Idaho Commission for Libraries

Welcome

Hooray for Summer Reading!

We know many of you are immersed in summer reading, and we hope it is going well. We will continue to provide information and resources in our Summer Reading column below. Don't forget that you can request the First Lady to come to your summer reading program. Visit Mrs. Otter's website or contact ICFL's Anne Abrams for assistance in arranging a visit.

We also have some Ike LaRue cutouts (see right) available to any publically-funded public or school library that requests them, while supplies last. To request a cutout, contact Peggy or Stephanie.

Meet Linda Brilz

Linda Brilz is the Youth Services Librarian at Boise Public Library, where she has worked for the past 34 years. Boise Public is the largest public library in the state and their staff are very excited to have two branches opening this year. They are also the only library that Linda is aware of that has an exclamation point at the end of its' name (see photo at right).

Linda works with all ages but mostly ages 0-18+ years. She has done it all: outreach, storytimes, programs for babies up through adults, workshops, collection development, and helped redesign the website. She has dressed in costumes, driven the bookmobile, even been a janitor when it's needed. She started as a part time job in high school and loved it, saying working with kids is the best.

Linda is currently spending a big portion of her time on collection development for the main library and the soon-to-be-opened branches. She is also on a Services and Technology team, web committee, and runs the Teen Advisory Board. That's in addition to the "normal" stuff like reference desk and programs.

When asked about her favorite part of the job, Linda said, "My favorite thing - working with teens. I love the kids that have been involved in my teen board and really look forward to the meetings. They are smart and funny and have fascinating things to say. I am constantly amazed."

A question about her favorite author elicited this response, "Book/author? Yikes! That's like trying to choose a favorite ice cream - pretty much impossible. I love Nancy Farmer, Patricia MacLachlan, Philip Pullman, Kevin Henkes, Joan Bauer, Chris Crutcher. . . . My mom read to us a lot as kids and I remember wanting to hear the Madeline and Babar books over and over. My favorite book that I read on my own was It's Like This Cat.

Linda is currently reading several books: Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online by Anastasia Goodstein and Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks. She recently finished Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey which she says was wonderful!

Linda's CURRENT favorite ice cream is from Coldstone and it's vanilla with bananas, caramel and toasted almonds mixed in but anything with chocolate works too. When she's not at work, Linda likes to go to movies, work in the yard, go out to eat with friends, and hang out with her family.

Linda also told us, "The best part of working at the library is about the relationships you make with co-workers and patrons. Enjoy them all. Oh, and about the picture [of Linda at the top of the article]- It's from a program we did called Get Loud @ the Library. But I'm also trying to re-introduce the word groovy into everyday conversation so feel free to use it several times today. Because, as we all know, in library service as in life it's all about the groovy."

Library to Library

Vacation Packs help promote reading, prevent boredom

Linda Bequette (pictured at left), Youth Services Director at the Garden Valley District Library, developed some "Vacation Packs" for families who are traveling this summer. "They are backpacks filled with games, riddles, puzzles, tongue twisters, writing pads, etc., plus a book on CD or tape. This will enable them to participate in Summer Reading while out of town, making them eligible to participate in weekly drawings while they are away. Hopefully it will also promote reading and help stave off boredom during long plane or car trips," Linda said.

That's a great idea. I know Pat Hamilton at Shoshone Public Library and others have worked to make it easier for families who go on vacations during the summer to participate in the Summer Reading Program, but this is the first I'd heard of prepared packs that families can pick up for trips.

Linda's note reminded me of the "Literacy on the GO!" handouts the Commission created for the 2003 Idaho Family Reading Week packet. I tried them out on my kids when the packet first came out and we still play some of the car games now (although my son is more likely to groan and plug in his iPod than he did four years ago). The handouts are available in Word or PDF formats for libraries to use and are located at http://libraries.idaho.gov/early-literacy-skills. These fun games for the car or anywhere help build children’s literacy skills and can be a fun way to pass the time.

