Women and Girls - Power or Not?

Kelly over at Stacked just wrote a powerful post on being a woman and speaking your mind. If you haven't already, head right over and read it. I'll wait for you. *quietly scrolling through tweets*

Ah, good. You're back. Kelly has a couple of, oh, ten or twenty cogent points, eh?  She is speaking truth to power - and to us.

The issues of gender and power, girls and power and the destructive subtlety of people speaking and working against women who wish to be themselves and self-directed has been a lifelong concern of mine. As a young fire-brand librarian I was active in Women Library Workers, a feminist library network and support group that now is in an embers stage of it's existence. I have stood down from much of my active work but I have never believed for a nano-second that we are in a "post-feminist" age.

My partner is a guy with a voice pitch that is slightly higher than encountered in most guys. He has spent considerable time on the phone in his jobs. When men on the other end of the phone mistakenly think they are talking to a women, to a man, they are patronizing, dismissive, abrupt and sassy. When the person on the other end thinks my partner is a man, he is treated completely differently.  This has been a conversational topic between us for over thirty years. "Post-feminist age," my eye.

When Kelly talks about the expectations that men and women have for women and girls I hear her talking. As I commented on her blogpost: "I was reminded of a photo going around FB where Jada Pinkett Smith was asked why she let her daughter shave her head. Pinkett Smith wrote, 'The question why I would LET Willow cut her hair. First the LET must be challenged. This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don't belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power, or self determination. I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit, and her mind are HER domain. Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair. It's also a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother's deepest insecurities, hopes, and desires. Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be.' "

This spring I attended a wonderful and empowering unconference at UW-Milwaukee called "Out of the Attic and into the Stacks: Feminism and LIS". Lots of students and lots of old-guard feminist librarians. It was great to be around that living timeline of  feminist librarians. One question that came up from the students to the vets was, "How do you bring feminism into your work?"

This is what I said: You bring feminism into your work every day in every way. By making sure that you purchase and display materials that highlight strong women and gentle men; that open up the hidden contributions of women and that highlight girls as strong and not just frilly.  You do programs that empower girls but also don't shut out either gender. When girls come in to your library, you compliment not their hair or clothes but tell them they are looking strong or tall or smart today. The messages that we give - no matter how small - matter.

We need to stand strong together on these issues of women and girls and power. It does make a difference and will make a difference for decades to come. But we have to commit to doing the support every day in every way.

Image: 'Superhero'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/51336161@N02/5416260011 Found on flickrcc.net

Stop Making a Divide!

It has been a rambunctious few weeks on the alsc-l listserv and then followed up on the ALSC blog. What is ruffling feathers and raising tempers?  The basic question of how we as youth librarians incorporate and curate digital content for kids - including very young kids.

A simple request to share thoughts with an app developer passed on to the listserv by Cen Campbell over at Little eLit blog elicited more action than I've seen on alscl in a while.  Some people got quite off topic with flame-worthy insistence that digital content had no place in the library lives of kids between 0-5. The ALSC blog guest posts followed - here, here and here.

I never weighed in on this brouhaha except in comments. I will tell you, though, I was dismayed at some of the attitudes displayed and the arguments made against including digital content for young kids. Although we haven't made much of a leap at our library, it is a direction I expect our team will be going much sooner rather than later.  Again, Cen pointed the way in her Wrestling Your Bear post at the beginning of November. That  coupled with the provocative posts in the Libraries and Transliteracy blog (now finished) really informed my thinking.

Cen's thoughts dovetail with mine. This semester I have been teaching a graduate level Children's and YA Services course for UW-Madison.  One of our textbooks, Adele Fasick's From Boardbook to Facebook, published in 2011, makes the case for the direction youth libraries will inevitably be moving in. It's a direction that seamlessly blends traditional print with digital content to meet the needs of our families. I would be remiss as an instructor - and as a practicing librarian - not to look further and more deeply into the future that is truly happening right now. My students need to be open to the possibilities they will experience at the beginning - as well as at the end - of their careers.

While I appreciate the hesitation and worry about screen time expressed by people, I also think it is incredibly short-sighted and darn near dereliction of duty not to stand-up, research-up, read-up, learn-up, understand-up AND change-up for positive support and curation of digital content for kids. Arguing as Luddites that screen time is a no-no below a certain age ignores the rich (and sometimes stupid and banal) content that parents are tapping into already. As youth librarians we need to understand and lead, model and recommend to help our families find the best for their kids.

