Published bi-weekly by Read to Me, a service of the Idaho Commission for Libraries
In this Issue:
Welcome
Summer is winding down and it's time to get ready for fall. It is a time for new beginnings and a time for celebrations, including these:
What's the best school supply parents can get their children? Why it's a library card, of course. September is Library Card Sign Up Month. Read more about this in A Closer Look below.. - She's called Babcia in Poland or Abuelita in Mexico; he's called Oba in Japan or Zeide in Israel. Children the world over have a special name for their grandparents, and September is National Grandparents Month. See Tips and Tools for some great websites with ideas for celebration.
It's not too late to sign up for one of the "Storytimes Transformed" workshops to be held in Post Falls, Pocatello and Boise during the week of September 10th. Registration closes on Friday, August 24th so please sign up now. We don't get the chance to bring in nationally-known presenters every year and you won't want to miss Sue Nespeca present some great ideas for incorporating early literacy skills into storytimes. Public and school librarians as well as storytime volunteers are welcome to attend these free workshops, sponsored by the Idaho Read to Me program. Register online at http://libraries.idaho.gov/everychild.
Meet Rainey Friedemann
Rainey Friedemann (pictured in the photo on the left) is a programs specialist at the Kuna District Library where she has worked for the past 7 months. The Kuna Library has a vitality all its own and is very family friendly. The staff works hard and plays hard and that makes it a great place to work. Rainey's focus is on library programs, which she does for children birth through 13 years old, and she also does adult programs. She plans storytimes, book babies programs, music and movement programs, art classes, any special family events, two after school programs, and does outreach for the library.
What attracted her to the job, we asked, and Rainey replied, "What other job do you get paid to dress up, act out stories, dance and sing, all while encouraging literacy? It’s a great fit for me, and I love my audience! It’s great to see kids enjoy coming to the library. It will serve them well in the future to know where to go and not be intimidated, but to already know where to go and who to ask."
Summer reading promotions, school visits and programs have kept Rainey busy this summer. Her favorite thing about her job is working with kids – the younger, the better. Her favorite is Kuna's book babies program with the infants. Rainey says, "It’s wonderful to see the timid ones who are a little nervous about the whole thing become the song leaders and to watch their minds working so fast and so hard! I also really love the staff I work with."
Rainey's favorite children’s author/book right now is How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen. She finds the art great and so true to kids’ nature. As a child, Roald Dahl was one of her favorites – especially The BFG. When asked what she has read recently, Rainey laughted, "You know, for a librarian, I should read more! I’m the person who has to read from cover to cover straight through, and I usually don’t have a big enough chunk of time to read a whole book. The last book I read was Sun Signs by Linda Goodman! Ha!"
Rainey's favorite flavor of ice cream is Rocky Road. She likes a little bit of everything – makes ice cream, and life, interesting. When not working at the library, she loves to play with her son, who’s 1 ½ years old. Rainey says, "We go shopping and walking or biking along the greenbelt, and reading, of course! He loves to go and do and see as much as I do. My second love is traveling. My goal is to visit all the continents before I die (except Antarctica – not much to see there!). I’ve been on four so far! I also do abstract acrylic painting."
Rainey shared, "I’m really happy to be working at the Kuna Library. The support of the community and the administrative team is wonderful. It’s a great setup for success!"
Library to Library
The eight Idaho public libraries participating in this year's Read to Me First Book program will be distributing 525 copies of The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf as part of the national "Read for the Record" event. The Story of Ferdinand has been selected as the title for everyone to read together on September 20, 2007 to break the record for the largest shared reading experience ever, which was set by 150,000 people on August 24, 2006 during the first year of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign. For more information about that project, see www.readfortherecord.org. Many Idaho libraries will be submitting their information to the Guinness Book of World Records. Some libraries are just leaving the book out along with information about the Read for the Record program and having parents sign in when they finish reading the story to their children. The web site has some great ideas for activities to go along with the book. We love the idea of putting up butcher paper (as a meadow) with a picture of Ferdinand in the middle. Children can add their "happiness flowers" to the meadow and contribute to the mural. If your library has something planned for the day, please let The Scoop know!
