Are We Too Centered in Our Storytimes?

Lindsey Krabbenhoft at Jbrary recently wrote a thought-provoking post about how emotionally invested we can become in "our" storytime and how that can really negatively affect the quality of our service.

Lindsey writes: "I’ve been reflecting the past few months on the special place storytime holds in my heart. This reflection has coincided with my journey to have a healthier balance between work and home life. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with being emotionally invested in my work. But I also think it’s helpful to check this investment against my own ego from time to time.

I came up with the following model as a way to help me see if my philosophy and my practice are in alignment. I started to ask myself: Who is the center of my storytimes? What information am I sharing and why? What is guiding my decision making when planning? To help me answer these questions I’ve framed storytime as The Great Connector. When I view storytime through this lens it helps me focus on the following three connections."  

Those connections include connecting families to the library; to each other and to the storytime presenter.  Lindsey seeks balance among all three.

You can read her fascinating analysis here. [I'm Not the Center of Storytime and That's OK. Krabbenhoft, Lindsey. Jbrary. May 23, 2023.]

We Are Kids Lit Summer Reading List 2023

Hot off the presses, the We Are Kid Lit Collective has just published its wonderfully diverse booklist for the summer!

They write: "Are you looking for a curated summer reading list that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and intersecting identities? The We Are Kid Lit Collective selects books by and about BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), with attention to their intersecting identities. Chosen books are thoroughly selected, discussed and vetted by two or more members so that they can be free of microaggressions, stereotypes, or vestiges of imperialism. 2023 We Are Kid Lit Collective members: Sam Bloom, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo Vazquez and Lyn Miller-Lachmann"

DIvided into picture book, early readers, Click here to access this summer reading list.

Tackling the Tough Stuff

Sometimes we have difficult situations involving violence and traumatic experiences in our communities, regions or state. A recent ALSC blog post by Chelsea Roos addresses school shootings and how to build our collections to help families and children cope with the resulting trauma.

She writes: "There have been 160 school shootings since 2018. Every shooting leaves shocked, scared, and traumatized children in its wake. Children who have never had an act of gun violence in their school are also aware of these shootings. They happen in schools just like theirs, towns just like theirs. Sharing books can be a great way to support kids who have fears and to start a conversation about gun violence – but this is not easy, given the very small number of books published on the subject. How can we build a strong collection when there is so little published?"

To read the whole post and her book recommendations, please stop here. [On School Shootings and Difficult Collection Development. Roos, Chelsey.  ALSC Blog. May 12, 2023]

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Once or twice a month on weekends, YSS posts round-ups of ads that are sent to us or that we come across. If you have a position opening up and would like to see it on the YSS blog, please forward the job ad link/descriptions to the YSS blog at the email address listed in the header above the day's blog post.

Here is final May listing:

The application deadline for this position has been extended to Friday, June 2^nd at 8:00AM.

Children's Services Librarian, Menomonee Falls Public Library (full-time)

Full Time: 40 hours per week

Pay range: $21.93-25.49 hourly

Application Deadline: Friday, May 26 at 5:00 PM CST

Position Description:

Are you passionate about providing excellent library services to children and their families? Do you enjoy developing early literacy programming and helping the youngest patrons find their new favorite book? Menomonee Falls Public Library is looking for our next full time Children's Services Librarian to enrich the community with dedication to promoting literacy for children ages 0-12 and creating a vibrant Children’s department.

MFPL is seeking someone friendly, enthusiastic, creative and organized with excellent communication skills. The ideal candidate enjoys working with all people and strives to provide high quality, fun, and innovative library service for children and families. The Children's Services Librarian is responsible for collaborating with the Youth Services team to develop children's programming and services. Serving children ages 0-12 and their caregivers, the Children's Services Librarian will also participate in collection development and assist patrons at our reference desks. 

Candidates must have a Master's Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited institution. Library experience is strongly preferred but not required. Applicants should have extensive knowledge of children's literature, entertainment resources, and reference sources, a strong understanding of child development and psychology, and experience working with children and families. This is a full time position scheduled at 40 hours per week with starting hourly rate of pay ranging from $21.93-25.49.

Apply by visiting GovernmentJobs.com. Position open until filled. Deadline for applying is Friday, May 26^th at 5:00 PM Central time.

Menomonee Falls Public Library is a proud member of Bridges Library System. Serving a community of over 39,000 people, the Village of Menomonee Falls is a growing community with a focus on early literacy and excellence for children.

For more information, please visit https://www.menomoneefallslibrary.org/childrens-services-librarian/.