I hope people stop thinking of why not and start thinking of why and how. We serve our communities best when we add to our knowledge base, bridge the divides - and change and evolve with the times. By learning from and collaborating with each other we all gain.

Image: 'Canyon do Buracão' http://www.flickr.com/photos/58817442@N00/352819555 Found on flickrcc.net

Making Books Holiday-ish!

Ok, Thanksgiving has passed so I can officially put up the tree. We usually head out and find a live tree to put on our window seat. But this year inspired by Pinterest and clever librarians everywhere, I made a book tree. So here is my baby.


It's a little crooked but it has lots of our favorite books (Ulysses!  1001 Arabian Nights!). The advantage is it never needs water. The disadvantage is that I can't pull out books from it to read...I must be patient. Gack!

If you are looking for more bookishly holiday things to make, check out Book Riot's post here!

Where Were You When I Was Young?

Ok, here's an Ohio YMCA summer camp that gets it!

Weeks are themed to popular book (and movie) series like Ranger's Apprentice, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the new Brotherband Chronicles by Flanagan.  The skills kids learn - horseback riding, survival skills, team building, archery - are much the same as any summer camp but with a literary twist that lets kids experience favorite books vicariously.

Hmm, sounds lots like some of the fun book-themed fun we create. You go, Ohio Y!

Brown Bear Brown Bear Birthday Bash

I heart book parties! No surprise there. They are the perfect storm of fun mixed with a laser focus on a book , character or series that resonates with kids. Whenever possible, we like to tie in parties with events about the book that are creating buzz - a book, movie or DVD debut; an anniversary of a book's publication; a tie-in with Kohl's stuffed book character promotion or a nationwide celebration (think Read for the Record or Read Across America).

When we were thinking about what would be our special 1000 Books Before Kindergarten event for the fall, we decided to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the classic Bill Martin- Eric Carle collaboration.  And the ingredients?

Thanks to Pinterest, I had found some easy to reproduce templates for the characters at 1+1+1+1 blog.  We used volunteer help over the summer to create a little take home packet in a baggie of cut-outs and the text of the book.  For the party I made some 8.5 x 11 sheets with each character on them. Our business manager had found loads of the Brown Bear titles on sale at Kohl's along with other titles by Martin and Carle and purchased 15. Those became our special "birthday presents" to be raffled off. The finishing touch - I ordered a few dozen mini-cupcakes (no cake cutting!).

On party day the families flocked in for some exclusive time before we opened. All families could enter their name for our book drawing. For the program we did a quick Itsy Bitsy Spider to settle the tots in. Then I invited kids from the audience to come up and hold a piece of the story and everyone told the story together. I thanked everyone in 1000 Books for their participation and encouraged those not signed up to join. We drew for the book prizes (displayed around the room - as names were called, kids could come up and make their book choice), then sang happy birthday to Brown Bear and ate our cupcakes (nom nom nom). Simple, effective and fun. That's MY kind of program!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party - Third Wheel Edition

I love nothing - nothing! - more than a good party based on a kid's book.  We had two home runs this week. In this post, let me tell you about our latest celebration - Jeff Kinney's publication of his seventh book  on 11/13/12, The Third Wheel.

I knew it was going to be good because I lucked out and picked up a 2013 Wimpy Kid calendar signed (in silver, no less) by Jeff Kinney at ALA. That would be the centerpiece of the party that we would schedule on the eve of the book's publication.

We downloaded the event kit from Abrams books to help us decide  what games and activities to use at the party. They have always been generous in making bookstores and libraries look good with the latest trivia, games and puzzles.  We chose the Shame Game and trivia from this year's event kit;  downloaded masks from the Wimpy Kids Club and used the "Worm Chase" activity from a previous party (a picture of a worm colored by the kids and glued on a craft stick in honor of Rowley being accused of chasing kindergartners with a worm on a stick).

It's not a Wimpy Kid party unless we take a toilet seat, prop it atop a wastebasket and let kids chuck mini-cereal boxes into it. And of course there were "Mom Bucks" aplenty that we made and gave out with abandon for any and no reason.

Best of all, School Library Journal and Abrams Books (bless their hearts) made a live webcast of Jeff Kinney available today at noon (our party started at 3pm).  During the webcast, I took screen shots and made notes to share with the kids in a word doc. To start the party off, we spent 15 minutes just recapping what Jeff had said. The kids were rapt. The webcast should be available more widely in an archived version in a week or so.