Congratulations on a successful bond election! When Garden Valley District Library’s bond election failed by only a handful of votes a few months ago, it was a tough loss. They didn’t let it get them down for long. They rallied their community and passed their bond this month -- 317 for and 127 against -- for a 71.4% approval! That's great news!
Young Adult Corner
It's Not Too Early to Start Planning Teen Read Week Events
Teen Read WeekTM 2007 will be held October 14 - 20th. The theme will be LOL@ your library®. Teen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of Teen Read Week!
Why is it important to celebrate? For a lot of reasons! Teens are not really reading for fun these days, and reading scores have not been improving for this age group over the last few decades. Also, it’s a great chance to let your school or your public library communities know how important teen services are! Let teens know the possibilities that exist within your doors, and within the covers of books. More than 4,800 school and public libraries registered to participate in Teen Read Week last year. Libraries are encouraged to register at www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2007/trw07.htm . This site has some great resources for planning the week.
Why LOL? Laughter can boost your endorphins, lower your blood pressure, heart rate and improve your immune system, not to mention lighten your mood. Thus, with this year’s theme of “LOL” for Teen Read Week, teens can enter their school and public libraries for a visit that will produce a smile and happy thoughts, if not have them laughing out loud! Communication, collaboration and implementation are the three most important components of a successful Teen Read Week celebration at a school or public library. – written by Megan Fink
We want to hear what Idaho public and school libraries have planned! Here’s two ideas that have worked for Megan Olivier, a middle school librarian in Boise. Both ideas were also listed on the Teen Read Week web site and they’ll get us started!
Gocks (Goth Sock Puppets)
Black and white socks are the bases for these quirky puppets teens love to make. Provide Goth trims: safety pins, chenille pipe cleaners and novelty yarn for hair, google eyes and buttons, pompoms and ribbons, beads and jewels, even iron-ons for tattoos! Schedule as a stand alone program or offer after school all week in the YA area of your library.
This above All: Know thy Duck Tape
The Duck Tape Club celebrates all things duct tape at www.ducktapeclub.com. Take a look at their contests, polls, projects, and trivia, and even wacky games (Whack a Wart?) Many duct tape projects are easy enough to do in an hour or less. Duct tape comes in many colors and several patterns so every teen’s project will be unique.
Please send your ideas to Stephanie Bailey-White. Free books for every library that submits an idea!
Book Look
Reading Harry
Here’s a very brief list of Harry Potter readalikes to help you prepare for the inevitable “what to read after HP7” questions. Children’s, YA, and adult titles are included.
Waterboro (ME) Public Library
http://www.waterborolibrary.org/potterlike.htm#ifyoulikehp
American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=97082
Finger Lakes (NY) Library System
http://www.flls.org/youth/harryra.htm
Auburn Hills (MI) Public Library
http://auburn-hills.lib.mi.us/Adult/Booklist/LikeHPotter.htm
Madison (WI) Public Library
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/youth/booklists/hogwarts.html
Kansas City (MO) Public Library
http://www.kclibrary.org/guides/children/index.cfm?article=read&articleID=612
More Harry Potter Read-Alikes
If you liked the humor:
The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
If you like the magic:
The Dark is Rising (series) by Susan Cooper
So You Want to Be a Wizard (series) by Diane Duane
Red Wizard by Nancy Springer
If you liked the friendships:
Circle of Magic (series) by Tamora Pierce
The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg
The Gold Dust Letters by Janet Taylor Lisle
If you liked Hogwarts:
A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Dear Mom, Get Me Out of Here by Ellen Conford
Dial-a-Ghost by Eva Ibbotson
If you liked the animals and creatures:
Redwall (series) by Brian Jacques
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Here There Be Unicorns by Jane Yolen
Thank you to Rhonda Putney, Lakeshores Library System and Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System for sharing these titles with The Scoop.
