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Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 14:18:13 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #667
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 08:52:47 -0600
From: Betty Holbrook <betty@spidaweb.eils.lib.id.us>
Subject: Re: RE: Shelving of Easy Fiction
Years ago, it was decided to have bins for the easy/early readers in our
library because this is the most heavily used collection in the entire
library. This is truly a browser collection; the children do not have
specific titles in mind, but just want something they can read. The books
are all face out, so the covers can be seen. All bins are marked with
letters for the authors' last names. When we first started, some of the
spouses of librarians were VERY handy and built the bins with particle
board and dividers. Since we have moved into our new building, we have
commercial metal bins.
We do have bins for specific authors, i.e. Parish, Seuss, Hillert, etc.
We have just started to lable the VERY first readers with a commercial
sticker on the front that read (1st reader)
We love the bins and would NOT go back to spine out shelving for this
collection.
Betty Holbrook, Coordinator
Youth Services
Marshall Public Library
113 S. Garfield
Pocatello, ID 83204
betty@spidaweb.eils.lib.id.us
At 12:19 PM 4/9/1999 -0400, you wrote:
>At this library the easy books are shelved by the authors last name, just
like our adult fiction, juvenile, young adult, etc. BUT it does not, of
course, stay that way! The kids that look at these age range books don't
very often put them back where they got them and so we for the most part
do not worry about them to much and just try to keep the B's together, C's,
etc.
>
>Debbie Brightwell
>Children's Librarian
>Coppell Public Library
>Coppell, Texas
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 08:32:30 -0400
From: vjohnson@baystate.edu (Virginia Johnson)
Subject: Re: Changing tables and Posters
>Does everyone have one of those fold-down changing tables in their
>bathrooms? Our director seems to feel they are a liability but we get many
>requests from parents for one. Our feeling is that we really need one, but
>want stats on what other librarians are doing to back ourselves up. Anyone
>care to comment? Please send to me and not the list.
>>Katja
Katja -
As both a librarian and a mom to a special needs child (who was bigger than
usual to begin with, and was even bigger when he *finally* potty trained at
3!), I really recommend that you use a counter top rather than the fold down
type. With a counter, there is no weight difficulty (which is a big part of
the liability, I'm sure!), nor is there a problem if the child is too large
for it - I can't tell you how small toilet stalls are when you're trying to
change a large child on the floor! I also assume that they are easier to
keep clean, as there is no lip or edge. If possible, it could be placed in
conjuction with the sink (at one end, of course!) to failitate clean up.
Also - please provide a trash bin! You'd be amazed, what with the
prevalence of those blower-dryers, how many bathrooms don't have trash cans!
What to do with those full diapers.... Also, please, put whatever you use
in *both* gender bathrooms, please! my poor husband has had to change our
son on the floor of a congested mall because (I guess) that mall felt only
women change babies!
Hope this helps -
Ginny Johnson
vjohnson@baystate.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:50:53 -0400
From: HMurray <oburg_juvlib@OBURG.NET>
Subject: Electric Library
We are evaluating Electric Library. Please help by letting us know if you
have it and your thoughts/opinions on its performance/accuracy/use, etc.
Also, if you evaluated it and decided against subscription, please share
your reasons why.
In South Carolina, we have extensive access to information through Tom, Tom
Jr., and Primary Tom; and we're thinking this may be sufficient. This is
all furnished at no charge to the library (funded by our state
legislature!!!!). We're just not sure we need more.
Thanks for your help. Please respond directly to me.
Harris Murray/Orangeburg County Library
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 11:33:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Linda s. Slaninka" <slaninli@oplin.lib.oh.us>
Subject: Re:Thanks for Madeline party activities
Thanks to all who sent ideas for my Madeline celebration. We called it the
April in Paris Family Gala. Played pin the French flag on the Eiffel
Tower; had a French student teach songs,counting and simple phrases in
French; had a Madeline look-a-like contest; set up a French cafe with
menu in French consisting of grapes, cheese, white grape juice and
croissants;and had a strolling professional mime. It was a great success.
