us more time to help the kids find materials and more time for kids to find quiet times to read.

This do-it-yourself-at-the-Center program is contained in a simple folder. The folder contains a large poster with spaces beneath the headings "Read"; "Write" and "Do a Creative Project; 200-300 tiny stickers; a sign-up poster for participating children's names and an instruction sheet. We ask that each time a child in the group does one of the three activities, the child puts a sticker on the poster. We also provide a prize for each child that the group leader can give out whenever they decide they are at the culminating point or end of their program. We reassure kids that if they also are in our individual program with their families, they can indeed do both programs (prizes are different in each).

Program Attendance Registration/Special Programs for Groups
When we have had certain care groups come to programs and had to turn away people because our room was at capacity, we have approached solutions in two ways. We have sent notes out in May asking care groups to pre-register for programs and letting them know that we can only accomodate a limited number of groups per program. This helped tremendously and we were able to shift groups among programs to balance out the numbers over the summer.

We also have created special group events just for our care groups that offered fabulous programs and could accomodate many groups. This worked out very well. And we are always willing to stop by a center and do a special program once during the summer if we can.

Scheduling Visits
We ask groups interested in weekly visits to let us know when they want to come in order to help us provide great service. Although we don't always get advance notice, we work with the leader who comes in unexpectedly to explain how we can help them more with adequate staff and resources when we know when they are coming. The next summer, we usually get advance notice and can make sure we have good staffing.

Communication with Leaders
Probably most important in all of this, though, has been honest communication with the group leaders and teachers who use our services during the summer. We work with these folks to talk about what we can do for them; how they can help us; behavior guidelines and our expectation of their supervision of the kids; how we can assist them to create quiet reading times or provide extra materials for their classroom or center; the importance of scheduling visits so they can get maximum staff interactions; and ways to make their visits win-win for kids, library staff and care giving staff.

If we run into a prickly leader, we continue the communication into the school year and make sure we meet with their supervisor before the next summer to discuss mutual expectations and limitations. This has made all the difference in our success. We each walk in each other's shoes; we learn their challenges and they learn ours and we achieve (mostly) successful outcomes.

These strategies have helped us create a welcoming atmosphere for kids and providers. It is their library too and we want kids that may never come in with parents in the summer to know that we are just as glad to see them in this situation!

Image: 'Crowds' http://www.flickr.com/photos/59468038@N00/240903973

Splashing into Summer

2010-06-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Children's library blogs are alive with news of summer reading because we are in the midst of it! After all the days, weeks and months of prep, it's showtime.

It's going pretty well so far here. We started on Saturday and three days of dreary weather are really making a difference. This morning we signed up a new participant every two minutes. That equals madly exciting chaos.

Our shelves are far emptier than a week ago; we are seeing familiar faces reappear after a year using their school libraries; and we are seeing brand new kids who were tempted by our school visit book talks; jellyfish hat and baby shark song to be first-time summer library program participants. Our database is slicker than slick and will yield amazing information to help us craft future programs. SPLASH!

Three Cheers for Shout-outs!

2010-06-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy the sometimes curmudgeonly, often hilarious, and sometimes bent outlook of the.effing.librarian. Today, he gives definite props to all of us children's librarians out there for the work we do with with kids. Of course what always makes this kind of thing special for me is when someone in the library world who doesn't usually come near kids stuff still "gets" it and appreciates the good stuff we do. We saw it with the Library History Buff's powerful essay at LISNews in February.

It's good when any of us in the library biz give a little love to others way outside of our own career niche. So let me give a little praise back to my friends up on the front line of every Circ desk in the country. I know the joys and annoys you go through minute by minute, day after day. You handle the ups and downs with aplomb and there is not one other desk that handles the sheer number of transactions with such grace. Without your work and equalibrium, we would fold! Thank you!

Here's to the Tech Services folks who put such care and concern into all you do to put things into some kind of organizational order...and deal with all the dreaded discards and processing issues. You are my heroes behind the scenes - you make us all look good!

Hey my Tech savvy friends who keep the systems chugging along, look at the big tech picture and help translate it in a way that makes me interested and eager for new technologies. You make our webpages slick, our operating systems hum and our computers remain lively and far away from the blue screen of death! All hail!