Young Adult Corner

Teens and Pleasure Reading Survey Results Released

Editor’s Note: I am always fascinated by surveys about library use. We profiled a big Canadian survey a few months ago in The Scoop. That survey, Opening Doors for Children, investigated the reading habits and public library use patterns of children in grades 4 to 6. We recently ran across an article that assessed the reading habits of the junior high school age group (grades 7-9). The article, Teens and pleasure reading: A critical assessment from Nova Scotia can be found at http://www.cais-acsi.ca/proceedings/2006/howard_2006.pdf . It is by Vivian Howard, School of Information Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. We pulled a few highlights from the findings and discussion section of the paper. The Idaho Commission for Libraries is working with a research firm to conduct 12 focus groups this summer. It will be interesting to see if the reading and library habits of Idahoans are similar to those of Canadians.

Findings of the initial survey:
1. Teens in Nova Scotia appear to be reading more books than the amount reported for teens nationally. 84% percent of Nova Scotia teens, in contrast with 71.4% of teens nationally, read at least a book a year for pleasure. Nova Scotia teens also appear to be avid magazine readers, although newspaper reading is declining.

2. The book reading gap between the genders appears to be widening and teenage girls in Nova Scotia read significantly more fiction books than their male counterparts. Boys are much more likely to be non-readers of fiction books than girls. This gender gap is not apparent for newspapers or magazines.

3. Teens in Nova Scotia use public libraries for research, for computer access and to borrow books. They do not visit the public library to attend programs.

4. Chain bookstores are rapidly gaining popularity with teens and are the preferred source of pleasure reading material.

5. Teens in Nova Scotia perceive themselves to be quite independent in their reading choices although friends and peers are perceived to be influential, especially by younger teens.

6. Level of parental education does not seem to influence teens in the amount they read or in their genre preferences. Level of parental education does appear to influence teens’ preferred sources of leisure reading materials.

7. Teens do not perceive that librarians influence their reading choices. It is important to note that the initial study was primarily exploratory, asking a wide range of questions to a limited number of respondents in a fairly restricted geographic area. The objectives of Phase One of the study were to identify general trends in teen reading habits and public library use, and to point the way to further areas of more specific research. In particular, the initial study focused primarily upon teens’ reading of fiction books; phase two of this study will address teens’ nonfiction recreational reading interests as well as their interest in magazines, graphic novels, and other formats (such as zines and online reading), topics not considered by the original study.

Discussion
While some of the findings of this initial study are encouraging, other results should give public librarians food for thought. Many of the findings of this study echo findings from the 1970s and early 1980s, cited earlier. However, there are some important distinctions. Even though teens in the 1970s stated that they did not perceive librarians to influence their reading choices, teens in this period relied almost exclusively upon libraries, both school and public, for their leisure reading materials. Teens did not typically report purchasing books to read for pleasure. In contrast, the 21st century teens who participated in this survey reported a strong preference for purchasing books as opposed to borrowing them from the library, making their perception of librarian influence somewhat more ominous.

Although teens may not recognize the influence of librarians on their reading choices, any teen who uses the public library for leisure reading material is, of course, being influenced indirectly by book displays, book lists, and the very collection itself – all of which reflect the professional activity and selection decisions made by librarians. However, this study suggests that teens increasingly view the public library as a place to complete homework assignments and to access the Internet, but not necessarily as a source of appealing leisure reading materials, preferring to purchase their pleasure reading at chain bookstores. The preference for chain bookstores transcends gender, age, location, and parental education.