 

Claire de Rochefort-Reynolds

Youth Services Manager

Menomonee Falls Public Library

W156 N8436 Pilgrim Road

Menomonee Falls, WI 53051

Direct Line: (262) 532-8917

Fun Fridays - STEM Storytimes

Jamie Mercer is the Head of Youth Services at W.J. Niederkorn (Port Washington) Library and shares some extra fun with easy and/or FREE programming ideas/tips.

Happy Friday! 

Jamie Mercer is the Head of Youth Services at W.J. Niederkorn (Port Washington) Library and shares some extra fun with easy and/or FREE programming ideas/tips.

Today I want to share STEM Storytime programming information from our fabulous storyteller, Amy Hagenow!  Amy holds a STEM Storytime once a week (in previous summers it was twice a week)!  During the school year, she also offers a STEM storytime program for older children in the evening once per month. 

Where does she get the ideas, the resources, the energy? 

Amy, a retired teacher, loves seeing the delight in the children’s eyes, knowing they are having fun and so this program is fun for her to do. 

She uses items that are easily available and repurposed, as well as free material from the website https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ 

Also, the dollar store is always a children’s librarian’s friend when it comes to programming.  

As far as cultivating a successful program, Amy begins her program with one short story that gives a good overview of the topic for the week, followed by a song (often a piggyback tune related to the theme of the week) or a flannel activity/game (that she makes herself with scrap flannel or flannel purchased cheaply from a discount store like Walmart). 

Amy then plans a combination of hands-on activities and make & take crafts that build fine motor control as well as academics. 

Finally she pairs all of this with a great book display that she changes out weekly based on her theme. 

Families love Miss Amy and her STEM Storytime.  We are so fortunate to be able to offer it.  

If you have any questions, email Amy Hagenow at ahagenow@monarchlibraries.org 

Bitty Book Club

Bitty Book Club, a program for caregivers and their children between the ages of 2-5, is a collaboration between the Family Resource Center, Progressive Beginnings, and the Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, WI.  The monthly family engagement program brings Parent Educators, Physical Therapists, Librarians, and families together to encourage a child’s motor, language, and social development.

Bitty Book Club is run similarly to a storytime, in that it features a book, music, and developmentally appropriate activities that support school readiness skills with a focus on relationship building.  What makes it unique, is that each family is given a copy of the same book, which is read together as a group.  There is also a stronger focus on socialization and free play than a traditional storytime program, as the read aloud is only a small portion of the time spent together. Additionally, trained Parent Educators and Physical Therapists are present to point out child development milestones to watch for, and answer any questions that parents have. 

The program runs for 1 hour, twice monthly, on a Tuesday morning and afternoon.  The first 15 minutes of the program are an opportunity for children and their caregivers to get comfortable in the space while listening to music and sharing toys like magnatiles, magnet letters, a balance beam, and a variety of table top activities that encourage matching and/or sorting.   Next, a Parent Educator or Librarian reads the story aloud, prompting choral reading moments, movement, or encouraging caregivers to point out details in illustrations.  The idea is to model the way a book can be extended by reading more than just the words on the page.  The book may be followed up with a related finger play, rhyme, or song.  During the last 30 minutes of the program, families are invited to explore additional activities that are inspired by the book- which could range from a movement path, sensory bins, process art activities, or a selection of carefully curated toys and manipulatives.

The Family Resource Center and Progressive Beginnings provide several staff members who plan activities, bring toys, manipulatives, and craft supplies.  The Library provides the space, purchases copies of the book, and supplements any craft materials that may be needed.  Staff from all organizations collaborate on book selections that can both be used to support developmental milestones, the interest of participants (as collected through surveys), and are available within budget.  All organizations involved help with marketing the program.  An average total of 4 staff members facilitate the program, with a growing average of 40 people in attendance per session.  Pre-registration for families is not required, and books are available on a first come, first served basis.    

The program continues to attract new families each month.  Caregivers are learning new ways to read books with their children. “This program is a great way for me to learn how to do more than just read the book with my child.” said one participant.  Caregivers shared that because of this program, they plan to do things like singing songs with books, asking questions about the illustrations, and replicate some of the fine motor activities from the sessions.  For staff, it is an opportunity to build community, collaborate with and learn from other professionals, and to cross promote services of all organizations involved.  

