New Year's Resolutions 2015

It's that time of year again!  I am a big fan of resolutions or goals as they allow you to see where you have been and plot where you are going.  Last year I posted my list of goals here and I am happy to say that I have completed everything on my In the Library list.  Highlights of my past year include:

• We redid our Activity Room in January with new toys and targeted signage highlighting early literacy skills.
• Our YS team decided to start work this fall on early literacy calendars.  These will go live on January 1.
• We got a grant to start a circulating early literacy kit collection.  Our first kits went live in April and we can't keep them on the shelf.
• We began incorporating STEAM into our programming plans.  We now run a Little Scientists program for ages 3-6 and a Mad Scientists program for ages 7-12.  This is in addition to our Tablet Tales program, Bedtime Math, and Block Parties.
• I worked to become a better manager.  This one is ongoing and will be on my list for this year too.
• I survived my first library millage.

Now onto my 2015 plans/goals:

• We got another grant to expand our early literacy kit collection.  This means that more kits will be created and the contents will eventually be posted on this blog.
• We will be doing a nonfiction reorganization this winter and will be adding BISAC subject headings.
• In my mind, this is the year of the school.  We are working hard on connecting with local schools and building relationships.  This is the year where we will be pushing outside of our walls and getting out into the community.
• Keep working on becoming a better manager. 

I will be taking a year off from presenting at conferences, but will still be working with two great librarians to put on Michigan's second unconference-MiKidLib15.  If you are within traveling distance of Kalamazoo, Michigan, plan on attending on Friday, April 24.

What are your plans for 2015?

Candy Madness

Our library has a Fun Committee, funded by our Friends of the Library, that comes up with ideas to increase morale among staff.  Candy Madness is a program that we have wanted to run for staff the past couple of years, but couldn't quite figure out the logistics.  This year we made it happen!

Prep
Start with the fact that candy=increased staff happiness.  I don't know if you have this situation where you work, but whenever we put out food, 5 minutes later it looks like scavengers picked through it.  All that is left are the wrappers!  We were trying to find a way to disperse candy to staff in a new and unique way that also maximizes fun.

A couple of years ago, we found a bracket put out by ESPN during March Madness that only dealt with candy and treats.  It's like they were speaking to us!  All it was missing was a tasting component.

We made our own bracket and tried to use things that we might actually be able to find at a local store (no razor blade apples).  Our selections naturally made four categories-Classic 1, Classic 2, Holiday, and Movie Theater.

The Game
We hung up a sign with instructions and dates of each round (to coincide with March Madness, of course).

Staff were asked to vote for their favorite in each pairing using hash marks.  Winners moved onto the next round.

The Finals
This week we are celebrating our Final Four.  It looks something like this.

 Lots of candy-don't put it all out at once or it will instantly disappear!

A condensed bracket

Notes for Next Year 

We operated under a number of assumptions that we probably shouldn't have.

• People know how to make hash marks (and cross them when you hit five).
• People understand the concept of brackets and that you vote once per pairing, rather than once overall.
• People will be happy with 64 possible choices of candy.  While I thought this was a lot, I have gotten a list of things that were left out.  Next year we may open up a category early for people to make their suggestions.

Despite these glitches, this has been a really fun program.  Staff has been tasting candy and discussing results.

New Year's Resolutions

As the year draws to a close, it is a good time to set some goals for 2014.  Here are my plans for the upcoming year:

In the Library

• Redo our Activity Room to focus more on early literacy and learning.
• Create monthly early literacy calendars.
• Put together circulating early literacy kits. 
• Add STEAM programming to our program plans
• Become a better manager (Ongoing process, I know, but it has only been 4 months and there is still much to learn.) 
• Survive my first library millage with my sanity intact.

Online
Yes, I do have more great blog posts planned, including:

• How to use a stretchy band in story time
• Scarf activities
• Why booklists matter
• What every children's librarian should know

Presentations and Conferences
This winter, I am starting off the year with a bang. I am pretty clear after March, but then we get into the time of summer reading.  If you see me at any of these, stop by to say "hi".

