Elephant and Piggie Wow the Crowd

We have long been offering continuing education opportunities on a monthly basis for our day care providers. Because we are registered instructors, providers who take our free hour-long classes are able to gain credits for continued certification in our state's certification program. Libraries place such importance on early literacy that it makes sense to give providers the knowledge and encouragement to do just that through these workshops!

We recently did a workshop demonstrating how to create story extension activities using a book and one's own imagination. Activities that extend a story help children play with characters, plots and situations in the just-read book and more firmly embrace and enjoy the story and the concepts inside it. These extensions can be craft-based; sensory-based; pretend-play exploratory; art-based and more. The point is finding the kernel(s) of the book and extend them into the activity. Since we wanted to explore this in a simple fun way, what better books than Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie (aka E&P in this post!) series to do the job?

Here's how it went down:

I read There's a Bird on My Head and demonstrated a fun nest hat the children could make. This was followed with I Will Surprise My Friend and a demonstration on how paper bag E&P puppets could help kids understand the situation of the rock hiding the characters (you can find the extensions used in this post).

Providers then picked a Willems' E&P book, and were given 10-12 minutes to read it and either working as a team or alone, come up with an idea for an extension idea or two that might work. The crowd was enthusiastic and came up with some great ideas. Here's a few they shared when we re-gathered and book-talked their selection and made their suggestions. Look what great stuff they came up with in just a few minutes:

Watch Me Throw the Ball - have the kids toss a ball and comment on all the different ways they throw (best throw to the left; highest; softest; kindest to the ball; best ball that went to the left; etc. Important to focus not on far the ball is thrown but how fun throwing the ball, no matter the result is!)

I Broke My Trunk - using paper towel rolls, let kids hold them to their noses. Talk about what might break their nose. Let the kids wrap their broken noses in toilet paper as a bandage.

Elephants Cannot Dance - have kids practice the dance moves Elephant does. Then ask them to try a new dance move (depending on the group, they may come up with plenty of their own). Add music and have a dance party!

Let's Go For a Drive - let kids pack and unpack a suitcase with clothes. Show them maps. Make a map of a walk around the block and walk with the kids showing them how a map works. Let the kids draw a map. Ask kids what they want to pack for a trip to the store; to the woods; to the beach; to a very cold place with snow.

My New Friend is So Fun! - Have kids draw a picture of their favorite friend.

I'm a Frog - have kids pretend to be frogs and cows. Ask them what other animals they would like to pretend to be. Use pictures of real animals to extend the idea.

Many of the providers had never heard of these books and realized that an early reader could work great with the kids in their care. It also stimulated alot of conversation of other books they love to use with the kids and how they could use the story extension concept to enhance the kids' enjoyment. Mission accomplished!

I v. We

So Amy wrote this. I agree with it wholeheartedly.

Then I wrote this.

Then Amy extended the conversation with this. Again, I agree with her wholeheartedly.

My post was chewing around the edges of something else that isn't quite as linear but is a huge piece of crediting people who create and citing them.

When I wrote about management perspective I was not referring to "management privilege". I detest anyone who poaches and claims credit or by omission leaves out the people who do the true heavy lifting. It's not how I try to run my shop or thankfully been managed by others - or most importantly  -been treated by all my many colleagues around the state and country.

And I think that there is a great deal of professional pain that youth librarians feel from work they have not been credited for, celebrated for and appreciated for. I am definitely not arguing the great teamwork-kumbaya (we're all in this together, la-la).

I am coming at the discussion from one place as a long-time manager, a long-time active association member and a long-time consultant/presenter. And from the other place, I am coming as a newly energized researcher and teacher who demands citations and digging down to the original roots of work - most especially from myself! It is this perspective that I want to pursue.

As I have been studying the history of children's programming in public libraries, it is increasingly clear that youth librarians have been pushing the envelope of service since the beginning of the profession. Over the last century, children's librarians were at the forefront of developing SLPs, outreach, use of technology (radio, TV, films, filmstrips, record players), programming to parents (my mom was in the parent group while I was in storytime!), and many many of the practices that some in the profession are currently "inventing." Everything old IS new again.

There is a huge scaffold of practice upon which each and every one of us builds our own scaffold of service and innovative ideas. My concern is for some in the profession that don't want to recognize that foundation. Our foremothers and current colleagues have done work that we all build on - whether its oppositional building or complementary. When we don't acknowledge that debt - and appreciate where our own work is coming from, we do a huge disservice.

My point in my original post about how collaborative we are comes from that place. It is the "we" I am trying to get at.