If you have questions about Bitty Book Club you can reach out to: Alison Loewen, Librarian, Mead Public Library alison.loewen@meadpl.org ; Darlyn Summers, Parent Educator, Family Resource Center dsummers@frc-sc.org; Jessica Oakland, PT DPT, Progressive Beginnings jessicapt@progbeg.com 

Tuesday Tips - Reading Celebration

Sam Jones is the Youth Services Librarian at the Beaver Dam Public Library. She shares tips to make your job easier in her Tuesday posts.

One program we put on that really went well recently was our Reading Celebration. This was our 20th year doing one with the Alpha Xi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. They have been a great group to partner with and they help out a ton with the event. The parties consist of read-alouds, crafts, and a snack. The celebrations usually have a literary character as a theme. This year it was Elephant and Piggie. 

This year, our craft was Elephant and Piggie paper bag puppets. We had cake in honor of this being our 20th celebration, and Gerald and Piggie themselves made an appearance! I have to shout out Jackie from Germantown for being fantastic and loaning us their Gerald and Piggie costumes. Children loved to take their photos with them. Someone even brought in their own copies of Elephant and Piggie and asked Gerald and Piggie to sign the books! We had some great high school volunteers in the costumes who got the kids to have a ton of fun. I'm super excited to start planning our next one and deciding which character will be our guest of honor next time!

Chair's Corner - May 2023 YSS Board Updates

Today's May 2023 YSS board meeting update is from Alison Loewen, our YSS 2023 Chair and Youth Services Librarian, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan

Are you feeling it?  The sweet promise of summer? Because I am!  Storytimes ended last week, and as I leaned back in my chair and let out a long sigh, I allowed the thought of summer break to sink in.  I could almost feel the warm sun on my skin, the sand between my toes, and the taste of sweet lemonade; wonderful, relaxing summer. And then I remembered that I’m a Youth Services Librarian and that it’s only just about to get busy!

With the Summer Reading Program gearing up, the new summer math adventure program on the horizon, guest performers, storytimes, and outreach events our Library calendar is booked.  And I have a laundry list of things I want to get done both around my house, and in my garden.  Not to mention all the family and friends I need to catch up with that I neglected during my winter hibernation.

In a recent Monarch Youth Services meeting I attended, YS Consultant Heather Fischer, asked seasoned Librarians to give advice to those who were newer to summer programming.  One colleague reminded us that summer will happen with or without us.  That no matter how much of ourselves we give to our libraries, that summer will happen regardless; and to not get down if things don’t go exactly as planned, or we don’t end up doing everything we wanted to.  And most important, remember to take some time for yourself, because it is your summer too.  

But before you take the vacation days you deserve, I want to give you a heads up about some exciting upcoming opportunities.  Did you know that we have another solar eclipse happening in 2024?  Don’t worry too much, however.  Wisconsin is not in the path of totality, so likely you won’t have the same mad rush for eclipse glasses as you did in 2017.  But if you do want to distribute glasses and plan programming, check out Starnet.  Also watch for news from DPI, who will have 4 solar eclipse programming kits to share with libraries around the State.

Also, keep your eye on the WLA conference page, as speaker info is released and registration opens.  YSS is planning another gathering at the conference, so if you missed our social at WAPL, we’de love to meet you at WLA.   

Alright, that’s all for now!  Make the most of your May, and remember to take time for yourself this summer -  have fun!

Avoid Pre-Summer Burn-out

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay 

In a recent ALSC blog post, Kirsten Caldwell shared her tips on ways to stay fresh, focused and strengthened during the busy prep before SLP.

She writes: "Summer is youth librarians’ busiest (and most exciting) time of the year. We spend MONTHS planning for it, it happens, and then we start planning again. So how do we avoid getting summer burnout before the summer program even starts?"

To read her tips (which can help you during SLP craziness as well), please stop here! [Avoiding Summer Burnout Before Summer Starts. Caldwell, Kirsten. ALSC blog. May 16, 2023]

Fun Fridays - Pokemon Trading Cards Day

Jamie Mercer is the Head of Youth Services at W.J. Niederkorn (Port Washington) Library and shares some extra fun with easy and/or FREE programming ideas/tips.

I am so super excited to share with you this next program for Fun Friday!

It can be as little or as much prep as you want it to be.

At the request of a patron, we decided to run a Pokémon Trading Day program.  I really didn’t know what to expect.  I planned a few crafts for the younger crowd (a Pikachu crown, Pokémon I-Spy page, and a design your own Pokémon card activity).  Then we set out two tables for card trading and two tables for game play (we did advertise that if participants wanted to play the card game that they would need to provide their own decks and play mats).