So who is this Geronimo Stilton?
I wasn't the only one who had never heard of this popular series before making the recent offer for costumes to help celebrate Idaho Family Reading Week. Although several of your said Geronimo is one of the kids' favorites at your library, here's the scoop for those who are still curious about the series along with some more resources for the seven libraries who are receiving Geronimo costumes in November! Please share any ideas you have for celebrating Family Reading Week! The following information comes from www.kidsreads.com/series/series-geronimo-facts.asp, (along with another great monthly e-newsletter that we recommend).
The Geronimo Stilton series books are international bestsellers. They were originally published in Italy (where they're the bestselling children's books, besting Harry Potter), and have been translated into 35 languages. Each book is a quick, feel-good read. Starting with the first book in the series, LOST TREASURE OF THE EMERALD EYE, these stories are as irresistible as a cheddar, Swiss and bleu cheese sandwich is to a starving mouse! With a new Geronimo Stilton adventure coming out each month, we can look forward to a frequent exciting good "tail"!
As you might expect from a series starring a mouse, these books are full of the cheesiest puns ever! To add to the fun, each book is fully illustrated with funny drawings, colorfully expressive fonts, maps, character lists and pictures --- and much more. Geronimo is the editor of New Mouse City's newspaper, The Rodent's Gazette. He is a mouse who loves the comforts of home and hates to travel, yet he finds himself journeying off on adventures with his thrill-seeking sister Thea, his jokester cousin Trap, and his favorite nephew Benjamin. Geronimo becomes a bestselling author by writing down his adventures in these books!
Another great resource for Geronimo events is www.scholastic.com/titles/geronimostilton/index.htm. This site has crossword puzzles, word searches, and The Rodent's Gazette Online with pages of fun.
Upcoming Events in September
National Library Card Signup Month – (See A Closer Look below for more information.)
National School Success Month - Strong evidence suggests that the more involved parents are in their children’s education, the better the children will do in school. It is important to develop good parent/teacher relationships and help teachers get to know your children. For some additional information see www.schoolsuccessinfo.org/ .
Strategic Thinking Month – Strategic Planning is more than developing goals and deciding how to achieve them. It’s a systematic and continuous process of obtaining and evaluating information, making strategic decisions, implementing strategies designed to achieve a developed vision, and measuring the results. For more, see http://sbinformation.about.com/b/a/257168.htm
September 3 – Labor Day – Is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday began in 1882, originating from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working man". It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many.
September 9 – National Grandparents Day - (See Tips and Tools below for more information) (DELETE THE FOLLOWING????) In 1978, five years after its West Virginia inception, the United StatesCongress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. The proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter. For more go to www.grandparents-day.com/history.htm
September 16 – Mexican Independence Day – Mexico's independence was recognized by the Spanish viceroy in 1821 after a decade-long War of Independence.
September 20 - Read for the Record Day - The Story of Ferdinand has been selected as the title for everyone to read together on September 20, 2007 to break the record for the largest shared reading experience ever, which was set by 150,000 people on August 24, 2006 during the first year of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign. For more information about that project, see www.readfortherecord.org.
September 23-30 - Banned Books Week - Observed since 1982, Banned Books Week celebrates the Freedom to Read and reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. Find out more at: www.ala.org/bbooks
Authors Birthdays:
September 8 - Jack Prelutsky (born in 1940). Prelutsky is a poet and author of The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders, For Laughing Out Loud, The Sheriff of Rottenshot and other titles. For more on Prelutsky go to www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-prelutsky-jack.asp or teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/jack_meet.htm
September 10 – Anthony Browne (born in 1946). Anthony Browne was born in Sheffield and has received many literature awards. Some of his works include: Things I Like, Through the Magic Mirror, The Tunnel, Willy the Champ and more at http://www.walkerbooks.co.uk/Anthony-Browne.
September 15 - Tomie dePaola (born in 1934). (Pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) dePaola has written and/or illustrated over 200 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, Meet the Barkers, Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile, Tomie de Paola's Mother Goose, The Legend of the Poinsettia and more. See www.tomie.com for more information.