How can public libraries respond to this preference? Of particular relevance are the findings of Cook, Parker and Pettijohn’s 2005 survey of 616 grade 6, 7 and 8 students in Springfield, Missouri, which noted that the overall image of the public library declined steadily with age of respondent, and stressed the importance of responding to the needs of young teens in order to encourage them to maintain the library habit throughout their teen years. Many teens in this survey had a positive attitude to the public library, although 40% rarely visited the library because they simply did not think about it. Very few teens (only 8.6%) had ever attended a teen activity or program at the library, but almost 35% reported that they would attend if they knew about upcoming events. This study noted that, from the library’s perspective, “one surmountable challenge entails placing libraries in the teen markets’. . .top-of-mind awareness.” This awareness could be achieved by reaching young teens electronically, via e- mail and compelling library websites, as well as by using teen opinion leaders to provide peer group influence. Promoting library programs to parents was also recommended, since young teens are still “very affected by family influences.”

The Opening Doors study (2005) also found that lack of promotion was a major problem: pre-teen respondents were frequently unaware of library services, collections and programs. This study advocated making the library website more engaging and youth- friendly and using the website to promote programs and services. School/library collaboration could also be enhanced to publicize these features. This study noted that their pre-teen respondents make daily use of e-mail and recommended using e- mail to announce upcoming library programmes and events. The Opening Doors study recommends that libraries solicit preteens’ opinions about library services and collections through focus groups, an advisory board or ideas team and website surveys/polls.

Also of concern is the apparent gender gap in both reading and library use. Several previous researchers have examined this issue and have posited possible explanations. Hall and Coles (1999) and Millard (1997) note that the school curriculum privileges narrative fiction, which is the preferred genre for girls whereas boys prefer to read other types of materials such as comics and hobby magazines, often seen as unsuitable for school reading. In short, many boys who self-identify as non-readers or reluctant readers may, in practice, be readers, but they read materials such as magazines, comics, or websites which they have been taught not to consider as actual reading. Parents similarly often privilege print-based reading, particularly novels, rather than electronic forms and may even limit their son’s access to competing leisure pursuits such as computers and magazines.

Conclusion
This preliminary survey clearly demonstrates the need for a larger-scale study of teens, their reading habits, their relationship with libraries, and their information-seeking behaviour for pleasure reading materials. Further research is definitely needed to determine the specific needs and interests of teens, especially if public libraries are committed to serving the educational, informational and recreational needs of teen patrons and to retaining their patronage after they leave high school and become members of the community’s adult population. What is the significance of pleasure reading in the lives of 21st century teens? How do they select their pleasure reading materials? How can the public library best serve teens’ pleasure reading needs? These are all fascinating questions which will be investigated in the second phase of this ongoing research study.

Book Look

Thanks to Rhonda Putney, Youth Services and Special Needs Consultant for the Lakeshores Library System and Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System, for sharing this review with The Scoop.

Prizefighter en Mi Casa by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo
Chula's family is struggling to get by, so her father has asked a famous prizefighter to come up from Mexico so they can bet on him and win. The reason they struggle is due to a car accident that left her father paralyzed and Chula with an expanded brain, so she has to be on medication to control seizures. Many people are afraid of El Jefe, but Chula manages to get over her fear and talk with the man, and manages to learn a few things about herself, her friends, her family and what it's like to be Mexican American.

This book started out slowly and was a bit confusing, but if you hold on, many things will begin to make sense, especially as Chula explores what happened in her past (particularly the car crash). Chula's voice is refreshing and I like that she's a little innocent about things in life, while still dealing with some harsh realities. Her discoveries are true to life and her growth is believable, even if some things do seem to happen pretty quickly. Some things happen before the narration and come to fruition during the story, making it feel faster than it really is. There are Spanish words sprinkled throughout without direct translations in the text, rather a glossary is at the end of the book. (I preferred it this way, but then, I know some Spanish.)

Upcoming Events

July is National Ice Cream Month. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day, (in 2007, National Ice Cream Day will be Sunday, July 15). He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. For more… http://www.idfa.org/facts/icmonth/page1.cfm or http://familycrafts.about.com/library/spdays/bljulymon1.htm for some fun family and craft ideas.

