Published bi-weekly by
Read to Me, a service of the Idaho Commission for Libraries
In this Issue:
Welcome
It has been a busy two weeks at the Commission. In addition to hosting the Daring Dreamers summer reading steering committee, the Read to Me meeting with 75 public librarians attending, and the Taking Students into the 21st Century inservice for 40 school librarians and their invited VIPs (principals and other school administrators), we also got the good news that ICFL's budget was approved and includes $335,500 in new state funding to expand the Read to Me project. Whew! A big thank you goes to all the librarians who participated in these events. You can read more about these happenings and deadlines to apply for various Read to Me programs in this issue of The Scoop.
Meet Wendy Walker
Meet Wendy Walker, the children's librarian at Payette Public Library. Wendy has been in the library field for three years. She grew up using the Payette Library and was always there anyway...so when the library director Colleen Bonnell said there was an opening, Wendy jumped at the chance. Wendy commented, "We strive to make our library a comfortable place to be. We are very kid-friendly, which means sometimes it's quite noisy (especially during storytimes.) We like to lure our non-readers in with the computers, games, and other activities... then we turn them into readers. It's sneaky, but effective."
Wendy says she works with all ages, explaining, "I have a great grandmother in her 80's who comes to storytime every Tuesday whether her great-granddaughter makes it or not!" Wendy's duties include a baby to pre-school storytime every Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Last spring she started a weekly afternoon storytime for 1st to 3rd graders. She usually reads one book and then the children sing or dance, and maybe play a game, where the winner gets a prize. She also give out prizes to anyone who brings a friend the first time. Once a month they have an afternoon storytime for the local after school program.
When asked what attracted her to library service for children and youth, Wendy replied, "I sort of fell into it. Our children's librarian took another job and I wanted to give it a try. I found that I had a knack for it! Like Colleen said one time 'Who Knew?!?' (lol) Seriously though I fell in love with my storytime kids."
The library is partnering with the Friends of the Library group and planning a "read for ice cream sundaes" during Spring Break. They are also trying to get a bilingual storytime started. They know there's a real need for this particular group and really want to get them involved somehow. And they are already planning Summer Reading 2008. (That's sort of a year round project.)
Wendy says the people are her favorite thing about her job. "I love interacting with the public. That glow people (3 to 100) get when you've found them the 'perfect book.' Or they'll come rushing in to discuss a book with you. Sometimes I can't believe I get paid to do this!"
As for a favorite children's author, Wendy named Kate DiCamillo, citing her range of different stories. She loves to read Mr. Pusskins and The Library Lion aloud. As a child Wendy read anything she could get her hands on. Some of her recent reads include The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox; Heartsick, Inkheart, Our American King, the Gregor the Overlander series and of course Plum Lucky.
Her favorite flavor of ice cream is Starbucks Classic Coffee. When not working at the library Wendy loves to eat ice cream (lol). She also loves to bake. She bakes a lot of cookies and reads while they're baking. Wendy also like to hang out with her husband Jack and their cat Chloe.
Library to Library
Read to Me Meeting Attracts 75 Library Directors and Staff
Seventy-five librarians representing 53 libraries filled the meeting room at the Ameritel Spectrum in Boise on March 6-7th. They were there to learn more about early literacy services available through the Read to Me project. State Librarian Ann Joslin welcomed attendees; then she gave an overview of the newly expanded Read to Me program and encouraged librarians to apply. She also thanked ILA legislative chair Erin Hasler and past president Tamra Hawley-House for their work with the Legislature in supporting the Commission's budget request.
The group also heard from Prairie River District Library director Claudia Jones and Portneuf District Library director Karen Pettinger about how their libraries had benefited from outreach programs. After hearing about a variety of programs they might participate in, attendees spent time discussing various options and working on applications. The two-day meeting wrapped up with some hands-on fun provided by children's librarians who shared some of their upcoming activities planned for summer reading. Information shared in the meeting is avialble on the Read to Me website and by contacting Peggy or Stephanie. You can alse read more about the Read to Me expansion in The Scoop's "A Closer Look" feature in this issue.
Several libraries hosted events during Teen Tech Week held during the first week in March. Boise Public Library sponsored a Sunday afternoon event geared toward teens but all ages were welcome. Their agenda:
2 pm - Downloadable Audio Book & E-Book presentation
2:30 pm - Amazon Kindle presentation
3 pm - Latest technology gadgets by Radio Shack
Wander around the tables for demonstrations and ask questions between presentations.
On Tuesday, March 4th they sponsored an evening event for teens featuring guest presenters from Boise State University will be tearing down a computer and discussing the various parts. They will also talk about building do-it-yourself custom computers.
The Hayden branch of the Kootenai Shoshone Area Libraries sponsored a TEEN TECH NIGHT inviting teens to "come get your game on! The Friday, March 7, event was held from 6-9p.m. and featured FREE pizza, Wii, Mario and more!
This information was gleaned from these libraries' web sites. If you sponsored an event, send us a quick e-mail (to Peggy or Stephanie) and let us know how it went. We'd love to hear what you did!