September 19 – Vicki Cobb (born in 1938). Vicki Cobb is the well-known author of more than 85 nonfiction books for children. Some of her latest titles include Where's the Science Here, Sneakers, Junk Food, Fireworks, and On Stage. For more see www.vickicobb.com/
September 25 - Shel Silverstein (1930-1999). Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein is most commonly known for writing and illustrating children’s literature including The Missing Piece, A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, The Giving Tree, and more. You can read about the author at www.shelsilverstein.com
September 29 - Stanley (Stan) Berenstain (1923-2005). Stan was a writer and illustrator best known for creating the children's book series The Berenstain Bears, together with his wife Jan. They published their first book featuring the Berenstain Bears in 1962. For more on Stan see www.berenstainbears.com/
Summer Reading News
Numbers we love to see!
Jillian Subach, Meridian District Library Youth Services Department Head, braved the dunk tank in honor of over 21,000 hours of summer reading! That's a lot of reading and we love to see those wacky photos! What will she do next year?
Annie Adamson, Teen/Youth Librarian (among many other duties) at Caldwell Public Library, reports a huge increase in the number of books teens read this summer. In 2006, they had 202 teen sign-up and this year they increased to 262! Last year the teens read 940 books. This year (drum roll please) 2079 books read! "Whooppeeee," said a mildly delirious Annie.
Linda Henderson, with the Jerome Public Library, sent this fun picture from their Summer Reading Finale. "It depicts some hot and very silly librarians (Linda Henderson and Mary Vogel) and Steering Committee members (Ashley Thiessen, MaryBeth Bartels, Sheryl VanSlooten, and Tammy Lowther)," Linda wrote. "We topped 460 registrants this year. A total record for us!" Yeah!!
Sherrilynn Bair, director of the Snake River School Community Library sent us this photo of her staff ready to welcome summer readers.
We want to hear from you
It's time to report your library's summer reading numbers. So far we have heard from 24 libraries. Your information helps the Idaho Commission for Libraries demonstrate the importance of summer reading and to secure more funding. Fill out the online report and help us meet our goal of increasing summer reading participation by 10% over last year.
School Zone
Wood River Middle School Teacher Librarian Creates Cool Online Course
Susan Tabor Boesch, Teacher Librarian at Wood River Middle School, created and conducted an online class with some advanced 6th grade readers this spring. We asked her to share a little more information about the course and how it went. Here's what she said:
"I used an open source program called Moodle. Our district tech department installed it and made it available via the web. The class was a literature unit using the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It involved reading response journals, discussion forums, some plot and theme activities, a creative writing project and three test: reading comprehension, vocabulary, and literary skills - all online.
I was able to create and conduct the unit easily even though I'd never used the software before. It allowed us to provide enrichment and rigor for these students without the constraints of finding available time and a classroom in which to conduct the class. We met twice during the four week class - once at the beginning of the unit to learn the program and provide an overview of the expectations of the unit and once at the end to get feedback on the pros and cons of taking this unit online. The students loved it! (as did I). It was considered a pilot class by the district to see if it is a viable option for us to use on a grander scale (more teachers, students, and classes). I'd love to direct you to the class online, but I believe the tech department already restricted it as I can't find it at the URL we used."
Knowing Susan, I bet she'd be willing to talk to any other teacher librarians who are interested in implementing something similar in other schools. Contact her at Wood River Middle School. Sounds like a great project!
Know the Numbers
Starting the newspaper habit early
An article in Education Week, (10/6/2004, Vol. 24 Issue 6, p13, by Catherine A. Carroll) reports that adults are more likely to read newspapers if they were exposed to them in school, says a study released last week by the Vienna, Virginia-based Newspaper Association of America Foundation. The report says that 62 percent of young adults who had a high level of exposure to newspapers in school now read a daily newspaper regularly. Among those young adults who had low, or no, newspaper exposure while in school, only 38 percent are regular newspaper readers.