Finally, to the mad delight of the kids, we picked for the lucky winner of the calendar and six magnetic Wimpy kid bookmarks we had purchased. The rest of the kids received a ridiculous but highly prized monkey pen.  Everybody was happy and books and literacy = fun won again!

For other Wimpy Kid parties we've done, check here and here .

Raising $$ for the Library

Decorated library pre-opening

Our library held it's 10th annual Give-a-Gift (referred to by staffers, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as GAG) fundraiser last night and it was an unbelievable success. We pre-purchased and processed over 600 books for all ages; decorated the library  (and ourselves) in an elegant style in a mere 3 hours; arranged for evening-long catered finger foods and celebratory champagne along with the traditional wine and lemonade. Then we opened the doors from 4-7 pm for people to come in and purchase the books for the library.

Nibblies

People come in, peruse the books and choose ones they will "donate" to the library. Each book has a tag with author, title and barcode that they fill out with their donor info and a book plate inscription. We put the book on a cart and they take the tag to the purchase area and pay for it.  The tag info is subsequently used to generate a bookplate, reserve the book for the donor and generate a thank you letter with tax exempt information. The laden book carts return to Tech Services at the end of the night to be dealt with in coming weeks.

An adult area display

The community always comes out in force but this time....well, we sold out of every book after 2.5 hours. Usually we sell maybe 60-70% of the books. To say the staff was giddily stunned would be an understatement. As the books were purchased at a mad pace, staffers kept closing down displays and shoring up remaining ones with stock. Every kind of book for every age sold, sold and sold.

We had advertised heavily because we wanted to hit an overall goal of raising $150,000 worth of books being sold during the ten years we've held the event. It clearly paid off. We won't get the final numbers until next week...but no books left - that's gotta be good.

A children's area display

The preparation for the event is pretty massive. Planners meet monthly year round to get ducks in line - from fancy invites, to live music and food and beverage choices. Selectors start buying stock in late May and the Technical Services dept catalogs and processes them all. After the night, they generate bookplates with donor's inscription and reserve the books so donor's get first check-out privileges.

Most of our crack YS team

In general, it's a very tough event - while good things happen, staffers often gag at GAG - so much work and effort in the months before and after. Decorating, breaking down and working the event in an eight hour span are all exhausting. But it also builds staff camaraderie and teamwork.  There is laughter and compliments  and the pleasure of working on a front-line crazy busy event.  Probably, most important for me, is a feeling that can't be beat when the public - from all income levels and age groups - comes in and buys books to thank us for our work. That warms my heart and keeps me willing to do this crazy thing!

Dear Teen Me

To celebrate the publication of Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves ( a new book of letters from 70 different authors to their teenage selves), edited by Miranda Kenneally and E. Kristin Anderson, bloggers have been writing a note to their young selves as well. Although  I am not a part of the blog tour supporting this effort, I have a couple things to say to my young self anyway.

Dear Teen Me,

You will use those four years of Latin throughout your academic career and life and be counted as one smart cookie.

Ignore those bad boys and don't be in a hurry. You will meet your partner whom you cherish and who cherishes you in your old-maidhood-mid-20s and will truly live happily ever after.

Those cranky librarians who kept asking you "if you had checked the catalog first" every time you asked a question did steer you into librarianship. You swore you would be kinder and more friendly to the public...and you did it - mostly!

The library will remain your inspiration, your refuge and your university throughout your life. That will never change. It's good to know that there are stable things out there.

You will never lose the fire that makes you care deeply.  So keep speaking truth to power. It won't hurt you a jot.

Finally, never give up; never surrender! You will make all your dreams come true by hard work and caring. Really. Truly. 

And hang in there, tootsie, life does get better!

And NEVER Say You Don't Have a Program Idea...

Feeling like your tank is on empty? Then stop on by these two generous library association sites and grab some program ideas, wouldja?

Illinois Library Association Youth Forum's blog

ALSC Kickstarter - School Age Program Ideas

And don't EVER whine to me about why you don't think joining a professional association is important. Because now you know what they - and you - do!

Image: 'Ding! Ding! - Fill 'er Up!'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/98019953@N00/5343969456 Found on flickrcc.net

KidsLit Cares Auction Hurricane Relief Effort

Please head on over to author Kate Messner's blog  and consider bidding on one of a number of items to benefit the efforts of the Red Cross in helping victims of Hurricane Sandy. From Kate's website: "It’s an online talent auction to benefit the Red Cross relief effort for Sandy. Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to the Red Cross disaster relief fund."