So how do we acknowledge the "I" while being true to the "we" - and visa versa?

As Amy writes: cite!
Seek permission from those whose work your work is based on to share.
Communicate and don't steal.
Never false claim.
Know that your support of someone else's work enhances your own.
Acknowledge that the brainstorming power of coworkers, tweeps, Facebookers, a conference hallway conversation informed that idea that you brought to full fruition.

You cannot be harmed by acknowledging and citing. Rather you can be the power that raises up those around you. And that is a powerful "I" and a powerful "we".

Avoiding Additional Asshat-tery

Slide from a solo Unprogramming presentation
that acknowledges my co-conspirator

I laughed aloud when I saw AmyKoester's title on the  Storytime Underground post with guidelines on avoiding assholery when giving credit where credit is due.  I also was happy to see such a strong statement about the importance of knowing and stating where stuff comes from.

I've blogged about this before - especially in relation to the our penchant to be good sharing  - and taking - people.  You can't ever forget where something comes from and it is a beautiful thing when you can do that acknowledgement - most especially in a professional atmosphere (blogging, presentations, workshops, Twitter and Tumblr and etc). We all stand on the shoulders of those before us. We may tweak and we may tinker but somebody got that ball rolling.

I want to add another thought to the conversation - or throwdown from a management perspective: thinking about taking the "I" to "we."

I have always worked in a strong team environment. From the smallest library to larger libraries, many people - not just youth services staff - from director to Circ clerks to custodial staff have had a hand in contributing to conversation and idea-building. They have put in an oar, a thought, a suggestion, a brilliant solution that has made each and every project and program far better than it began.

I can count on one hand, ONE HAND, the actual stuff that I, me, myself, *I*, created, invented or totally birthed ON MY OWN in my 38 year career.

Uh-uh. Didn't happen. Dozens of things I am known for were the result of collaboration - free, wild, plunge-into-"what-if, what-if, what-if", brainstorming, tornadic, mosh pit, scrum-filled collaboration. When I've changed something, I am still building on something that went before that provided the ignition spark to push my own practice. Same goes for all of you, my friends and colleagues, out on the internet - you have shared and changed so many ideas that have helped me grow an idea and make it better. It's ours!

When you look at my blog posts as I am sharing a program, idea or innovation, you seldom see it written in the first person. Far more often, it is written as "we" and "our" because the progress or change or light bulb moment was built by many hands in the department and the library and out in my ULN/PLN land..

While it is vital to credit your colleagues when you are sharing ideas that are clearly theirs and give them "mad props", it is also important to move away from the "I" and acknowledge the true "we-ness" of what is created through every-day and every-way collaboration.

I believe we are stronger together in everything we create. What do you think?

It's Not a Box! No, Really!!

We offer monthly meetings for day care providers during the school year to boost their early literacy might, introduce them to great books and methods to share books and to highlight our collections and services. We have been certified as registered CE instructors to help our daycare teachers keep up their learning and credentials in our state-level Registry.

In April, our training was all based on Antoinette Portis' multi-dimensional book Not a Box. We asked attendees to each bring a box of whatever size. Just in case anyone forgot, I gathered empty book boxes for a week or so prior to the training. Why did I worry?  Everyone brought one!!!

I put out a selection of our finest stuff: scrapbook paper, tissue paper, stampers, markers, foamies, felt pieces, feathers, glue sticks, eyeballs, yarn and any other doo-dad I could lay my hands on.  Tables to stand and work at were put out.

When everyone arrived, I read the Portis' book and talked about the importance of imagination, play and creativity. I gave a few examples of stories that you could extend with a cardboard box to accompany them (a car box for Sutherland's Dad's Car Wash; a train car box for Crews' Freight Train). 

Then the challenge. Create something out of their box using materials at hand and then work with me to find a picture book in the collection to match their box design. Read the book quickly. At the conclusion of the workshop, each provider then shares the box and booktalks the book with rest of the attendees. If someone had a particular book in mind that was checked out, they could, in addition to talking about a book on their box's theme, tell about the other book they use that works great.

The results were amazing. People took special care with their boxes, with their reading, with their booktalking and with their additional recommendations. As a children's literature expert, I also added title ideas as well depending on what each person made.

It was a perfect blend of creativity and matching books to object! Below please see their wonderful creations!