July 2 - National Literacy Day. Although there is no permanently established National Literacy Day, in the year 2000, the U.S. Congress designated July 2 as such and that continues to be the date often used to bring attention to issues of adult literacy. You can find more information about adult literacy and a link to a family literacy program directory at: www.nifl.gov/nifl/faqs.html

July 4 - American Independence Day. In celebration of this US holiday, you can read the Declaration of Independence, or listen to a reading of this historic document at: www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/decindep.htm.

July 13 - National Summer Learning Day. The Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University highlights Summer Learning Day as a time for communities to celebrate the importance of high-quality summer learning opportunities in the lives of young people and their families. Activities are encouraged to showcase summer programs and raise awareness in communities about how summer programs send young people back to school ready to learn, support working families, and keep children safe and healthy. To learn more, check out: www.summerlearning.org/summerlearningday/.

July 20 – Special Olympics Day. The global Special Olympics movement got its start on July 20, 1968, when the First International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. For more go to… http://www.specialolympics.org/.

Some miscellaneous days to observe are: Cherry Pit Spitting Day - July 7th, Don’t Step on a Bee Day – July 10th, Gummi Worm Day (Invented by Hans Riegel, a candy maker from Bonn, Germany, in 1922… for more… http://www.katcaverly.com/mt-static/archives/2006/07/sticky_business.html) and National Ice Cream Day – July 15th, Gorgeous Grandma Day – July 23rd, Walk on Stilts Day – July 27th and Cow Appreciation Day – July 27th.

Author’s Birthdays:

July 2 - Jean Craighead George (born in 1919). Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in a family of naturalists, Jean George has centered her life around writing and nature. She is the author of My Side of the Mountain, Animals Who Have Won Our Hearts, Gull Number 737 and other stories about the wonders of nature. www.jeancraigheadgeorge.com

July 8 - Raffi (born in 1948). Raffi is a Canadian singer. Known to fans by his first name, Raffi began his career as a children's entertainer in 1974. Once called “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world” (The Washington Post, May 31, 1992) he is well loved by the children of the 1970s/80s generation for his popular children's songs. For more… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffi_(musician) or http://www.raffinews.com/

July 11 - E.B. White (1899–1985). White was a leading American essayist, author, humorist, and literary stylist. He is the author of Shiloh, The Fear Place, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan, and more. Read about this author at: www.harperchildrens.com/authorintro/index.asp?authorid=10499.

July 14 – Leon Garfield (1921-1996) was a British writer of fiction. He is best known for his historical novels for children, though he also wrote for adults. He wrote more than thirty books, and scripted "Shakespeare: The Animated Tales" for television. For more see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Garfield or http://www.ricochet-jeunes.org/eng/biblio/author/garfield.html for a list of some of his works.

July 16 - Shirley Hughes (born 1927) is an English writer and illustrator. She has written more than fifty books which have sold more than 11.5 million copies, and illustrated over two hundred. Some of her works include: Alphie Gets in First, Dogger, and many more. For more on Hughes go to http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/shirley/.

July 29 - Sharon Creech (born in 1945). Is an American author, born in Ohio. She is the author of Walk Two Moons, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Granny Torreli Makes Soup and more. www.sharoncreech.com/meet/meet.asp

July 31 - Joanne "Jo" Rowling (1965) is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained international attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 377 million copies worldwide. For more go to http://www.jkrowling.com.

Looking way ahead, save these dates:

September 10, 12 or 14: The ICFL Read to Me program will be sponsoring early literacy workshops "Storytime Programs Transformed!" in three locations -- Sept. 10 in Coeur d' Alene, Sept. 12 in Pocatello, and Sept. 14 in Boise. The primary presenter is nationally-known Sue Nespeca and this promises to be a fantastic day of learning.