Thanks for all the listserve help.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 19:38:59 -0400
From: Toni Buzzeo <buzzeocyll@mix-net.net>
Subject: Shelving Easy Fiction & a "stumper" of sorts
Carolyn Cullum wrote:
> My question is: How do you file your Easy Fiction materials and what
> is your rationale behind your method?
Carolyn, I too, am always surprised to visit a library that files
picture books by first letter of main entry only. In my school library,
we file by author's last name and then by title. Our rationale? We are
in the business of TEACHING children independent book retrieval. If
they go to the card catalog, look up the book (and kids as young as
first grade are actively doing this), and jot down the call letters and
the author's name, we should do everything we can to ensure that they
FIND the item when they get to the shelf.
My stumper is:
Can you think of any other middle grade fiction books (to be read by
gifted readers in grades 3-5), besides WRINGER and MUSIC OF DOLPHINS,
that build their story around a fictitious news article? I'm in the
process of creating the Project Literature program for next year with my
G/T teacher and we're suffering from brain fog--or a dead end!
Best,
Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS
Longfellow School Library Media Center
Portland, ME
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:08:55 -0500
From: DLHIETT <dlh@greennet.net>
Subject: RE: Ice Cream Fingerplays...
A Chilly Chant
First we need a cone,
Nice an crunchy.
Then we need some ice cream,
Sweet and yummy.
Scoop em on; stack em up;
Up to the sky.
We love ice cream; my, oh my!
first comes vanilla,
Rich and sweet.
Then comes chocolate,
A delicious treat.
Here's some strawberry;
Orange sherbet, too.
A super duper scooper cone
Just for you!
One scoop, two scoops,
three scoops, four.
We love ice cream .
Let's have some more!
A sweet, chilly treat -sung to did you ever see a lassie
oh, i live to lick my ice cream cone
ice cream cone, ice cream cone.
oh, i love to lick my ice cream cone
a sweet, chilly treat!
first i lick it on the left side
then i lick it on the right side
oh i love to lick my ice cream cone
a sweet chilly treat
oh i love to slurp my milk shake
my milk shake my milk shake
oh i love to slurp my milk shake
a sweet chilly treat
first i slurp it with one straw
then i slurp it with two straws
oh i love to slurp my milk shake
a sweet chilly treat
oh i love to eat my sundae
my sundae my sundae
oh i love to eat my sundae
a sweet chilly treat
first i eat up the top scoop
then i eat up the bottom scoop
oh i love to eat my sundae
a sweet chilly treat
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:14:47 -0500
From: Judy Stewart <stewartj@clpgh.org>
Subject: RE: pubyac V1 #663
Cathy,
How about renting or borrowing one of the costumed characters such as Clifford
or Curious George and then having him roam around near your table, and do a
make-it-and take it craft related to those particular stories, of course with
displays highlighting the books, videos, etc.
Judy STewart
Community Library of Allegheny Valley
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:40:43 -0400
From: Charles Schacht <schachtc@lcm.macomb.lib.mi.us>
Subject: Re: Fat
>
>
> Oh, Chuck--you're buying into all the myths about fat
people.("Fat," by the
> way, is not a dirty word) Please read "Fat? So!" by Marilyn Wann.
Also
> "Life in the Fat Lane" by Cherie Bennett for an excellent look at
what it's
> like to be a fat teenaged girl in America today.
> Why should everyone be thin?
Susan - Who said anything remotely suggesting that everyone should be thin? I
suggested that from what I had read excess weight is not good for you in a
number
of ways, but fat and thin are not the only choices - most of the world falls
somewhere inbetween, and inbetween should be within the reach of nearly all of
us
as far as I can see. Diversity is great as long as it's not harmful
physically/socially/spiritually and doesn't restrict future options. If
behaviour
patterns are harmful I don't think we ought to feel obligated to encourage them.
If I have been misinformed about the whole health aspect here - Lord knows I've
been wrong before - I would be very open to being enlightened. Anybody have
access to a good summation of WHAT THE LITERATURE SAYS? When excess weight
severely restricts the ability to be active I have a hard time iimagining how
it's
not going to contribute to poor health since excercise is so important. Feeling
as thought it's time to get back to focusing on other things - Chuck
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 06:40:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: bf455@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bonita Kale)
Subject: picture book filing
Until a year or two ago, we had picture books filed by single initial of
the author's last name. But as the collection grew, and we had nine or ten
shelves of M's to look for, it became impossibly unwieldy. Now we have
them in proper order (okay, almost proper order) and it's much easier to
find a given book. Frankly, it was getting embarrassing to spend so much
time hunting for a book for a patron.