Rabbit, horse, robot



Space, VH Caterpillar, penguin, birthday cake

Garden, car wash, ladybug, monster, suitcase

Surprise box, box to leave your shouts in, garden

fun box, garden, playhouse, ?, ocean

Creative Solutions and the Listening Ear

This week on Anita Silvey's always fascinating Book-a-Day Almanac, she explores the story behind Virginia Lee Burton's 1939 classic Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.  This childhood favorite was a constant check-out at the library for me. Each time I would find it in, I felt as if I had discovered golden treasure - again and again and again.

What did I find satisfying?  The elegant solution of an out-dated piece of machinery being re-purposed and finding a grand new life (along with Mike). Imagine then my delight in reading on Silvey's post that Burton had been given this ending by one her child's friends, Richard Berkenbush. So yes, so right, so powerful.

To put the frosting on the cake, though, Burton credited Berkenbush in her book and in a sense immortalized his creativity and contribution.

It made me reflect on how often do we put on our listening ear and really open ourselves up to input from stakeholders, co-workers, colleagues and friends. And when we pat ourselves on the back and say we do, do we also give credit to the person or people who contributed the idea that makes a plan work?

Creativity happens in large and small ways. Often many hands contribute.  When we listen, even - and perhaps especially - to the devil's advocate, and enfold ideas into our own to make a stronger end product, the contributions of all are important to be publicly celebrated.

Silvey's post about Burton makes me want to re-double my efforts to celebrate the creativity and contributions of those around me. I have always stood on the shoulders of those who came before me. I also stand on the shoulders of those who are coming behind me. The young librarians who are doing seminal and innovative work on early literacy, storytimes, picture book neighborhoods, STEAM, STEM, 1000 Books, room management wizardry, innovative programming for teens, special needs programming and services, outreach and all the ways this cohort is pushing the envelope up and out.

My listening ear is on and I am ready to shout out the names of those who are contributing to creating new ways to be marvelous. We can all do this with our co-workers and our colleagues. When we lift up one another by acknowledging and celebrating creativity and spreading the word, it is a truly worthy thing we do.

Reading Cave Crave

Last week I got a new office chair (my back thanks you!)

The next day, our office manager offered us the box it came in.

I found the good boxcutter. Intrepid Brooke found the brown butcher paper, scissors and a mile of tape and 45 minutes later...

I hope you note the nifty skylights, the comfy bean bag and the exclusive nature of our box...ahem Reading Cave. No sooner was it done, then kids hopped inside one by one for a relaxing read. 

Even better, that very afternoon, as part of our DIY "kids-decorate-the department" effort, our plain cave was transformed with cave paintings:

Now come on, do we work in a great profession or what?!?!



I Can. I Can't. I Won't. Well, Maybe.

Recently a blogger had a thoughtful post in which she explored how she creates and how she solves problems the way she does. In her typical matter-of-fact way, she describes her reality and how that has led to an adaptability and level of experimentation that directly influences her creativity. Best money quote: "everything is possible if its definition is malleable."

Over a long career working with people at libraries, in associations, at workshops and on committees, I've met a boatload of creative - and un-creative - people. What is that ineffable thing that helps creators, create; innovators, innovate or librarians, succeed? I've been a manager for all but a few years at the beginning of my career so I've had plenty of time to chew on this particular nut.  Although I sure don't have all the answers, here are a couple of thoughts.

There are some people who are innately pretty darn creative. Whether it's how their brain is wired or just a fascination with problem solving or tinkering, they are playing and adapting consistently. Collaboration and partnering seems to play a big part in  their creativity.

There are also people who, while feeling less naturally creative, try and fail and try again until they find the right combination; they seem to find the path to creativity through learning/observing/applying how it all fits together. One of the things that happens as people tap into their creativity is they learn to take one and one and make something much greater than two. I think the degree of problem solving that happens is because these people are thinking, "I can". These two kinds of people are the ones we go, "Wow, I like that thing/program/service you thought up. I want to try that too!"

There are also people that, for whatever reason, think more in terms of "I can't" or if they are foot-draggers or pretty negative are more in the "I won't" category. Trying anything is a big step and one failure or idea that doesn't pan out stops them dead. These are often the people who say, "We tried that before..." or "We've always done it this way..." or "See, I tried it and it was a miserable failure."  These seem to be people (as I commented in Sara's post) who want lanes and doorways; paths and clues. When something happens that gets them out of the lane or off the path, they try their hardest to get back in or on. It feels safer there - but not very creative.