Sept. 29 - Oct. 6: Banned Books Week

Oct 3-5: Idaho Library Association Annual Conference in Nampa. Don't miss out on the opportunity to attend a fabulous preconference on October 3 -- "Trading Spaces: How to transform a library like yours with the money you have right now!" This preconference is sponsored by ICFL and features a great team of presenters from New Jersey. You're sure to come away with ideas you can do right away.

Oct. 25-28: AASL National Conference in Reno, NV

Nov. 11-17: Idaho Family Reading Week

Summer Reading News

The Fred Meyer Foundation "Books for Summer Readers" are being shipped to public librararies who requested them. Thanks to a generous grant from the Foundation, we were able to provide over 5,000 free paperback books to 123 public libraries.

The 2007 Summer Reading evaluation form will be online soon. When your program is completed please visit the ICFL website and share your information with us.

Idaho library websites feature summer reading:

Bear Lake County District Library in Montpelier
http://bearlake.lili.org
The library has FLICKR pictures up on the bottom block on the left side of the webpage. They also have a link to their summer reading program on the ON OUR SITE block. From there you can link to weekly clues. Everyone who completes all 8 clues gets to put their name into a drawing for one of 10 spy kits.

Blackfoot Public Library
www.blackfootlibrary.org
On this page you will find a link to the Summer Reading Program page and a link to the library's FLICKR account. Summer reading photos will be posted as they become available.

Idaho Falls Public Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7685080@N03/
See the library's summer reading photos posted on FLICKR.

Rigby Public Library
www.rigby.lili.org
Visit their website and check out their mysterious slideshow!

What's on your website? Send Peggy or Stephanie a link and we'll feature it in an upcoming issue of The Scoop.

More resources for "Get a Clue" (Thanks to our friend Rhonda Putney, Youth Services and Special Needs Consultant for the Lakeshores [Wisconsin] Library System)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/srp2007/show/
The California Summer Reading Program has an online slide show which shows some great ideas for bulletin boards and displays that tie in with the "Get a Clue" theme.

Summer Reading Book Give-Aways garner positive attention

Suzanne Davis, youth services librarian at the East Bonner Co. District Library, reported they distributed 177 books at Northside Elementary School on June 4th. "Every child in grades K-6 got to choose his / her own book. These kids were so polite. Many thanked me personally, and I even received one hug," Suzanne said.

"Our school district superintendent, Dick Cvitanich, attended the distribution, and there was an article in the paper that talked about the distribution and our summer programs." The picture at the right shows Cvitanich, the school principal John Rorke, and the student body president and vice-president.

iPod give-away captures teens' attention!

Linda Bequette, youth services librarian at Garden Valley District Library says she is attempting a Teen Book Group that will meet once weekly. "For those teens unable to attend because they are out of town, Kathy Smith and I have set up a blog site where they can post critiques of books they have read. When I did book talks at the middle school several teens lamented that they will be out of town and can not attend every Thursday group. They weren't too worried about missing out until I told them that our grand prize is an iPod. All of a sudden their eyes brightened and they sat up a little straighter. Hmmm, what a coincidence!," Linda said.

Good Summer Reads for the Print Impaired

ICFL's Talking Book Service is encouraging its younger readers to participate in summer reading at their local libraries. Many can read large print or audio books from local library collections. Two additional resources exist to help you identify titles print impaired readers can read and join in the fun. Both are at the TBS website: http://libraries.idaho.gov/tbs.

Three lists of titles supporting the theme “Get a Clue@Your Library" are available. Each list contains titles for specific reading levels; each entry includes the author, title, short annotation, and RC or BR number. TBS users can call the Idaho Commission for Libraries and request as many titles as they want.

Also check out the link to NLS Kid’s Zone, a site specifically developed for readers, preschool-grade 8. All the titles listed are available via the TBS service, plus the site contains links to other family oriented websites at the Library of Congress.

If you know of print impaired youth, library staff can enroll them in the Talking Book Service by using the application forms also available at http://libraries.idaho.gov/tbs. Contact Library Consultant Sue Walker at ICFL with questions.