A Closer Look at Library Card Sign-up Month
Sign 'Em Up!
ALA sponsors Library Card Sign-up Month each September to remind kids and parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. To learn more about Library Card Signup Month or to view a list of "52 Ways to Use Your Library Card" go to: www.ala.org/ala/pioa/52ways.htm and www.ala.org/ala/pio/factsheets/librarycardsign.htm
- Set an ambitious but realistic goal, such as registering all kindergarteners, first or second graders.
- Take a picture of kids or families with their library cards to display in the library and later to take home.
- Sponsor a library card sign-up competition for schools. Ask local businesses and community groups to sponsor rewards for classes with 100 percent library card sign-up.
- Plan a Library Day at a football game, store, or movie theater. Everyone with a library card gets in free or at a discount.
- Visit classrooms to round up those without library cards. Dress up as a cowboy, superhero or storybook character. Tell stories and give out registration materials.
- Give stickers or small gifts to children who check out their first books. Put a nameplate with their name and date inside a favorite book.
- Recruit local businesses to give discounts or freebies to kids who "Show Us Your Library Card.”
- Sponsor a party with a library card required for admission.
- Ask the school board, mayor, or city council chair to proclaim Library Card Sign-up Month.
- Send a news release and public service ads directed at parents and caregivers to local newspapers, radio and TV stations.
- Arrange to have a letter and bookmark sent to parents of elementary children early in the school year to encourage them to sign up their children.
- Give every child that registers a packet with tips about how the library can help them, booklists of suggested authors or titles to enjoy and a bookmark.
How some libraries do it:
A first-grade teacher in Sandpoint, ID takes her students to the public library every Friday. To get them started on the right foot in September, each child decorates their own canvas book bag with fabric markers and takes it to the library each week to fill up with new books. The teacher also has each family fill out a library card application the week before they make their first visit so the library can present each child with their own library card. Great ideas!
One of the best ways to reach "new" school-age kids is a library card sign-up campaign conducted through schools. Send home a card application with a cover letter in the school's weekly parent communication envelope. We've had these materials translated into three languages. We also offer free replacement cards (normally $2). After the sign up campaign, as a reward for participating, each classroom schedules a field trip to the library for a fun-yet-educational presentation and library tour. Bus transportation is paid for through a grant. We offer a choice of three programs for each grade level, along with basic information about how to use the library. Library cards are ready to use when the class visits. —Sandy Kallunki, Public Information Coordinator, Brown County Central Library, Green Bay, Wisc.,
Our library’s Great Library Card Adventure rewards teachers, as well as students. Teachers receive a $3 drink coupon from Starbucks when they send in the library card applications from their classes. Students (both those who already have cards and those who sign up) receive Great Library Card Adventure stickers. Classrooms with 100 percent sign-up for library cards are entered in a drawing to win one of three collections of age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction books for their classroom. Classes with 100 percent registration that do not win a book collection receive a gift certificate to a local bookstore. —Ellen Fader, Youth Services Coordinator, Multnomah County Library, Portland, Ore., faderalsc@comcast.net
We have a first grade initiative for library card sign-up each September, which is a partnership with our public schools. It’s called Mission G.O. (Grade One)! The month-long campaign targets approximately 6,000 first grade children in both public and private elementary schools.
Our goals:
· Encourage first grade children to use the public library.
· Issue public library cards to all county first grade children.
· Encourage family members to visit and use the library.
· Promote and celebrate National Library Card Sign-up Month.
· Forge and strengthen collaborative activity between schools and public libraries.
Community partners include all 16 county public school districts, 30 private elementary schools and the county commissioners as Honorary Chairs. The campaign is marketed through participating partners, target audience, kickoff event, newspapers, radio station, cable television, posters, library website. The Library System funds the $4,000 cost of the program. Sponsorship support is provided by a local foundation and bookstores. —Mary Ann Heltshe-Steinhauer, Community Relations Coordinator, Library System of Lancaster County, Lancaster, Penn., heltshe@lancasterlibraries.org
If your library is planning something for Library Card Sign-up Month, we'd love to hear about it. We might even be able to provide some give-away books or handouts. Please e-mail Stephanie and we'll print your ideas in The Scoop
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.