It was awesomely overwhelming!  For the hour and a half that the program ran, we had a total attendance of over 90 people.  Not only that, aside from welcoming patrons, answering questions, promoting library services, and monitoring craft supplies, the program ran itself.  I was able to float from our community room to our children’s library with little to no issue. 

Kids cracked their binders of Pokémon trading cards and away they went.  In retrospect, I don’t think I even needed the craft activities or the game tables.  The focus was definitely the card trading and I had to pull out additional tables for kids to stand at for this purpose.

Before the program ended, we had several families ask when we were going to have the next trading event.  We were so thrilled!

If you are looking for a fun, quick, low prep/low cost program, I highly recommend a Pokémon Card Trading event!  Kids will LOVE it!

YSS April 2023 Board Meeting Notes

Youth Services Section Board Meeting

April 12, 2023

1:30-3pm

Present: Ashley, Linda, Valerie, Jeni, Cathy, Murray, Claire, Jenna, Alison

Approve April Agenda-   Ashley motions, Jenna seconds, pass

Approve March Minutes  Claire Motions, Jenna Seconds, pass 

Old Business

• DPI Updates

• Teen Internship pilot program

• Have LSTA funds available for libraries to have a hired teen intern.  The teens would work on a connected learning project. Based off of PLA’s inclusive internship program.  The teens would work with the library to create a project/program based on the identified needs of the community.  Pilot is with 5 libraries, starting July 1st - end of August. 

• Summer workshop with school media specialists

• Professional Development opportunity for public libraries and school media specialists who are new to the field. It will be a 2 day workshop with programming, educational sessions, and networking opportunities. Save the date for August 1-2nd.  Location is TBA. 

• WLA updates

• General

• Board met in March.  41 people applied for the Leadership Development Institute, the first convening is at WAPL.  The hope is that it will be a successful pilot year with the new structure.   Participants are mostly public librarians, but there are some academic and special librarians as well

• The Freedom Task Force has been hard at work.  Recommendations were made to the Board as to how WLA can support Intellectual Freedom Challenges.  Some immediate recommendations were made, and also a long term vision. (5 year plan).  The plan is to make resources available in the future, so libraries have tools available to help them in the moment of a challenge.  

• WAPL price increase due to increasing hotel charges, and also food is included. The Board understands that this could be a barrier.  Conversations are ongoing to provide options to accommodate those who cannot attend due to cost.  How can WLA make it feasible and cost effective to encourage attending?

• Some ideas from the YSS Board are a fully virtual YSS specific conference, making it accessible to everyone- regardless of whether you can attend in person or not.  Could be a 1 day, biannual event, with the goal of creating a new model for sharing information. 

• Conference Social

• Ashley, Caitlin are considering options for date and time.  A few other YSS board members volunteered to help out.  Games being considered are BINGO, Really Loud Librarians.  Perhaps a site visit- maybe the CCBC after hours event if it were possible; prior conversations with CCBC imply that a YSS social would be an option, or a day-time bus trip from the conference. 

• Luncheon 

• Everything is set for the luncheon speaker! A formal announcement will be made a few weeks from now. 

• Performers showcase

• Save the Date November 10th.  Time TBA.  

• YSS will compile a google doc of their favorite performers to share with WLA

• WLA Presents webinar series

• Teen webinar series

• April 18, 3-4pm: Teen Programming

• May 11, 2-3pm: TAG/Volunteers

• All ready to go for April, still accepting registrations.

• Team just met about the May event.  It will have a panel of 4 presenters.  Details will be made public soon.

• Looking forward (CCBC Booktalk, other ideas?)

• Still thinking about book talk / book promotions for September.

• WAPL Social Committee

• Claire, Cathy, and Murray are working on details.  Program sharing (bring a 1 sheet handout with description of a program that could be implemented in another library).

• Blog Update -

•  all is well. 

• Marge is re-running the blog post on the YSS teen webinar on Saturday. 

• Board members, feel free to provide blog content! 

• Let me know if you need anything else.

• We might consider inviting someone from the Intellectual Freedom SIG to be a regular contributor to share information that is affecting libraries around the country.

• SIG meets 10-11 Mondays, Cathy will represent YSS

• Regional Meet-ups

• Still ironing out details, ways to combine WAPL social with meet-up.  CCBC is a possibility if a visit doesn’t work out at WLA

• Marketing Committee

• Marketing working on upcoming webinar promotions

• And the Performers Showcase Save the Date announcement

• Children’s Book Award

• Childrens Book Award had its first meeting on Monday and are working their way through the list.  Final meeting will be in May to decide winner and honorees. 

New Business

• Can we reschedule next meeting to May 17th? Same time?

