2019-09-12 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 4, Issue 1

Featured Story

Spicing up a Bland Storytime

As a storytime librarian I am always looking for ways to change things up for the kiddos. I can get bored with the same songs and felt stories-(even if they don’t.) They could excitedly sing baby shark every week, but I can’t. I have incorporated the use of puppets, and felt stories, but I recently started to add other dimensions to my routine. Adding ASL to my stortimes has been rewarding and easier than I expected. First, I consulted a good book, (Little Hands Big Hands) then I printed the ASL images from the internet to place on my activity board so kids and caregivers can see the movements as I do them. Every storytime begins with the “color song” as the patrons arrive so the stragglers have time to join and the kids can quickly get ready with their carpet squares. As I do red, blue, yellow and so on, I will perform the sign as I sing each color. Then I pick one other word to sign for the day. One day I signed “eggs” while we discussed farms. They picked it up so fast and even remembered the sign from the last week.

Need more ideas? Here are two other sites that can help with story time as well.

  1. Gigsalad is a great resource for ideas to liven up your storytime.
  2. And let’s not forget my heroes, Jbrary. Dana and Lindsey are storytime pros and my must for storytime ideas and planning. Mmm Ah went the little green frog is one of my favorites.
  3. And finally the new training the ICFL offers for integrating Coding into storytime is fantastic. This is a great way to prepare preschoolers for the future, and Jennifer Redford’s easy to follow videos are amazing. By using sequencing, patterns and coding language kids will encounter later for familiarity, is an invaluable addition to early childhood education storytimes.

Remember, just peppering a few new ideas can give storytimes a little jolt that will help you and your kiddos (and they will never suspect they are learning and having fun.)

– Rasheil Stanger, Valley of the Tetons Library

Fail Forward

We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.

The Inner Workings of Library Embargoes

Today’s fail forward is a satire, written like a guest post to show a possible viewpoint from an anonymous employee of a Big Five publisher:

“We have messed up horribly. I am not here to throw any of my punches when I say that the embargo we have placed on eBook lending to libraries was too little, too late. When we think about the mission of a library, to let everyone read books without giving any recognition to the original author, we have to also think about the burden this places on large corporate publishers with big overhead costs. Our company is on the front lines, making sure the important authors- the ones whose work is made for mass appeal- get the monetary compensation they are owed. Without publishers, there would not be libraries to peddle books and encourage the decline of basic support to the arts. Our moderate effort to allow libraries access to our electronic book offerings after a probationary period is the first step in the right direction. No one has problems with reading a physical book, anyway.

I can tell, from the sanctimonious responses from the libraries’ governing body (the American Library Association), the would-be authors attaching themselves to other publishing companies and spouting off pro-library rants, and the virulent coverage from certain press outfits, that we will need to work harder in the future to ensure the right message is sent to the public: access to books is reserved for those willing to support publishing conglomerates…uh, authors. It is a privilege, not a right. I know my parents, who still buy me plenty of my books, would agree.”

This post was satire about a current event. For more information, read on:

The American Library Association is asking libraries to voice our opposition to Macmillan’s new policy by signing this petition and telling Macmillan CEO John Sargent that access to eBooks should not be delayed or denied. Conversations can be found on social media with the hashtag #eBooksForAll. More information about this embargo and relevant articles about libraries can be found below:

For information concerning ways libraries benefit publishers and authors, try starting here:

For other advocacy and resources, trying looking here:

– Donovan Kay, Capital High School

Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!

Oneida County Library

When I grew up our library didn’t have a website, so that might give you an inkling about how old I am… ha! Information wasn’t readily available like it is now. Most libraries these days have websites that give their patrons, and prospective patrons, information about the library as well as the ability to search the catalog, download audio and ebooks, all the fun library stuff we enjoy.

While I was searching the internet, for random things because I like random information, I came across the Oneida County Library website. Their website had all the relevant information you would find on a library website, with an interesting addition. On the top of their site, there’s a link to “Interesting Sites.”

My curiosity got the better of me because I don’t usually see things like that on library websites, so I clicked it. I was shown a list of websites ranging from the FlyLady, for organization tips, to Wacky Uses, for fun and interesting uses for household products. My favorite link was the Time Capsule. Enter your birthday, or any other day you want to know about, and it will give you news headlines, prices of items, and all kinds of interesting information that occurred on that day. I got so far down on the list as I looked at all the interesting information that I almost forgot where I found them – on a library website!

Strange and interesting websites aren’t a typical addition to library websites but I thought it was a fun find. Kudos to Oneida County Library for having something different and interesting!

– Vanessa Thiele, East Bonner County Library District

Mountain Home’s Escape Room

I have a crush on Mountain Home’s Escape Room. It looks like so much fun. The best part are the photos on Facebook. The patrons are so happy. Daughters and dads, neighborhood kids, retired ladies, high-school drama club… everybody is connecting and having fun at the Library. I love it!

– Lindsey Pettyjohn, Garden City Public Library

SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at splat.lili.org

SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-00-19-0013-19). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.