• "App Up Your Story Times" at ISLOC in January 2014.
•  MI KidLib 2014-I am working with two great librarians to put together Michigan's first children's librarian unconference in February.  It will be epic!
•  PLA 2014 Conference (not presenting, just attending) in March
• Two presentations at MLA's Spring Institute in March
• "Guerilla Storytime" with Anne Clark and Megan Goedge
• "iKids: Adding Tablets and Apps to Your Programs for Young Children"

What are your plans for 2014?

Roll a Gingerbread Man

With my new job this fall, I inherited an activity room.  I have been working on new ways to promote early literacy and learning.  Yesterday I put out a game that my nieces and I really liked to play last year-Roll a Gingerbread Man.

To make your own, start with a shape (in this case a gingerbread man) and add numbers to his body.  You are also welcome to steal mine. I made six different gingerbread men so kids will hopefully be playing with different gameboards.  I found a giant rubber dice by the register at Lakeshore Learning (not sold online) that we use to roll.  I also put out a sign with rules.

Since putting it out yesterday, there have been many children playing the game with their caregivers.  We have gotten compliments that it was fun to do something a little different.  I like this game because it is relatively simple to put together.  It is even something that a parent can recreate at home!  It also isn't limited to this holiday season.  You can use hearts, eggs, sunshines, or many other fun shapes.  If you would rather use letters, it would be easy to add letter stickers over the numbers on the sides of the die.

Fun Winter Contest for Staff

We have this great contest at our library for staff that we have been running for the past 3 years.  It all started out of a lunch discussion and somehow snowballed into this big deal.  Now we can't NOT do the contest.  It requires almost no prep work and our prizes are 1 $5 Tim Horton's gift card for each of our three locations.  What is it???  It is the "When will it snow 1 inch?" contest.

My library is in southeast Michigan, where it gets cold and snows pretty often.  What is funny, though, is that since we started this contest three years ago, it won't snow an inch until late January/early February.  You could blame it on global warming, but we think that this contest has something to do with it.

 We start collecting guesses in mid to late November (or whenever it starts to have freezing temperatures).  This year we made snowflake die cuts.  Everybody writes their name and their date on the shape and tapes it to the window (at our branches they are on cupboard doors).

Whenever it snows, our community relations person goes out to measure the snow with her ruler.  As our library system covers 2 townships, we specify one location where it has to snow 1 inch.  We measure the snow at the base of a statue in our front parking lot.

That's what we do for fun here in the winter.  What do you do?

How I Became a Librarian

Bowing to Anna's peer pressure (Future Librarian Superhero), here is how Mrs. Lisa became a librarian.

I will be honest-this is never a career that I thought of when I was younger.  I went through the traditional ideas of nurse, doctor, lawyer, and teacher.  I was a regular user of my local public library.  You could regularly see me checking out 30 Sweet Valley High books as that was our teen section 25 years ago.  I was that kid who finished the summer reading program the first week.  I just never put 2 and 2 together and thought of the librarian as a job.

I went to college and have a double major in both psychology and music.  I picked my classes based on what I found interesting with no eye towards the future.  The big thing that was missing was that I never knew what I was going to do after college.  I didn't have a career in mind.  Looking back on it now, how do you realistically expect a 20-year-old to decide what they are going to do for the next fifty years?  Unfortunately, that day after graduation day comes sooner, rather than later and somebody will be expecting you to pay the bills.  My college job as a page at the local public library ended with graduation.

At this point, I still wasn't thinking "career".  I got a full-time job that summer working at our local Barnes and Noble.  While I ran one of the departments, I was the person who got volunteered to put on the costumes for all of our big events.  I don't know if it was my natural exuberance or my gullibility that got me that job.  I have been everything from Lyle Crocodile (worst costume ever to see out of) to Miss Lilly (best EVER accessories-you get her red cowboy boots).