We have circ people in every day to hunt for books on the order list and
the claims returned list, and this is much easier for them, too.
Bonita
- --
Bonita Kale
bf455@cleveland.freenet.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:58:11 -0400
From: Charles Schacht <schachtc@lcm.macomb.lib.mi.us>
Subject: Re: pubyac V1 #654
Bonita - You're right about the fact that for some people being THIN is going to
be
nearly impossible, but from what I know being reasonabley fit/not overweight
should
be within the reach of nearly everyone. Size 12 is not thin, but it's a lot
healthier than size 26. I'm all in favor of the truth under most circumstances;
I
just want kids to have the best shot possible at a good life. C
pubyac@nysernet.org wrote:
> Charles Schacht wrote:
>
> I just can't help but feel that if
> > kids get the message that there's nothing they can do about being
heavy, then
> > they're going to spend the rest of their lives being heavy, but if
they get the
> > message that with hard work and self control and a good support group
they can
> > do pretty well, their chances are a lot better. Are we not about
helping
> > young people believe in their own capabilities? Then let's help them
believe
> > that they don't HAVE to be heavy except in very rare cases. It's HARD
- but
> > they can do hard things if they put their minds to it and keep their
eyes on
> > the p rize. Chuck
>
> Chuck,
>
> I would be willing to help them to believe that, if there were good
> evidence that it is -true-. However, the evidence is at least as good
> that believing that, and trying to be thin, -increases- weight over the
> long haul.
>
> It's no good teaching people things that aren't true just because we
> think those things are helpful. And in this case, the evidence isn't
> even there that the idea -is- helpful.
>
> Bonita
> (Bonita Kale, Euclid Public Library)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:32:36 -0400
From: "Stow-Munroe Falls Library, Children's Room"
<stowkids@oplin.lib.oh.us>
Subject: Re: Changing tables and Posters
We have changing tables in every restroom, upstairs and down, male and female.
The parents love them!
Carolyn Burrier
Stow-Munroe Falls PL
Stow OH
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:36:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: carmel <carmel@ulysses.sebridge.org>
Subject: Re: Ice Cream Fingerplays...
This is an old girl scout song:
Ice cream man
Do you know
I like chocolate ice cream so
Find some chocolate if you can
Thank you ice cream man.
Ice cream man
Do you know
I like vanilla ice cream so
Find some vanilla, find some chocolate
If you can
Thank you ice cream man
It becomes cumulative as you add flavors. Maybe you can build paper ice
cream cones adding scoops as you sing. The tune is not too familiar, so
make up your own! Marilyn Schlansky Reed Memorial Library....Carmel
On Sat, 10 Apr 1999, Barb Scott wrote:
> Would like any fingerplays, songs, etc. for a ice cream story hour
> we will be doing.
>
> Send to this e-mail address: barbarascott@hotmail.com
>
> Thanks!
>
> Barbara Scott
> Children's Librarian
> Bucyrus Public Library
> Bucyrus, Ohio 44820
>
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:02:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: Corey Bennett <bennetc@scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us>
Subject: Porn on internet screen
I just wanted to say that as a librarian, I'll defend the First
Ammendment til I'm blue in the face. However, I'm also the parent of a
young child. If I take my daughter to the library and I see graphic
porn images on a computer screen that is out in the open, for all to see,
I'm going to take great exception to that, and so would most parents. If
the library director doesn't address this issue, he/she is going to have
some rabid protestors at the door very soon.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
FAMOUS EXCUSE #10
Someone else was using the pencil.
--Dorothy Parker, to her boss,
explaining why she spent the
afternoon in a bar instead of
at the office
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 14:10:37 -0500
From: Nicole Conradt <nconradt@mf.lib.wi.us>
Subject: Re: Charges for Borrowing Videos
Charging for videos is illegal in some states so check your statutes!!
