Preschool Prom!

Ah, prom.  An evening of fancy outfits, dancing, and shenanigans.

But why should high schoolers get to have all the fun?

Recently, we held our first-ever Preschool Prom at the library.  Our littlest patrons and their grown-ups were encouraged to don their fanciest attire and shake, wiggle, and giggle--and enjoy snacks, of course.

The great thing about this program was, once in full swing, it basically ran itself.  Kids love to dance--either with each other or a grown up--so in terms of staff responsibility, the main concerns were crowd control and shaking your groove thing.

To create a prom-like atmosphere, a few select accessories and crafts were planned and/or assembled ahead of time.

• Wee corsages!  (Fake flowers + ribbon + hot glue = super cute fancy accessories for the entire crew!)
  
• "Fancy" beverages! (sparkly ribbons and double-sided tape make even the simplest water bottles look mighty fancy)
  
• DIY Crowns!  (Why choose one king and queen when EVERYONE can be royalty?!)
  
• Create Your Own Scepter Station! (Craft sticks, die-cut shapes, crayons, and washi tape--oh my!)
  
• Balloons!  Oh, the balloons!
• A super sweet, dance-tastic playlist!
• Photo ops!
  
• Snacks!  (We kept it simple and kid-friendly: string cheese, popcorn, cookies, and water.)

This program was fun, easy, and loved by attendees of all ages.  It'll definitely a recurring offering in the library's programming schedule.

                           

   

After-Hours Progamming

We started a Teen Advisory Board in September and it's blasted off with a bang. At every meeting, they've been requesting After Hours events. And I sooooo want to grant their wish like a fairy godmother. But first we must go through the dreaded gauntlet. The Library Board. 

The kids have done their homework though. We've done surveys, we've had phone interviews with other librarians. We've written a formal proposal and have nominated representatives to appear before the board. I'm very proud of their professionalism, maturity and initiative.

Have other librarians been successful in getting library board approval for after hours programs? Do you wish you could? Are there specific reasons your board has said "no"? 

And while I want this intensely for my teens, I can see a whole slew of programming ideas for patrons of all ages.

I heart PGH

Teen Librarian Toolbox Blog Post 

I love Libraries Article