Literacy, Technology, and Diversity: Teaching for Success in Changing Times, by Jim Cummins … [et al.], Pearson, 2007, [ICFL 302.3 CUMMINS 2007].
Here’s a must-read for any teacher. This thought provoking book offers a fresh and much needed point of view on how to “re-think” literacy and technology in today’s diverse classrooms.
Collaborating with Administrators and Educational Support Staff, by Lesley S.J. Farmer, Neal-Schuman, 2007 [027.8 FARMER 2007]
If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes the entire school community to raise a student. The school library is an integral part of that student-rearing team. This book shows how the library media specialist (LMS) can become more involved in student achievement and help attain greater educational results by partnering with people from every facet of the school community.
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.
Essential Reference Services for Today’s School Media Specialists, by Scott Lanning, Libraries Unlimited, 2004, [027.8 LANNING 2004].
The role of the school library media specialist has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Today’s specialist is an integral part of the school—an equal partner in reaching the school’s educational goals. Designed to give a solid and practical foundation for all aspects of providing reference services to students and teachers, this book details essential reference skills in the context of today’s information literacy standards.
Learning About Books and Libraries: A Gold Mine of Games, by Carol K. Lee and Janet Langford, Alleyside Press, 2000, [027.62 LEE L 2000].
Kids will thoroughly enjoy this fun, captivating collection of 47 educational games, while strengthening their library skills and reading interest. Easy-to-follow instructions, grade level, and sample questions are provided for each action-packed game.
Lapsit Web Site
Kate McDowell, Children's Librarian at The Urbana Free Library, has created a great web site with resources for librarians on programs for 6-24 month olds. It can be accessed at http://katemcdowell.com/laptime/index.html.
Grandparents Day and Month
September is National Grandparents Month and September 9th is National Grandparents Day. Here are some great sites to help you plan a Grandparent Celebration!
http://www.gwumc.edu/cahh/booklist/booklist_20041110.pdf
"Books with Positive Protrayals of Aging and Older Characters for Younger Readers, Middle Readers, & Older Readers from PreK to Grade6," prepared by the ALSC, a division of the American Library Association
http://extension.missouri.edu/cooper/cyf/book_list.htm
Pre-School and Early Elementary Books Featuring Grandparents (prepared by Sarah Howard, Daniel Boone Regional Library, Columbia, MO)
Grandparents Lesson Ideas
http://www.preschooleducation.com/family.shtml
Life Story (Little old for Preschool level, but could still be fun to have the grandparents make for their grandchildren.)
http://www.tcpnow.com/holidaykit/part2/lifestory.pdf
Grandparents Day Song
http://www.grandparents-day.com/davids_song-lg.jpg
Grandparents Day Mail Project
http://teachers.eusd.k12.ca.us/bbuchel/TeacherIdeas/grandparents_day.htm
These words refer to grandma and grandpa in the following countries:
- Poland -- Babcia and Dziadek
- Germany -- Oma and Opa
- India -- Nana-ji and Nani-ji
- Korea -- Halmonee and Halabujee
- Greece -- Ya-ya and Pa-pu
- Japan -- Oba-chan and Oji-chan
- China -- Popo and Gong-gong
- Italy -- Nonna and Nonno
- Israel -- Bubbe and Zeide
- Cuba -- Abuelita and Abuelito
News Beyond Idaho
Fresh Start
This great idea comes from the Kenton County Public Library in Kentucky: Read off your fines in the Children's Department! Children 17 and under may read off their fines anytime. For every 15 minutes you read, you can reduce your fines by $1.50. Parents, siblings, and friends can read to young children. Ask for details and sign in at the children's reference desk.
Talk Back: We welcome your feedback on anything in The Scoop. Just e-mail Peggy or Stephanie and we'll print your comments in The Scoop.