Earl and Kirsten Martindale wrote:
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 14:34:16
From: Caes <caes@pacificrim.net>
Subject: Re: overweight
Before we can talk about this, I think we need to separate two propositions.
Proposition 1: <snip> society (and we as part of that society) need to
encourage size acceptance in whatever ways > we can. <snip> .
This is entirely true. Bigotry against the overweight is evil. It leads
healthy girls to think they're fat. It leads to anorexia and bulimia and
to the ugly mixture of self-hatred and defiance that drives people to
stuff themselves with potato chips in the middle of the night. We need to
fight it in ourselves, in our children, and in society as a whole. No sane
person would disagree with that.
Proposition 2: < snip> it is not, in my opinion, "better" to be
a
different size than what you are <snip> I am 200+ pounds, <snip> and
I
am as healthy as a horse (pun intended). <snap>
In my experience, and according to medical research, this is not true. It
is unquestionably better to maintain a healthy weight for your height.
My apologies, but this is denial. It's like the transparent rationales
of smokers and of alcoholics. When people feel they cannot change,
they pretend that they don't need to.
I used to carry 198 pounds on my 5' 2" frame. I had decided I was just
going to accept it, buy nice clothes, and feel good about myself. True,
life seemed difficult, but that was just a natural byproduct of aging,
right? Then my knees went out. All of a sudden I couldn't climb stairs
anymore. Stairs? I couldn't climb a curb! Just walking was painful.
Then I got a hernia. And then I got very, very lucky. Last year about
this time, I developed gall stones and had to eat an extremely low fat
diet for three months until my gall bladder was removed.
A fat diet is simple. Eat according to the food pyramid. Eat as much as
you want of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Throw in some
protein and keep the fat to less than 30% of your diet. (I keep it to
between 10 and 20%, which is ideal.) Nothing much to figure out; the fat
percentage is just a guesstimate. Easy to explain at dinner parties and at
restaurants. Incredibly effective, and easy to work into a lifestyle.
It's so easy, in fact, that I kept on with it after my operation. The
pounds dropped off me (at the rate of one or two a week. Nothing unhealthy
or drastic!). My knees healed. I feel younger, healthier, happier in my
body. It has nothing to do with society. It has to do with health. I
hadn't known how sick I was, until I got well.
I understand that it's hard. One day, I counted the number of times I
went to the cupboard for corn chips and then remembered that eating them
would hurt. I counted 12 times in one hour. Addiction said, eat this.
Pain said, don't. Five minutes later, addiction said, eat this. Five
minutes later, again. And again and again and again, I was unconsciously
walking to the cupboard and opening it before I remembered. Pain helped
me resist long enough for addiction to lose its grip. Without the pain,
it's tougher, I know.
I'm aware of our fat- saturated society, too. To eat a low fat diet is to
reject 90% of what's offered out there. In the grip of addiction, it
feels miserable to pass by all those temptingly displayed "foods."
(But
afterwards, it's easy. Yecchh, that stuff looks gross.)
So I understand when unfunny "humor" shows up on this list about diets
that end in the dieter consuming gallons of ice cream. I understand when
fat co-workers come up to me all eager to hear my weight loss secrets, and
when I tell them "low fat diet," they turn and walk silently away. I
understand, but I don't agree. Losing weight is not impossible. A low fat
diet becomes easy after the addiction passes. Bad food drives out good,
but you know what? Good food drives out bad. You learn to really love the
taste of foods that give you life.
It's not okay to be fat. Joint pain and hernias and diabetes and heart
disease are real consequences. Early death is a real consequence. And if
you're like my father and don't want the extra years if they're spent
without the foods you "love," an impaired life is a consequence that's
almost worse.
So, I think we've got to reconcile these two things, for fat children.
We've got to find ways to tell them, yes, you're beautiful as a person,
being who you are, and yes, for your health, it is both imperative and
very, very possible for you to lose weight.
Catherine
caes@pacificrim.net
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 16:49:14 -0500 (CDT)
From: Emily Kubash <kubash@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
Subject: bins for picture books?
Hi all!