Know the Numbers

"According to the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), proficient readers were improving while struggling readers continued to lose ground. The study found 58% of fourth graders eligible for free-lunch programs fell below basic reading proficiency levels while only 27% of higher income students were below proficiency rates. In 2005, the percentage of fourth graders at or above a basic level was not found to have changed significantly during the previous two years. . . .Researchers have uncovered evidence to suggest that the impact of summer reading loss on students in general, and on at-risk students in particular, is significant.

A review of 13 empirical studies representing approximately 40,000 students found that, on average, the reading levels of students from lower income families declined over the summer months, while the reading proficiency levels of students from middle-income families improved modestly. In a single academic year, this decline resulted in an estimated three-month achievement gap between more advantaged and less advantaged students. Between grades 1 and 6, the potential cumulative impact of this achievement gap could compound to 1.5 years' worth of reading development lost in the summer months alone (Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Linsay, & Greathouse, 1996)."

(Source: "Summer Reading Loss," by Maryann Mraz and Timothy V. Rasinski, Reading Today, Vol. 69, No. 8, pgs. 784-789. May 2007)

School Zone

School Zone will return in August - enjoy your summer vacation!

A Closer Look at the 2007-08 First Book Program

Read to Me provides funding for First Book, a project that provides a book a month to underserved children who are likely not to have books in their homes. In addition to receiving books, First Book families are encouraged to get a library card and learn about all the wonderful resources available through the library. Eight Idaho public libraries were selected to participate in the 2007-08 First Book program (* starred libraries are first-time participants). The libraries are:

East Bonner Co. District Library, Sandpoint* – 23 daycare children birth to age 8
Children's librarian Suzanne Davis does a monthly storytime for a local daycare. She will distribute First Books at the storytime. One change she is making this year is to move the time to afternoon so she can have more interaction with the children who attend after school. The daycare sponsors holiday parties for the families. Suzanne plans to do a book distribution at one of the parties to fulfill the requirement for one family event.

Idaho Falls Public Library – 68 Head Start children ages 3 to 5
Sarah Jackson, head of Children's Services, applied for a second year of First Book, partnering with Head Start and the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership. Sarah will go to Head Start once a month to do a storytime and distribute books. The library will partner with Head Start during one of their already scheduled parent trainings to reach a majority of parents with information about early literacy in an environment in which the parents are comfortable. Families will also be invited to the library for dinner and stories. A tour of the library and library card sign up will follow.

Nezperce Branch Library (Prairie River District) – 36 daycare children birth to age 8
Working with a local daycare and Head Start, the library will distribute First Books at the library or through home visits. Door prizes and refreshments will be used as incentives for parents to attend a meeting in the fall to learn more about early literacy. A later family event will feature a storybook character program. The Friends of the Library is providing $50 cash match for the project.

Notus Public Library* – 79 children K through 3rd grade
Kindergarten through 3rd grade children in the rural southwestern Idaho community of Notus will be the recipients of First Books through a partnership between the public library and the elementatry school. The library will hold a workshop in September for parents at the school and will also host a Family Reading Week event at the public library in November.

Rathdrum Branch Library* (Kootenai Shoshone Area Libraries) – 80 daycare children birth to age 8
The library will partner with a daycare center and the Lakeland School District's developmental preschool program. Books will be distributed at storytimes scheduled at each partner's site. Librarian Sandy Burnett will work with each partner to schedule a workshop in the fall for parents to emphasize the importance of books and reading. Family events will also be planned, featuring books, rhymes, stories and games.

Salmon River Public Library, Riggins* - 46 Head Start and daycare children birth to age 8
The library has three partners: Head Start, Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program, and a local daycare. They plan to jointly sponsor an open house for parents to acquaint them with the library.