I was still floating around in my not-a-career land when I met my husband and we were about to get engaged.  This was the point where I decided that I needed to do something career wise.  I needed to do something more before the family and kids came along.  I looked at all of my skills and what I liked about my current job and decided to become a librarian.  Until I hit the age of 22, I didn't even know that "librarian" was a job possibility.  If you know me, then you will know that I don't do anything by half measures.  Once I made my decision, I got my application into the local university for their MLIS program, started classes 2 weeks later, and found a job at a local library in their circulation department.  I was THAT person who took four classes a semester so I could finish my degree before I got married.  (My advisor did at least say something this time.)  I switched jobs 6 months later to do straight children's programming at another public library.  By the time I graduated 1 year later, I had the degree and the experience to move into my current library system.  Luckily they were hiring!

I started with my current library system 12 1/2 years ago.  It's not often that you go into an interview and ask for vacation days right away (as I was getting married 2 months later).  I will admit that I was one of the youngest librarians that I knew as I was only 24 at the time of graduation.  I think of my twenties like I think of my teenage years-you think you know everything, but in reality you don't.  I spent the last 12 1/2 years learning on the job before I became a department manager.  I am still learning as every day is an adventure.  (Today I learned where the fire extinguisher was.)  There is always something new to do, a different way of doing things, kids who grow up, etc. that keeps my job interesting.

So that is how I became a librarian.  What did I learn from my experience?  It is important to promote what we do.  If I didn't know that "librarian" was a real career option and I am one, what do you think that the public thinks?  One way I combat this is that with every tour or school visit, I start off with who I am and what I do that makes me a librarian.  We talk about how long I went to school and what I do every day.

How did you become a librarian?

Halloween Pumpkins

In the past our library system has held a giant pumpkin decorating contest where each department submits 1 entry and the public votes.  This is great as we then have ready-made decorations for all of our Halloween programs.  Unfortunately, this year we are making Peep dioramas.  While this is still cool, it doesn't help me with my department decorating. Thanks to the power of Pinterest, I found three fun designs for my department.  Since I used foam pumpkins, I can pull them out again next year.

Can you identify all three?

Peepunzel

I am part of the Fun Committee at my library (yes, that is the real name).  It is a committee to bring random fun to all employees through contests, food days, and anything else we can come up with.  We have learned that fun boosts morale, which makes for a better employee experience.  One of our favorite contests of the year is our Peep contest.  I don't know if you are a fan of the marshmallow creation that appears at holidays, but we have learned that it is great fun to dress them up, pose them, smash them, and more.  This is our second year and I am excited to see the results.

I thought long and hard this year about what would make a good entry, because a lot of us on staff are really competitive.  Not only do you have to have a cool picture, you should create a fun name with "peep" in it.  Last year I created Harry Peeper (a take on Harry Potter).  If you want to see some awesome examples, check out the Washington Post's annual contest. 

Introducing...

Peepunzel, Peepunzel, let down your long hair.

I thought that would give you some fun Monday reading.  Happy Monday!

Singing with Kids

I realize that not everyone likes singing with kids.  In fact, despite my music major and background, I am one of those people who used to hate to sing in front of people.  Last Monday when I had a playdate with my nieces and nephews, I heard my husband say, "Wow, I have never heard Lisa sing before.  I can't believe that is what quieted Fallon's screaming."  (Fallon is my 5 month old niece.)  It made me start to think.  Then later in story time that week, I noticed that I was actually singing (where people could hear me, not just moving my lips).  How did I get to this point?

While these may not all work for you, here are some things that I have done over the past 12 years that may have gotten me to this point:

1.  Do you know any babies that you can hold?  Over the past 7 years, I have acquired 8 nieces and nephews and I see many of them multiple times a week.  I am constantly holding them, singing to them, playing with them, etc.  I have found that singing to a baby is kind of like our PAWS for Reading program (or a Reading to the Dogs program).  Babies really don't care what you sing or how you sing-they just like that you do it.  If you can't think of anything to try, I would start with Old MacDonald (because this song can really go on forever).  The name game is also fun (they like hearing their name and it is just funny).  Chances are if you can be a little silly in front of a baby, you can be a little silly in other areas of your life too (like story time).