As a different take on the recent discussion over the various ways to
organize picture book collections, has anyone had any experience with
housing these books in bins? We're in the process of planning a new
branch library and our director has expressed an interest in using only
bins in the picture book section. The other youth librarian and I have
some slight reservations about this, but since neither of us have had any
direct experience with bin use we'd like to get feedback from any of you!
We'd appreciate anything you can tell us about bin use: the good, the bad
and the ugly!
Thanks,
Emily Kubash
kubash@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 19:55:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pamela Stack <pstack@vlc.lib.mi.us>
Subject: popcorn color
I am trying to make lilacs with popped popcorn. Does anyone have an idea
how to color popcorn without making it soggy? Thanks for your help!
Pamela C. Stack
pstack@vlc.lib.mi.us
Children's Librarian
St. Charles District Library
St. Charles, Michigan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 18:37:55 PDT
From: "Elizbeth O'Brien" <elizbetho@hotmail.com>
Subject: MONSTERS
Has anyone ever done a preschool story hour about monsters? I am
looking for materials and information about monsters for this age
group.
Elizabeth O'Brien
Graduate School Library And Information Science
Queens College
Flushing, NY
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 00:59:56 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jeri Kladder <jkladder@gcfn.org>
Subject: Re: more on storytimes
We shoot for 30 minutes because preschool storytime runs in tandem with
toddler storytime. Very occasionally we finish first, but usually the
toddlers finish first and the mothers have time to come by to pick up
their preschooler. If there is a craft we give instructions and send the
kids home with the materials to do it at their leisure. - jeri
Jeri Kladder, Children's Librarian & Storyteller
jkladder@freenet.columbus.oh.us
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus, Ohio
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 07:50:17 -0500
From: Jeanette Larson <jlarson@tsl.state.tx.us>
Subject: Dia de los Ninos
April 30 is Dia de los Ninos; Dia de los Libros, a day to celebrate
bilingual books and reading. Author, Pat Mora, started this celebration
several years ago to focus attention on bilingual books, especially, but
not limited to, Spanish language. Go to
http://www.latinolink.com/opinion/opinion99/0411hi3e.htm for an article
by Pat Mora on Dia de los Ninos; Dia de los Libros. It includes mention
of, and a link to, the Texas State Library, Library Development Division
website publication featuring ideas, activities, a logo, and
bibliographies for bilingual reading. Feel free to use and adapt any of
the items for local use. --Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library and
Archives Commission.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 08:20:02 PDT
From: "Elaine Moustakas" <elainem9@hotmail.com>
Subject: butterflies
I'm doing a storytime for 3 1/2 to 5 year olds on butterflies. So far
the books I've found that I like are:
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent
Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom DeLuise
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
I haven't found any butterfly fingerplays or rhymes that I
particularly like.
A cute craft idea I'm doing is to make butterfly
wristbands...basically a cut out of a butterfly colored by the child
and attached to a piece of construction paper cut into a wristband.
The child can raise his/her hand up and down and make the butterfly
fly.
I'm looking for additional quality books and fingerplays or songs
about caterpillars/butterflies.
Also, does anyone know an easy way of demonstrating a caterpillar
turning into a butterfly to these young ones?
Thank you in advance. All suggestions appreciated.
EM
" A room without books is a body without soul." -Cicero
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 00:24:30 -0400
From: "elaine" <elainem@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: preschool visit
hi everyone...
in may, i'm having four classes from a local pre-school come to visit my
children's room with their teachers. from what i understand, it is a
tradition that they come, learn a little about the library and hear a couple
stories and/or fingerplays. does anyone have some good suggestions for
books to read to children that introduce them to the library (i haven't been
all that impressed with the ones i've found). anyone know of any
fingerplays and/or songs relating to the library? any other suggestions of
fun things to do while the kids are with me?
i'll have them for about 1/2 hour or so. any/all suggestions are
appreciated and if there is enough interest, i'd be willing to post results
to the list. thanks.
elaine
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 13:03:31 -0700
From: Edmonds Library Youth Services <edm-youth@sno-isle.org>
Subject: Re: Shelving of Easy Fiction
At the Edmonds Library we used the "loose" shelving system for years
until we realized how much time it was costing us in responding to
requests from other branches in our system for specific titles. (We
search for them first thing each morning.) Having the books filed in
alphabetical order also makes it much easier for harried parents to
locate the specific titles they want. HTH!