Soda Springs Public Library* – 20 Head Start children ages 3 to 5
Children's librarian Jennifer Ball will visit Head Start to provide storytimes and distribute First Books. A special evening storytelling/sharing event is planned for parents, and a puppet show will be held for the entire family using a new professional puppet theater purchased by the library with memorial funds. Free library cards will be provided to families who live outside the city limits for the duration of the First Book project.

St. Maries Public Library – 10 daycare children ages 3 to 5
The library will be providing a cash match of $50 for the second year of their First Book project. Librarian Leslee Adams will visit children at the daycare center to read stories, do a craft or activity and distribute books. A special event for families is planned for the fall. Daycare provider Kaye Harney said in her support letter, "The children have enjoyed receiving the books through the program, and I have had parents tell me how much they have enjoyed the quality of the books their child has received. I hear more and more from parents that they are enjoying spending time reading to their children. Parents that didn't take the time to do this before."

Read to Me has sponsored First Book since 1997 as a low key opportunity for libraries to provide community outreach. Over 50 libraries have participated over the past 11 years. In addition to providing books for a home library, First Book encourages families to get a library card and to discover all the wonderful resources their local public library has to offer. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie or Peggy.

Tips & Tools

New Books!

The Idaho Commission for Libraries Professional Development Service (PDS) provides access to numerous titles in the field of library and information sciences. Free shipping to and from your library is provided! See http://libraries.idaho.gov/pds for more information. The following are a few of the recent additions.

Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation, by Don Tapscott, McGraw-Hill, 1998 [302.2 TAPSCOT 1998].
Essential reading for parents, teachers, and policy makers this book makes a compelling distinction between the passive medium of television and the explosion of interactive digital media, sparked by the computer and the Internet. Children empowered by the new technology are taking the reins from their boomer parents and making inroads into all areas of society, including our educational system, the government, and the economy.

Teaching Web Search Skills: Techniques and Strategies of Top Trainers, by Greg R. Notess, 2006, Information Today [025.04 NOTESS 2006].
Here is an impressive number of training tips, tapping not only into the author’s own considerable knowledge base but also into the minds of the foremost Web search trainers on two continents.

Gotcha for Guys: Nonficiton Books to Get Boys Excited About Reading, by Kathleen A. Baxter and Marcia Agness Kochel, 2007, Libraries Unlimited, [028.5 BAXGER 2007].
Although research indicates boys are interested in reading nonfiction, most children’s librarians prefer to booktalk fiction. This book deals specifically with titles to pique the interest of middle grade boys.

Crash Course in Storytelling, by Kendall Haven and Mary Gay Ducey, 2007, Libraries Unlimited, [372.6 HAVEN 2007].
Storytelling can be easy, fun, and, above all, doable, especially with the simple easy-to-follow directions given by these master storytellers. This book provides everything you need to become a master storyteller.

A Day in the Life : Career Options in Library and Information Science, Priscilla K. Shontz, editor, Libraries Unlimited, 2007, [020 DAY IN 2007].
Many people, not just those new to the field of library and information science, are curious about their career options. The editors have assembled 95 authors, each of whom describes a “typical” workday or routine, sharing joys, sorrows, and annoyances in refreshingly candid fashion.

Are You Ready for Harry?

Here are some web resources shared by Rhonda Putney in her bi-monthly newsletter.

HarryPotterFans.com
http://harrypotterfans.com/links/On_this_site/Games/
HarryPotterFans.com has a small collection of original Java games that include a slider puzzle made from the British cover of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and four word searches. A favorite is the MadLib Spellmaker. Just enter in the required nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and numbers, and you'll be rewarded with a unique potion recipe and incantation. "Rumble fumble toil and tigerle. Whispius snakeius flispius."