Young Adult Corner
More great ideas from the Texas Teens Read Manual: Game-On! TTR.08
Program: Mind Games / www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/ttr/2008/manual/mind_games.html
Mind Games require teens to flex mental muscles as they strategize, recognize patterns, analyze, scrutinize situations, and use logic and language. This program begins with Sudoku puzzles followed by a spelling bee or a literature-themed trivia contest. Teens can test their own intellect and challenge each other in these brainy (but fun) games. They can also visit web sites that challenge their minds with anagrams, jigsaw and word puzzles, optical illusions, and more.
A few of the suggested activities include:
Create a Visual Mind Games! Bulletin Board
Grab the teens' interest by posting a series of optical brainteasers on your bulletin board. For examples, see the PBS Virtual Mind Games web page at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/mind/games.html.
Provide some fun inncentives as prizes for the games: Select an assortment of puzzles, optical illusions, bookmarks, award medals, and key chains to give as prizes to the teens attending the program. Oriental Trading Company at www.orientaltrading.com/ sells a variety of puzzles and challenging games.
Get more ideas by visiting the online manual.
(Thanks to Christine McNew, Youth Services Consultant at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for sharing with us! Only Texas libraries may use the artwork included in the manual which was created for "Game On! TTR.08" by Rod Espinosa, a graphic novelist with Antarctic Press. Please read about Mr. Espinosa at www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/ttr/2008/manual/the_artist.html. Librarians outside Texas must obtain permission from Mr. Espinoza.)
Have you seen the new teen PSA from CSLP?
CSLP recently unveiled a new PSA aimed at attracting teens to thos summer's reading program "Metamorphosis @ Your Library." Imagination takes flight with flying books. See it here.
Book Look
2009 PNLA Young Readers Choice Nominees Announced
The Pacific Northwest Library Association's (PNLA) 2009 Young Readers Choice Award (YRCA) nominations have just been announced! As always 4th through 12th graders residing in the Pacific Northwest are eligible to vote. Students must have read or listened to at least three titles in order to vote. Voting for the 2008 nominees takes place from March 15th to April 15th. Voting is done electronically. For more information please feel free to contact Amanda Pittman, Ada Community Library, or visit www.pnla.org.
2009 YRCA Nominees
Junior Division
Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
To Dance by Siena Cherson Siegel
Intermediate Division
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable by John Boyne
Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
Enydmion Spring by Matthew Skelton
Senior Division
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Upcoming Events
Looking ahead, save these dates in April:
National Poetry Month - Inaugurated by the Academy in April 1996, National Poetry Month (NPM) brings together publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools, and poets around the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Find more information at: www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
April 13-19 - Week of the Young Child - Tools and information for Week of the Young Child will help you plan exciting events to celebrate children and raise awareness of their needs. Check out these resources (www.naeyc.org/about/woyc/) and start planning ways to bring your community together for children!
April 13-19 - National Library Week - the theme, "Join the circle of knowledge @ your library®." First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate. For more see: www.ala.org/ala/pio/mediarelationsa/factsheets/NationalLibraryWeek.htm
April 10-16 - Young People's Poetry Week - Poetry Month is your chance to encourage people to celebrate poetry—read it, enjoy it, write it—in their homes, childcare centers, classrooms, libraries, and bookstores. The Children's Book Council is pleased to offer a variety of free and for sale materials for library and classroom use. Find the link at www.cbcbooks.org/yppw/ or http://www.cbcbooks.org/yppw/bibliographies.html
April 12 - National Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day - April 12, the birthday of beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary, has been declared National Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day! Participating in D.E.A.R. Day is a wonderful way to encourage children to read more. Here are a few celebration suggestions for your family, school, and PTA at www.pta.org/local_leadership_subprogram_1194367984484.html
April 15 – National Library Worker’s Day - NLWD is also a day when library staff can educate library users about the knowledge, skills and qualifications of library employees, the kinds of work they do, the necessary services they provide. For more see www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd.html
April 21-27 - TV Turnoff Week - See www.screentime.org/ or www.turnoffyourtv.com/ for more info.
April 30 - Día de Los Niños/Día de Los Libros - Day of the Child / Day of the Books. See http://libraries.idaho.gov/dia-de-los-ninos
Author Birthdays:
April 2 - Hans Christian Andersen (1804-1875). Danish poet, novelist and writer. Author of The Red Shoes, The Emperor's New Clothes, Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen and more. www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/general/exhibits/andersen.htm
April 5 - Richard Peck (born in 1934). Author of A Long Way from Chicago, Strays Like Us, A Year Down Yonder and others. http://richardpeck.smartwriters.com
April 12 - Beverly Cleary. Author of My Own Two Feet, Two Dog Biscuits, Ramona Quimby - Age 8 and others. www.beverlycleary.com/beverlycleary/
April 21 - Barbara Park. Author of Buddies, The Kid in the Red Jacket, Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying and other titles. www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=23194
April 23 - William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Poet, playwright and author. www.shakespeare.com or www.shakespeare-online.com/biography
April 26 - Patricia Reilly Giff. Author of Sunny-side Up and other juvenile fiction. www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-giff-patricia-reilly.asp; and
www.yourlibrary.ws/childrens_webpage/j-author.htm.