Jonathan Betz-Zall, Children's Librarian, Edmonds Library, Wash.
edm-youth@sno-isle.org
CCullum621@aol.com wrote:
> I've noticed that a number of libraries file their easy
> fiction books very loosely. What I've seen is that they simply put
> the first letter of the authors name on the spine. All books with the >
letter "B" are just grouped together randomly. My library puts the
> whole author's last name and the books are filed alphabetically by the >
entire name just as the adult materials are.
> [snip]
>
> My question is: How do you file your Easy Fiction materials and what
> is your rationale behind your method?
> Carolyn N. Cullum
> Children's LIbrarian
> Edison, NJ
> CCullum621@aol.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 00:51:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jeri Kladder <jkladder@gcfn.org>
Subject: Re: New idea for a storytime.....
We at the Main Library of a large urban library system tried
something a couple of years back with some satisfaction (but not enough
numbers to continue) We called it Chapter One and consisted of selecting
an attention grabber and reading aloud the first chapter plus booktalking
that and other books by the same author or on a similar theme and giving
some interesting author bio. Our main problem, I think, was that we
weren't a neighborhood location that school age kids could get to on their
own. For some reason parents will make a special trip to the downtown
library for preschoolers (maybe because there are fewer options for
preschool children) but they won't for the older kids.
Anyway, the kids that did participate really got "into" the
program but usually they were kids that just happened to be there, and now
ones that made a deliberate attempt to attend.
As for giving the kids something to do while you are
reading...isn't that giving them the message that what you are doing isn't
quite engaging enough by itself? I think, with proper preparation before
the program so the reading goes smoothly and expressively, and with proper
preparation of the group before you start reading, you can hold them
enthralled without giving them a craft to distract.
I'd be interested in hearing how you fare--and what books you
choose. - jeri
On Mon, 5 Apr 1999 SVADAS4@aol.com wrote:
> I am thinking of proposing a new idea for a storytime in my library.
Jeri Kladder, Children's Librarian & Storyteller
jkladder@freenet.columbus.oh.us
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus, Ohio
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 13:34:01 -0700
From: Susan LaFantasie <slafanta@pcl.lib.wa.us>
Subject: mother-daughter book club
Many of you expressed interest in this type of book club when I was asking
for medieval craft ideas. I want to share the success of our first
meeting. There were ten participants. The first book was Catherine,
Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. The age recommendation was for ages 10 to
adult, but left open for younger girls who could read the book.
We briefly shared additional books about life in the middle ages; these
were made available for checkout. Books about illuminating manuscripts were
included since that was our follow up acitivity. We had fun looking up eel
recipes in one of the recipe books (an adult book). We discussed our
selection for an hour and the activity lasted half an hour.
We created a diary with two sheets of cardstock for the front and back
covers and various colors of paper for pages. We tied the covers and pages
together with ribbon. The cover design was a Celtic letter representing
the participants' last names (first letter only). The letter was copied
from a book of Celtic patterns, then transferred to the cover with carbon
paper (I would use graphite paper next time). The participants then
colored the covers with felt markers and gold and silver pens;
additionally, stickers were made available. This was an easy craft that
related to the book and books in general.
Everyone had a great time and since then, two more families have joined the
club. My second book club meeting will be April 26 and we will discuss The
Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman. My third (and last) discussion will
be at the end of May and will be about Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson. I
love all of these books, but in retrospect, it would have been fun to keep
them all on the medieval theme.
I hope this helps some of you who want to try this. Oh--I included which
books we would read and discuss on the promotional handouts so participants
would know ahead of time and I kept extra copies of the books at the
circulation desk so that they would be readily available. Hope some of you
try this as it is fun!
Susan LaFantasie, MLS
slafanta@pcl.lib.wa.us
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 20:37:38 -0400
From: Christine Hill <chill@willingboro.org>
Subject: A quiz
Dear pub-yackers,
On child-lit we have been having fun with these for a few weeks. If any
of you have seen the answers there, don't give them away!