Custodial staffers - you rock bigtime. Thanks for keeping our place looking so amazing and inviting all the time - from the inside to the outside (mowing; tending gardens and constantly removing snow). You deal with the roughest stuff and do it with cheer -plus you invent stuff that helps us...cool!

A big "Hey" to all the adult services folks who deal with so many social issues and ferret out info and create amazing programs for their clientele. They fight mightily against becoming simply internet computer overseers. They are true champs in showing that google does not replace the amazing skills of a true reference detective!

So here's to you my colleagues. I'm glad you do what you do to make libraries a great place!

Image: 'Hands in the air - in concert' http://www.flickr.com/photos/45409431@N00/3272079115

Getting That Children's Library Job - Being Your Own Fabulous You!

2010-06-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

There has been a surprising and pleasing rash of job openings for children's librarians in our state over the past year. Boomers retiring or heading to greener pastures; children's librarians stepping up into directorships and overall shuffling happening. A number of young librarian colleagues I know have been honing their resumes and interviewing and are on the hunt (or just finished with it). Eva at Eva's Book Addiction; the New York Public Library; Meredith Farkas over at Information Wants to Be Free all have posted some sound tips for job seekers over the past few weeks. Please take them all to heart.

I don't have alot to add other than to know yourself; know your work and think about how to convey the essence of your skills. The interview goes deeper than your resume and cover letter. Be ready to say just what skills you bring to the tech table (web 2.0 savviness; RSS feeds ease; favorite blogs/listservs that enhance your skills; blog; etc); the program table (early literacy work thru storytimes, outreach and projects; partnerships you've forged and innovative events you have invented; etc); the leadership table (projects you have spearheaded; groups you have chaired or organized; staffers/volunteers you have managed-officially or unofficially); the vision table (what are the five most important pieces that make a great children's services department; how do you approach change; how do you effect change; etc) and the strength table (what are those more elusive qualities that make you the right candidate: great listening skills; consensus building; morale booster; nurturer; etc).

Be sure you know about your potential employer - it's easy to track down online board minutes; community characteristics; budgets; staffing. At the interview, find out what their goals and challenges are. Remember, you are interviewing as well as being interviewed. Is this really the right job for you? I used to joke at my former job when the director would say "I hired you!'; I would invariably reply: "And I chose you!" It shook him up, but it's true. Most important, if you know yourself and feel confident in the match to the job, you will feel much stronger and calmer in the interview process. Now, all you good children's librarian candidates, go out and shine!

Image: 'Resumes from Scratch' http://www.flickr.com/photos/7759477@N05/4502690115

Thank You and May the Gods Bless You

2010-06-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

This shout-out goes to Editorial Anonymous the always wry, witty and to the point (ouch!!) children's book editor who anonymously answers queries about writing and publishing and sometimes skewers the clueless and the crass. Today's missive addresses the dreamers who imagine that all that is needed to write a children's book is a knack for rhyming "cat" with "mat". Zing! Her last three summarized pieces of advice are ones we should all keep in our back pocket to trot out when we get the dewy-eyed hopefuls who drop off their "children's book I've just written today!"

Image: 'Books, anyone?' http://www.flickr.com/photos/14228046@N03/4444473213

A Rose is a Rose...

2010-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today in the mail, a friend sent me a little newspaper clipping and picture of a young woman doing a summer reading promo visit at a school near my former job. And it was Rose! She is now a young woman but I knew her first as a preschooler in my storytimes. She and her brother Alex were sweet-faced, wide-eyed kids who were always *there* for the stories. Their parents brought both of them to the library often and we had a wonderful comfortable relationship with the family over the years -finding books, answering questions and, as the kids grew older, visiting and finding out what they were interested in and how their lives were going.

The last I time I spoke to Rose before I left my former job, she was working towards her Education degree and heading to a life of teaching. But today I saw that her life had taken an amazing twist. A little research and I see that she was hired as the Youth Services Librarian at a nearby library. Wow. Lucky library, lucky kids! I am so excited for her! It is wonderful to see such a library lover working in a library.

These are the moments that always make my day!

Image: 'majestic_rose' http://www.flickr.com/photos/82201122@N00/2333847657

Another Favorite Librarian Video for My Hall of Fame

2010-05-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

You may have already seen it, but if not....

Joining these faves of mine here and here, my new fave is here: ca-ca-ca-catologue, ca-ca-catalog...