Summer Reading News
Sign Up Today for Summer Reading Outreach Opportunities
Today (March 14) is the dealine to apply for ICFL's Bright Futures Outreach Opportunities. We have some great summer reading materials and books to really make your program shine. It is fast and easy to apply online so do it today! If you have questions, call Peggy at 1-800-458-3271 or 334-2150.
Resources for Catch the Reading Bug
The new Youth Services head at the Meridian District Library, Kathryn Foley, wanted to share this information with Idaho librarians. She wrote,"Last year in British Columbia, Canada, we also did "Catch the Reading Bug' and I would like to share the website that our provincial library group set up for our use. You can find it at www.bcpl.gov.bc.ca/src/lib2007/index.htm. I believe any of it, except possibly the artwork, could be used." Thanks, Kathryn, and welcome to Idaho!
For those of you with an adventurous spirit and a flair for baking, the Family Fun website has included several delicious recipes to make all kinds of bug-related treats!
Use a summer reading-themed design on your website
ICFL has created some special webpage designs to go with the 2008 child and teen summer reading themes. Libraries participating in the "e-branch in a box" project can use a specially formatted "theme" on their web sites. ICFL web designer Eric Hildreth has created some tutorials to help libraries.
School Zone
Idaho Teacher Librarians Bring Students to the 21st Century
Forty teacher librarians and their invited VIP's (principals and other adminstrators) convereged in Meridian to attend a two and a half day inservice focusing on the Big 6 research skills. The event started on Sunday afternoon with an Exploritorium highlighting eight creative ideas that librarians have implemented at their schools. The teacher librarians also had the chance to more fully explore the LiLI Databases and learn about skills that businesses are looking for when they hire people.
ICFL staff member Charlotte Fowles helped plan the workshop and attended all three days. She said the best part was seeing seeing all the VIPs there. "Seeing the decision makers from the school there with the teacher librarians and supporting their work was exciting. They were enthusiastic about the 21st Century skill areas and the possibilities of using Big 6 lessons at their schools. They were also very supportive of the role of the teacher librarians. That was great to see," she said.
Know the Numbers
Most of the reading problems faced by today's adolescents and adults are the result of problems that might have been avoided or resolved in their early childhood years (National Research Council, 2000). "Reading is typically acquired relatively predictably by children who… have had experiences in early childhood that fostered motivation and provided exposure to literacy in use. (National Research Council, 2000)
60% of the kindergartners in neighborhoods where children did poorly in school did not own a single book. The Patterns of Book Ownership and Reading, D. Feitelson and Z. Goldstein, 1986
(Cited on the San Mateo County Library's web site: www.smcl.org/services/RAR/Statistics.html)
A Closer Look at Read to Me Expansion
Mini-grant funds to help foster best practices
Funding is available for 30 mini-grants. Get a copy of the application requirements and application forms here. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2008. Projects will begin in August 2008.
Funding will also be available to double the number of children participating in First Book (1,500 children) and Jump Start (11,000 children).
If you have any questions, please contact Peggy or Stephanie by email or call 1-800-458-3271 or 334-2150 (Boise area).
Tips & Tools
In the last Scoop issue we took a closer look at El Dia de los Ninos. Here is a great resource for libraries planning special programs or events. This eight-page resource list
http://data.webjunction.org/wj/documents/19685.pdf
Growing Comunidad: Library Programs and Materials for Latino Youth
[These great resources were part of the Growing Comunidad: Library Programs and Materials for Latino Youth Workshop taught by Jamie Campbell Naidoo, Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina, School of Library and Information Science. They are posted on Web Junction (www.webjunction.org/do/Home) under the Families, Teens, and Kids section of Spanish Language Outreach]
Check out the IMLS Online Project Planning Tutorial at http://e-services.imls.gov/project_planning
The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services' (IMLS) online tutorial to help libraries and museums develop project plans for its National Leadership Grant applications. While this planning tool is designed for developing competitive IMLS grant applications, it can be used by anyone who would like to learn more about project planning and development. Senior program officers at IMLS with years of experience coaching applicants worked together with museum professionals and librarians to develop this learning resource. IMLS hopes it will be useful in many different settings, including professional education and development, staff training and a wide array of project planning activities.
News Beyond Idaho
Kids! @ your library® campaign targets tweens too
The Kids! @ your library® Campaign, created by children's librarians for children's librarians, kicked off in 2006. The goal of the campaign, developed by ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children division, is to provide librarians with tools to promote their library services to school-aged children. These tools were designed to be used together to create a large public relations initiative or separately to enhance individual library programs or promotions.
The initial target group for the campaign was children in grades K-4, their parents and caregivers. The ALSC Public Awareness Committee would like to expand the campaign by adding materials to the tool kit for grades 5-8, making it inclusive for grades K-8. You can access our free tool kit at www.ala.org/kids. Additionally, the committee is currently collecting and sharing best practice experiences on the Kids! @ your library® Best Practices wiki; a link to it is available on our Web site.
ALSC is seeking your input before adding materials for grades 5-8. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at www.ala.org/kids .
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.