I gave been collecting trivia questions about references to children's
literature in rock songs for many years. Here are 12 questions to try.
Please post your answers to me privately. I will give the answers and
name a winner in about 2 weeks.
1. Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit is inspired by one classic of
children's literature and itself inspired the title of a popular YA
book. What are they?
2. Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin say goodbye to what
thoroughfare of children's literature in the song and album of the same
name?
3. Kenny Loggins celebrates the Hundred Acre Wood in what song?
4. REM salutes what famous feline of children's literature and its
creator in the song The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight?
5. What Chinese folktale does REM show itself very familiar with in the
song of the same name?
6. This Chicago-based, female-led rock band so loves this Roald Dahl
character that they named themselves after her. Who was she?
7. The Robinson brothers used poetic license in naming their band after
a Lesley Brooke picture book which was their favorite as children. What
did they call themselves?
8. The enigmatic Sid Barrett, founder of Pink Floyd, named one of their
early albums after a chapter of The Wind in the Willows. What was the
album's title?
9. What author of literary fairy tales was paraphrased by Chrissie Hynde
and the Pretenders in the song Message of Love?
10. Who recorded a song version of the Eugene Field poem Wynken, Blinken
and Nod in the 60s? Who rerecorded it in the 80s?
11. Who named a song after the children's novel by Penelope Farmer,
Charlotte Sometimes?
12. A group has recorded a homage to the Mock Turtle's Story from Alice
in Wonderland. Name the group and the song?
Enjoy!
Christine M. Hill
Willingboro Public Library
One Salem Road
Willingboro, NJ 08046
chill@willingboro.org
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 07:50:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tracey Dittoe <tcy28@yahoo.com>
Subject: vertical file responses (long)
Here are the responses I received in answer to my
request for vertical file information. Thank you so
much to all who answered. Your responses were all
very helpful! If anyone else has helpful tips, I
would love to have them as well.
Tracey Love Dittoe
Lexington (KY) Public Library
tcy28@yahoo.com
*******************************************************
It would be a disaster if we didn't have information
on every county in the state in our file. The state
and country files are also very heavily used, but it
is difficult to get county information for those 4th
grade reports and this file is invaluable for it.
************
Our vertical files used to contain all kinds of info
on animals (zoobooks, world wildlife foundation,
etc.), countries (tourist/embassy/gov't brochures,
maps, old Nat'l Geographic articles, etc.), and a
bunch of miscellaneous categories (Indian tribes,
homeschool, crafts (broken down by medium, like paper
or string or ceramic, etc.), and nearly anything else
we couldn't shelve with the books.
************
1- I have been sorting through all of the YA stuff
that needs to be incorporated into the file.
2- As I do this, I am looking for material that is out
of date and chucking it. If I see that the
information in the already existing folder that I'm
adding to is out of date, I throw that out too.
3- My file has multiple subjects in it from AIDS to
whales. I try to expand on the subjects that are most
asked for in our room, such as, science fair projects.
4- I have found that the newspaper as well as other
children's magazines are good souces to tap when
looking for info to put in the file,
especially for pictures of animals.
5- I had wanted to put more career info in, but they
collect that for the adult file, so I don't want to
repeat.
6- unfortunately, the vertical file is severely under
used, so I don't spend an amazing amount of time on
it. It can be frustrating though, because when you
do put the time into it, no one uses it.
************
The first question to ask is "How much use is this
file
getting?" In our case, almost none. First I weeded
out lots of outdated material (some from the 50's),
and then waited to see if I felt we needed more stuff
in the file. Since we still didn't need it after a
year, I pitched almost all of the rest of the
materials and gave it up. Now that we have the
internet, I think a vertical file, for children's
work, is really superfluous. Occasionally we get
questions pertaining to local history that need to be
answered from the vertical file in the adult
department, where they keep that sort of thing in our
library. No need to duplicate it in a library our
size.
************
We have a very simple file divided into four parts.
One is for states one is for countries one is for
science fair projects and one is for california
missions. These are the subjects we most often run
out of.