2.  If you're still not ready to grab a microphone and perform, what about finding cds that fit your songs and taste to add as your story time accompaniment.? The thing that is important for this to work is to find music that goes slow enough for you to sing along with.  The kids will sing along if you sing, but if you are still shy, pass out lyrics sheets to the parents.  While you may get a few rolled eyes the first time, most will participate because what we are doing looks fun!  Plus, if you pick a song with actions, your audience will be looking at your hand motions and not your mouth.

Also, when in doubt, if you can mouth "watermelon" to any song and it looks like you are singing.
3.  Is there a music group that has you humming along when people aren't watching?  Chances are they fit your musical tastes and registers.  Most of us have to drive to work and can pop in a cd.  This is a good time to sing along where nobody else can hear you (you just may get some strange looks from other drivers if you pull off an air guitar).  Just as an example, Maroon 5 is my cd of choice (the singing isn't too high, the songs are catchy, and I can actually follow along to the words).  If they are on the radio, I find myself singing along.  While I am not going to sing their songs in story time, the more you do something (like singing), the more comfortable you get.


My best advice is to do what is most comfortable for you while not taking you totally out of your comfort zone. 

Literacy Fun

Our branch is in the process of creating a post office early literacy center based on a posting from the ALSC blog a couple of months back.  Yesterday, I set up the first part of the center to clean up some of the mess by my desk.

 

As you can see, it is a table and a mailbox.  Over the past 24 hours, I have watched numerous kids playing "library book drop" by putting their dvds in the slot and pulling them out the side.  Then today, we had actual letters that kids had written on pieces of scrap paper.  It is amazing what kids will come up with!



Mock Awards

This Monday's award announcement is like the Oscars of the library world.  I will admit to hoarding a stack of books the week or 2 before the announcement because they are ones that I think will win.  There's nothing like a shiny award seal or a display of winners.  So if you are like me and you just can't wait, here are some sites you may want to visit:

ALA Youth Media Awards Webcast
http://cdnlive.webcastinc.com/ala/2013/live/
If you can't make it to Seattle to watch it live at 8 a.m. PT (or 11 a.m. ET), this is the next best thing.  If you are doing this, I would also recommend being logged into Twitter and following #ALAyma.  This is great if you can't write the titles fast enough (like me).

If you are looking for ways to come up with your own list of possible winners, start by looking at books that get multiple starred reviews.  Every November-December, the "Best of" lists are published.  I like to watch Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, Amazon, New York Times, Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the National Book Awards.  Each brings a little something different to the table, from criticism to popularity.  Then watch the blogs.

• Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has been running mock awards since 1997 and they tend to be right on or close.  They run many Mock Book Awards, from Sibert to Newbery.
• In more recent years, the Heavy Medal blog appeared on the School Library Journal web site.  They provide a lot of book information, but also bring up concerns about the books. 
• Well, if you have a Newbery blog, you need a Caldecott one too.  Calling Caldecott is run on The Horn Book web site.  What is fun here is that they let anyone vote!
• While not a mock awards blog, Elizabeth Bird provides a lot of book information on her A Fuse 8 Production blog.  I like to follow her, because not only does she review books, she highlights all kinds of award winners and tells you about books coming out that have the potential to be hot.  Plus, she is extremely entertaining.

Visiting other libraries

I am one of those people who when they go on vacation, find various public libraries to visit.  So I was very excited when our library director decided that for our staff in-service this year that we were going to visit local libraries to see how they do things.  After all, some of the best ideas come from other libraries and librarians.

If you are ever in Metro Detroit, definitely take a trip to the Southfield Public Library.  They have a gorgeous building that you can spend all day wandering around in.  Their children's room is fun, yet educational, from the stacks of giant books surrounding the picture book area to the benches by the computers with words on them (they look like giant wooden puzzles).