So head on over and bid, my friends (but not on the people we want, OK?)

Thanks to Bookshelves of Doom and my colleague Linda Jerome for this "heads-up!"

Building the Ship

Long-time colleagues and readers know that I hate standing still. I have been a children's librarian for all 36 years of my career and have been privileged to serve my communities in that capacity. I have never wished for more or less than what my career has happily been - serving youth and families in libraries.

This is my passion and my calling. So I have pushed hard in my jobs and profession to look for ways to offer the best. Looking for more and adapting to changing needs is what drives me.  I can't stand still when every tide brings a new treasure to the beach of my library. It often drives co-workers and professional colleagues crazy but most of those found treasures that generous colleagues have tossed out on the sea of youth librarianship have made a positive difference in how youth are served at the library.

But I always thought, "Just imagine, if rather than a flotsam of ideas, we could build a ship of them!" Yesterday, something happened that makes me believe that dream might come true in our state.

It was with real pleasure that I attended a pre-conference at my state library's association's fall conference on youth services. It was, of course, a wonderful experience. But more than that it represented a sea change in attitudes, power shifting and conversation from what has been going on in youth services in our state for awhile.Too often individuals looked to an ephemeral "someone else" to lead. Networking was hit-and-miss or concentrated on a few issues without looking at the bigger picture. Colleagues from large and small libraries just weren't linking.

But times have been changing in the state. Rather than popsicle sticks and lamentations, participants yesterday were treated to a power-producing afternoon that demonstrated concretely that our state level children's consultant, our WLA Youth Services Section leaders, our system level consultants and youth librarians were ready to enter a bold world of action, support and innovation. WE are what we make of youth services. I am ready for the ship we are creating - come on board with me!

Idea Sparklers #11 - Fun Notes form the Field

Today I had the pleasure of re-connecting with colleagues at the Wisconsin Valley Library Service. The headquarters are in Wausau and that is where we had our summer reading program and program idea workshop hosted by consultant and friend Kris Adams Wendt.  We had a lively discussion of programs and here they are!

Worm Races - Those libraries following the 2013 CLSP theme of Dig into Reading will want to try these. At Rhinelander (WI) District Library, they've been wowing the kids for 30 years and they are willing to share the how-to's.

Child Development Day - when the school district runs this day to screen rpeschoolers, the library is invited and sets up a table with booklists, books, giveaways and library card applications.  Returns of completed applications to the library tells staff that this is a great investment in time.

Magnetic letters and boards available throughout the children's area encourages wordplay and letter recognition

Read to Rover - therapy dogs arranged through Therapy Dogs International are a huge hit for child readers.

Raffle Ideas - one library has a quilting guild that donates a quilt to raffle off. Another idea is buying a kindle and raffling off chances to win it.

Deer Hunting Celebration - in communities up north where the annual deer harvest is a holiday and occasion, the library has blaze orange costume contests, coloring sheets , deer rack (antlers) contest for most unusual, smallest, biggest and so on. The library knows the community and the community responds!

2-Book Challenge Teen Program - for SLP, kids are asked to read and review two books and hand them in for a big drawing (a guitar; a nook) as well as receive a small prize (food coupon, etc). They can do up to four 2-Book challenges.

Teen Late Nights - the teens play games like scavenger hunt and more after hours. Very popular.

Ballot Box - one of the libraries sets up voting for favorite books during the lection season

SLP Teen Readers -  teens read to the little kids at pajama nights. One special night the little kids were challenged to dress as a superhero and earn a chance to enter a prize raffle twice.

Future Business Leaders Club Teen Volunteers - are a huge help to one library. They ran a book drive for kids and were able to get a huge nember of books donated.

August Community Service - during August, one library always ties a community-wide community service project into the summer reading program. This year they helped spearhead a collection of supplies for kids who are in need when being removed from dysfunctional homes  - pajamas; a stuffed toy, a blanket and a book - all in a pillowcase. They received over eighty sets of these needed items.

It's always a pleasure to travel and hear the great ideas from libraries working at libraries large and small. I learn somethings new every time!

Find more in the Idea Sparklers series: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8  9 10 11

We Have an Early Literacy Kid's Librarian Opening!!

Hey, come work with us!! Due to an upcoming retirement, we have a fabuloso-fulltime job opening coming up here at La Crosse Public Library on our crack Youth Services team. Here's the ad. Now brush up that resume and throw your hat - or helmet - in the ring!