You go, U of WA! Somebody hire these people...they are GOOD TO GO!

What Got You Started in Libraries?

2010-05-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

We are all working in libraries for some reason - we dreamed of it as kids; we fell into it and in love with it; we needed a career that blended well with that useless English Literature degree; we started as a shelver and worked our way up; we had a librarian who was such a huge influence that we had to follow her career footsteps; we thought doing book detective work and ferreting out answers could save the world; or maybe we wanted to be Kate Hepburn in Desk Set. Whatever the reason, here many of us are.

And now we can share our stories at Librarian Origin Stories. This online survey asks you to share how you got into the business and it's for everyone who is or has ever worked in a library, no matter what your job. It was a fun trip down memory lane for me - I loved libraries and reading growing up but felt that the librarians were a little stiff and unfriendly with kids. I thought, "I could make kids have a more fun library experience and have fun myself" and a career path seed was born. Thirty-four-years- in-librarianship later, I have been lucky enough to pursue that passion and work on that goal every day. Thanks to Librarian Origin Stories for letting me let me share those memories and a few thoughts as well. And thanks to LISNews for the link!

Reading is its own Reward...or Is It?

2010-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

There has been a rockin' and rollin', no-holds-barred discussion on the ALSC (American Library Association -Association for Library Service to Children) listserv over the past couple of weeks. The subject: the worth -or lack thereof - of incentive prizes given out in public library summer reading programs around the country. Quite a few firebombs were lobbed and depending on where you came down on the issue, each day brought glee or outrage. There were many peacemakers as well who appreciated the discussion and gently made observations and contributions.

People made suggestions that included making sure books were part of the incentives if possible; having kids work together towards a reward or creating larger social rewards like adding shapes with the child's name to a wall display. There was grumping about the lack of research proving that incentives worked to encourage kids to read and anecdotal evidence from frontline librarians who said that each child responds to reading and rewards differently and that incentives have worked.

What do I think? I say give the kids what they want and need to be enthusiastic about reading! Encouragement - you bet. Doo-dads - I'm your gal! A free book reward -absolutely! A place for kids to have their name displayed - but of course, my dears. Working together to pool number of minutes and books to reach a goal that includes adopting an wild critter or donating to a pet shelter - I am all over it. Asking kids to give a little more of themselves by bringing in items for our food pantry -yah baby! Nothing - including not wanting to join a summer reading program because they already love reading and because there are kids who will read anything (including the dog's collar) anytime all the time - okie dokie!

One size does not fit with all kids. We have used all these little strategies combined over the years. As we say, the point of what we do is to be the cheerleaders for kids to continue their intellectual engagement over the summer months when schools are not in session. Of course we do it year round in any number of ways. But it is summer when we ramp up the power and do the backflips and amazing presdigitation. Trying to pound all kids into one peggy little hole is silly when kids are as individual in their wants, needs, feelings, level of reading comfort and need for reward as snowflakes in a storm.

So, my friends, I say do what works best for you in your situation - experiment, play and work with the kids who come in. Don't be bothered by the "You better do this", or "You better do that", or worst of all the "I know better than you". As long as you see the kids responding and reading, whatever path you are on will always be right!

Data Data Data-Base!

2010-05-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Am I excited or what? Our tech savvy Hedgehog Librarian, who knows her way around databases, has created our first ever sign-up database for SLP!!! Although we have worked with spreadsheets for various registered events in the past we have three library locations and wanted to share the data. Our spreadsheets weren't handy and some of the staff that is a little tech shy were hesitant to try it. But now, with her wizardry, we are in beta testing and about to experiment with delightful fake monikers at all three libraries. There is time to iron out glitches and be ready for the kids when they hop out of school in a few weeks.

It makes a huge difference to be able to do our sign-ups in a way that will provide some valuable information. How many times are kids visiting; where do they come from (zip code); email addresses of parents of school aged kids to expand our mailing list (we have very well attended preschool events because parents or preschoolers are in our email loop; we need to duplicate that reach to tell school-agers about cool programs throughout the year); what grades levels most respond and participate. And we will know how many books and prizes we give out which will help us manage our budget better in the future.

Keep your fingers crossed that our testing works and we can get 'er up and running!

Image: 'WebTrends 2007 / otro mapa de web+2.0' http://www.flickr.com/photos/90646759@N00/1149873101