• Next YSS Meeting will be May 17th 1:30-3pm

Claire motions to adjourn, Linda seconds

Minutes recorded by Caitlin Schaffer, secretary 

LEGO Marble Run Program

Hanna Collins is the Youth Services Librarian at Slinger Community Library. 

We recently held a family program at our small library that was a great success! One Saturday a month we host a family-style program at the library. All ages can participate, and we’ve been excited to see a wide range of families, including grandparents, cousins, and friends. 

For our April program, I planned a LEGO Marble Run event. Before I began working at Slinger (and I believe before the pandemic), the library hosted LEGO programs on a semi-regular basis. Building always seems popular with kids, and I knew we already had a collection of standard LEGOs. While browsing for something more than just a basic building program, I stumbled across this Frugal Fun 4 Boys blog post. I loved the additional STEM elements of using a pool noodle as an inclined plane and observing the effect it had on the speed and distance the marble traveled.

By looking at the pictures, I could see that larger LEGO blocks would make building a lot easier. As part of the PBS Kids Learning Cohort for this year, we received a stipend to purchase materials to support programs. I needed large LEGOs for one of these programs, so this was also a great opportunity to get more use out of our new items. We ended up purchasing three PREXTEX sets from Amazon. I purchased 8 pool noodles from Dollar Tree for only about $1.25 each. They were cut in half with a box cutter, then cut into various lengths. A bag of marbles was about $6 on Amazon. 

I also gathered some other materials from our craft room. We had foam block shapes and plastic boxes of various sizes to aid in building. You could also use various recycled materials if you have them available. The morning of the program I spread materials out as evenly as I could on the floor and on tables. Thirteen families had registered on SignUp Genius. I debated having all sets on the floor, but I’m glad I set up tables because we did have grandparents who didn’t want to be on the floor and a child in a wheelchair.

I put on some happy working music and families started to stream in! There really was a wide variety of ages, including babies who just wanted to suck on a block, whole families, and a group of grandparents who just wanted to watch and encourage grandkids. Several stations had standard LEGOS, but for the most part patrons used the larger PREXTEX blocks. Creativity wasn’t lacking! One child put two pool noodle halves together to form a tunnel. Some structures were tall and some were long. There were bridges and turns, and lots of trial and error.

I traveled to each station offering support and encouragement, especially to families with younger children. I posed questions sometimes like, “how could you make the noodle more stable?” or “how could you get the marble to go faster?”. A couple kids got frustrated, including a toddler who didn’t want anyone to watch him building (I respected his wishes and steered clear!).

As an added incentive for people to attend, we had two door prizes - a LEGO Head, and a Classic Creative Suitcase. After advertising this on our Facebook and Instagram pages a couple weeks before, our registration definitely went up!

Overall, the program went great! Families were happy apart from some minor meltdowns of little ones. I did use one other staff member to assist with set-up and take-down, which only took about fifteen minutes. Our final count was 35 participants, which was a great turnout for a family event for our library.

Summer Reading Lists from ALSC

Annually, ALA's Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Quicklists Consulting Committee shares recommended reading lists for the summer. They also recommend a range of "range of apps, podcasts, and websites to help kids discover and develop their interests." 

Stop here to download these free lists!

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth at the Library webinar

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay 

The Indiana State Library is sponsoring a one-hour free webinar on Thursday May 18 from 10-11:00 am CST entitled Port in the Storm: How You Can Support LGBTQ+ Youth:

Our LGBTQIA+ youth are increasingly under attack and subjected to constant bullying. Participants will learn how to easily identify themselves as an ally: a port in the storm. Participants will also receive resources and advice on how to navigate the troubled waters with these formative young people. Bring your questions, concerns, and your fears as we engage in meaningful dialogue so we can better support our LGBTQIA+ youth and provide shelter in the storm.   1hr / 1 LEU

Presenter:  Jayne Walters (she/her) is a Board Member and the Director of Education for Indy Pride, co-founder of the LGBTQ+ Services Committee for IndyPL, and the first openly transgender manager in the history of Indianapolis Public Library. Having worked in libraries for over 14 years, her writing has been featured in Children & Libraries, Library Journal, and is a contributing author in the book Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries. She has spoken on LGBTQ+ issues for libraries, companies, and on the news, (2022). Her passions include LGBTQIA+ representation in juvenile literature; making sure libraries are accessible and equitable for the community and making them a safe and welcoming environment for both patrons and staff.

Register here and a Zoom link will be sent to you. 

Can't attend live?  Request the recording here.