Sometimes when people hatch an idea and  hit a wall, they just back up and hit it repeatedly - "Well", they say, "I can't go forward" or "You stop me from going forward." or "There is no forward. In any case, guess I'll stop". I think creative people and problem solvers keep tapping along the wall until they find a door or window or weak point in that wall to break through. They just keep trying until the right combination happens. It's not their  first thought or attempt but maybe their second or fifth or tenth and they hit the right combination. It might be a few minutes, a few weeks or longer but that "Well maybe" keeps driving on the problem solving.

It's being open to creative solutions and collaborating along the way to achieve them that makes a difference. It's getting out of the box; into the weeds and off into the forest to explore the possibilities that leads to that experimentation. And that pursuit of possibilities; that willingness to collaborate and being open to change leads inevitably to a more creative approach.

Where are you on that continuum?

Image: 'untitled'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/14064991@N04/3885841075 Found on flickrcc.net

Emergency Emergency - Give Me a Program

Due to a staff emergency on the day of a program, we were faced with needing to hatch a new program with two hours notice.  Did we have to sweat?  Not too much.  We just jumped in and created one.


We are running a twice-a-week series over five weeks for school-agers called Warp Speed Space Adventures. Since we don't advertise what we do in each session except in general terms for the whole series, we weren't forced to stick with any particular program.  So what did we do?

A couple of staffers put our heads together for ten minutes and - voila! We decided to take a space trip that ends in a crash landing. We grabbed a DVD off the shelf,  "A Traveler's Guide to the Planets", a cool National Geographic entry that has great pictures and special effects and queued up the Saturn sequence. Our teen volunteer was ready to flick lights on and off crazily at a signal to simulate a crash. 

When kids entered, we gave them each a "space sickness" bag (a gift bag with star crepe paper tied around it) and talked about our coming space journey.  We let them know they could use the bag if they felt sick. We mimed putting on our spacesuits and why we needed them and then turned off the lights. After about 10 minutes we "crashed" onto one of Saturn's moons.  We checked to make sure everyone was ok. Those who indicated bumps or bruisers got a "space bandaid" (a planet sticker- once we started handing those out, many more injuries were reported).

We decided our moon was hot and dry so we would need shelter and robot help.  Thanks to Pinterest, I had found some great robot cards that we printed out and cut. Kids could choose a robot helper to be their friend and companion for their survival. Then we broke out the Legos and let kids build shelters until we could get our spaceship fixed.  And we still had some astronaut freeze dried food and broke that out for our survivors. Kids -and parents - really enjoyed themselves.

All programs don't need uber thought and planning to create fun. And sometimes what happens because of an emergency proves to be the most fun of all.

SLP Decoration Awesomeness

I have really enjoyed looking at some of the cool decoration ideas bloggers have been posting:  Katy Salo on the ALSC blog; over at Libraryland, astute purchases combined with staff creativity made the library awesome; Lester Public Library in Two Rivers WI really got a bang for their Star buck. And, of course, if you don't know Rachel Moani's blog, you must get her on your feed. She's a librarian/designer/artiste extraordinaire and I pick up a ton of ideas from her.

Kids are our main decorators. We usually hold an event at all three libraries during the second week of the SLP and let them create on our behalf - sometimes with sidewalk chalk; sometimes with window paint; sometimes with left-over craft materials.  We put out the stuff and the kids in true "D.I.Y. Make-over" go creative on us.

This year, we chose a space theme and gathered craft supply odds and ends and let the kids go.  An hour and a half later, we were cosmically decorated.  Here's pictures of some of what they did.  We love it!  And so do they!

Mixing It Up with Tykes

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

Celebrate Picture Books and Quit the Whining.

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

Last Ideas for the Year

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.

Field Trip Fun

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

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

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

You CAN Do It!

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

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

Let's Take a Tour

When kids come to visit the library, why not make it fun? There's more than one way to explain to kids the nitty gritty of how the library really works. This is what we've found works for us!
Each year we choose a theme for the tour based on a favorite children’s book. This year we are using Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar. We start the visit by sharing the story. That settles them in and they are ready for the meat of the visit.
We tell the kids that 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.
Then its time for a walk about the room. Wooden fruits and veggies are plunked down in strategic areas we want to highlight (specific book collections; Check-out and Info desks; book drop, etc) . Then we walk around using a caterpillar puppet to find the food, munch it and describe to the tour group what area they are in. Kids often spot the food first which adds to the fun and the excitement of discovery. Once we've finished the walk, kids are free to go back and browse and/or select material for check-out.
Kids remember the food on subsequent visits with parents when library staffers are overheard saying to kids “Remember, you check out your books over by the banana.” It brings a grin to all our faces.