KidsReads HP Games
http://www.kidsreads.com/HP/games/
KidsReads has a special section devoted to Harry Potter, including this page of twenty-five trivia quizzes. Some of the quizzes are organized by book, and others by topic (such as The Women of Harry Potter or Quidditch Through the Ages.) There's even a Harry Potter vocabulary test, quizzing your knowledge of words such as animagus, expelliarmus, apparate and quaffle. "A Centaur is: A) an abbreviation for Century; B) a powerful Dementor; C) something that is half horse and half man; D) a very old type of broom."

MuggleNet: Harry Potter Flash/Shockwave Games
http://www.mugglenet.com/games/shockwave/
"Voldemort is back and gaining strength and he wants revenge -- on Harry Potter. You play as Harry after being pulled into Knockturn Alley by a trick-Portkey. Now you must escape in the quickest time possible." The original Knockturn Alley game is just one of many good reasons to visit MuggleNet. Others include BroomstiX ("the most extreme and exciting broom sport") and Triwizard Tournament . For trivia quizzes and Harry Potter puzzles, look in the left-hand nav bar under Fun.

Scholastic: Harry Potter
http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/home.asp
At the time of my visit to the Scholastic site, the Wizard Challenge trivia quiz was closed, but there are still plenty of other interactive activities to amuse fans. Browse Rita Skeeter's Daily Opinion Poll, and cast your vote for today's question. Your vote is also solicited on seven-word book reviews submitted by other readers. In seven words or less, what would you say about your favorite HP book? Other cool clicks are the videos and the Harry Potter podcasts.

Harry Potter Games Guide
http://www.pottergames.co.uk/

Surfing the Net with Kid’s HP Site
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/Harry_Potter/

Dissendium.com
http://www.dissendium.com/

Journey to Hogwarts
http://www.journeytohogwarts.moonfruit.com/

(Surfing the Net with Kids, 5/23/07)

News Beyond Idaho

How to Shed the Library's Image of "Being for Old People"

The Monroe Township Library serves a sprawling, suburban/semi-rural community of about 30,000 people in Central New Jersey, about 40 miles southeast of New York City. Once dominated by older adults living in pre-retirement and retirement communities, the area has undergone a major population shift with many young families moving into the area.

Five years ago, Library Director Irene Goldberg and Leah Wagner, Assistant Director and Youth Services Manager, decided the library needed to shed its image of “being for old people” and hired a consulting firm to help develop a marketing plan directed at young families.

Here’s some of what they did:

• Used the consultants’ findings to convince the township board to add a bookmobile and Sunday hours during the school year. The bookmobile focuses on newly developed neighborhoods of family residences. It also goes to Little League games and parks in the summer and makes appearances at parades and fairs.
• Set up crafts tables on Sunday afternoons for parents, grandparents and kids to do activities together—a popular feature.
• Organized “Kids for Kids,” a joint program with local schools, for 3rd-6th graders. The group of 26 kids publishes a newsletter with news, poetry and book reviews that goes to all school kids. Their activities have included a used toy auction and valentine sale to replenish children’s materials of a library damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
• Added evening and drop-in storytimes.
• Published a newsletter “Teacher Talk” in the fall and spring to remind teachers how the library can help them and their students, titles of good reads and announcements of upcoming programs. It is designed to look like a sheet of notebook paper.
• Sent copies of the book Because of Winn Dixie and subsequent titles, with a discussion guide to all 4th-6th teachers as part of the state’s “One Book New Jersey” program sponsored by the New Jersey State Library and New Jersey Library Association. Some teachers have incorporated the book into their yearly lesson plans.
• Introduced “The Haunted Library”—now a favorite tradition of both families and staff. Held the 2nd Friday of October before Halloween, it takes a full day to transform the library complete with a graveyard and an assortment of ghostly and ghastly characters.
• Redesigned the library’s website with a special focus on parents and kids, including a listing of day trips for families.
• Organized Families and Neighbors, a volunteer group of parents that plan and assist with family and parent programs.
• Started a raffle for teachers who contact the library about assignments. Their names are put in a drawing for a gift certificate donated by a local restaurant. Teachers help spread the word.

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