Awesome Jar

This idea originally came from Sara at Bryce Don't Play.  I took her original idea, made it fit my building, and added some new twists.

We have a set of display shelves in my department that nobody ever wants to refill.  I decided that we would let the customers do it themselves and we would fill in where needed (and monitor it).  I started with an empty plastic jar and labeled it the "Awesome Jar".  I put out slips of paper asking for a person's first name and an awesome book that they have read.  When books are low on the shelves, I raid the slips in the jar for more titles.

This was our display when I set it up.

To get more mileage out of people's recommendations, I am also tweeting them out every so often.  If you check the hashtag #cmplawesomejar, you will see a couple of our titles so far.  Now that people are seeing these recommendations and the display, the jar is filling up!

Early Literacy Station-Today's Weather

If you are looking for a quick and easy early literacy station to put up in your library, you may want to try this out.  I will admit that I put it together for its simplicity since I was out for a couple of weeks at the beginning of our summer reading program.  It is called "Today's Weather".

I always put out a sign with instructions and to highlight various early literacy skills.  This way maybe parents will see it as instructional, rather than just a babysitting tool.

All of the materials started off out with the station.  I have since learned that boxes of colored pencils do not do well in public library activity rooms.  They are now at the reference desk with a sign to ask for them.

The point of this station is for kids to make an observation.  What is today's weather?  They then will write their weather word (usually with help) and draw a picture of it.  Finally, they add their submission to our mailbox (really, everybody needs a giant mailbox!).

As submissions come in, I hang them up above the early literacy station.  It is our gallery of early literacy goodness.  Plus, there are some great weather pictures!  Here are some of them below:

If you would like to steal this idea, feel free to click here for the sign and the form.