Amaze us! If you’re hungry for challenge, and welcome the opportunity to network within the community to create amazing results, love collaboration and trying out new ideas, and are fearless in your approach to great service using tech and non-tech means, you may be who we are looking for!  Due to a retirement, we seek a motivated, dynamic ideas person to join our children’s services team in beautiful La Crosse, Wisconsin - someone who loves to work with kids and families; has outstanding customer service skills; is outgoing with a great sense of humor and has the ability to sell the library and literacy to everyone in our community.  Strong skills in early literacy/preschool programming and services are key as well as ability to create reality from blue-sky visioning.  Bonus consideration to those who can leap tall buildings in a single bound! The successful candidate for this full-time position will have an MLS and experience working in public library youth services or the equivalent in education and experience.  In return, you will have the opportunity to work with a seasoned team of professionals, be coached by the 2010 Wisconsin Librarian of the Year, receive an excellent benefit package, be in a strong professional development environment and  transform traditional library services.  Salary negotiable from $44,000. For further information and necessary qualifications, please visit us at: www.lacrosselibrary.org. Electronic submissions only; interested applicants can electronically submit a resume with references and cover letter to Youth Services Coordinator Marge Loch-Wouters at marge@lacrosselibrary.org. Applications accepted until November 16, 2012.

La Crosse is famous for its exceptional natural beauty.  The city (metropolitan population 126,838 based on the 2010 census) is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River below towering bluffs. Abundant water and woodlands provide year-round recreation sites for hiking, biking, skiing, hunting, camping, and other outdoor activities.  La Crosse is also home to two universities, a technical college, a symphony orchestra, excellent theatrical and cultural events, and superb health care facilities. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a major flyway for migratory birds and boasts the longest river refuge in the continental United States.

P.S. We know the webpage is ugly right now. Please forgive us. The new one is coming along nicely and will replace the current beast shortly!

My Bad

I wish decisions that didn't work out were as easy to dismiss as a simple, snarkily insincere, "My bad!". We all strive to make great decisions - at least I've never talked to anybody who started out their day planning to make nothing but bad choices. We weigh alternatives; look at what has come before and then look out at what's coming; listen to and talk with co-workers, patrons, colleagues and stakeholders; consider the impact library-wide and department- specific; and wrestle with how the decision will affect and be perceived by patrons and community members.

For me, decision making is a complex stew of the above factors...and time.  Sometimes the simmering takes an hour; sometimes a month; sometimes a year. The more rushed decisions under unexpected deadlines leave me trepidatious - the mixture is a bit underdone - is this going to work or we all going to be chewing on some hard and rather indigestible tidbits that make us sick sooner rather than later? Even on long-simmered decisions, the whole thing may simply refuse to boil. Whichever way the decision is made, the results are weak and unappealing. You make the best of it, hoping that you still are getting some nutrition.

When a decision outside the box is made or one that sets service on an entirely different track, the stew becomes immeasurably more complex. Some flavors you are trying for may be familiar and some a shot in the dark (I think this will blend in well). At first the finished product seems appetizing - but then you discover only for certain tastes. More people than expected are holding their noses, loudly decrying their hatred of lima beans or politely setting aside their stew .  You realize that this decision stew is truly a bad one.

Although some might force people to keep eating that dish, there is only one thing to do in this case.  Apologize, scoop up the bowls, toss the contents and admit that you used the wrong ingredients and that the stew is bad. Starting again and making smaller adjustments to the recipe may help everyone enjoy the experience more.

Decisions and changes need to be made to stay on top of great library service.  But knowing when to say when; owning and apologizing for the poor decision and being able to halt work resulting from a decision that isn't working out is just as important. That reflection and readjustment is part of life. Don't fear it, but face it. And, as my mother would say when we went to her with the results of our tasteless or badly done stew, "Oh, don't worry. Just try again and I think everything will come out OK next time." Such a wise woman.

Image: 'chicken stew'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034346243@N01/261246550 Found on flickrcc.net

Program Mojo

I love great programs for school-aged kids. They don't have to be crazy hard to plan and prep but they do have to be fun. Please visit three of my clever colleagues from around the country who posted today on three great easy programs that equal fun for kids and library love.

ALSC Blog rocked out a Star Wars party by Angie Manfredi, she of the fabulous Fat Girl Reading blog.

Amy over at Show Me Librarian showed us a super Super Hero party.