************
I do have files on each state emblem. I have some
files of maps (mostly National Geographic). At a
previous library, we had a nice set of files on
"personalities" mostly people from our state history.
************
We are currently trying to eliminate our Vertical File
altogether because of internet access to all kinds of
information we didn't have before. The stuff we
really use is probably going to end up in notebooks we
give call numbers to and shelve with our reference
collection. Those plastic pouches for large notebooks
work well for things that can't be hole-punched. It's
not my project so I can't tell you much else. But,
you might think hard about whether what you currently
have is really unavailable elsewhere before you devote
a lot of time and space to it.
*******************************************************
===
************************************************************
"I don't have the solution, but I admire your problem."
************************************************************
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 19:30:49 +1000
From: Kath Watson <kwatson@alianet.alia.org.au>
Subject: staff orientation - very silly
Hi! I wrote this rather frivolous FAQ for staff a couple of years ago -
reproduced here for your reading pleasure and stress relief. :)
A Q&A of frequently asked questions
Being aware of a lack of realistic training documents for new staff, I
have taken apon myself the task of writing down some hints to help them
to fit into any library.
Phone Manners
Q: I can't understand what the borrower is saying. What should I do?
A: Clearly you should make sure that they can't understand you, either.
Mutter, put on an amusing accent, wrap a scarf around the receiver if
you have one. Why should they have the advantage?
Q: It's nearly tea break and they've just asked me something that I
don't know the answer to.
A: You have several choices:
1.Put them through to someone else, preferably at another library.
(always popular)
2.Put down the phone and go to tea. While you're there, make sure that
you ask someone the answer just in case they are still there when you
return.
3.Feign death. This can be done to good effect over the phone. Start to
groan (or have a hacking coughing fit if you prefer), make a clattering
noise with the receiver. Get someone to scream in the background. Hang
up, and make a dash for the tearoom (in the unlikely situation that they
call back).
Q: I hate this man! He's really obnoxious!
A: Well, although staff should be polite whenever possible, some
borrowers need a jolly good thrashing! If someone is being genuinely
rude to you, you are well within your rights to give them a box on the
ears. If in doubt, consult your boss beforehand.
Circulations
Q:There's a huge pile of books in the dump bin, and I just spilled a
glass of water into the returns computer, and it's making weird noises,
and... and... Help!
A: Take a deep breath and walk away. If you're the only one on the desk,
claim that you found the computer like that. If not, go to the loo and
give the other person some time to find it. When you come back, pretend
to know nothing.
Shelving
Q: What are the best techniques?
A: You must be careful not to strain yourself, or to get overly
fatigued. You should never fill a trolley more than 3/4 - try for about
1/2. Thick books are best. While you are out, make sure that you help
our loans statistics by browsing the shelves for anything that you (or
anyone you know) might find interesting. If you start to feel weary,
hide in the quietest area of the shelves and have a read, or go to the
toilet for 15 min. If someone catches you reading in the shelves,
pretend that you're deciding if your book needs mending.
Information Desk
Q: The loans desk staff have just sent me someone with a list of about
500 books that she claims she's returned. She has fines that she claims
she's paid. She looks really angry, and is wearing a martial arts
costume.
A: This could be nasty. The best option here is to pretend that you are
also waiting to speak to the Librarian. After a while get up, swear
loudly and leave. Never return to the library. If she notes that, as you
are sitting behind the desk, YOU must be the Librarian, feign a heart
attack.
Q: They want something really obscure, I don't understand half of the
words they're using.
A: Golden rule of management: DELEGATE! Get into practice right now and
further your career.
If you have a long queue, find some sucker who's wandering past and ask
them to take this "easy query." Even better, claim that they should go
somewhere else. Say something like "I know for a fact that our (Random)
Branch / The (Random) University / The National Library have an
excellent collection of periodicals on vole farming!" This may not work
if one of the libraries that you mention sent them here.
No responsibility taken for loss of job due to following above
suggestions. After all, every workplace is different!
- --
Kath Watson
The three rules of the Librarians of space and time are: (1)Silence;
(2)Books must be returned no later than last date shown; and (3)the
nature of causality must not be interfered with.
http://alianet.alia.org.au/~kwatson/
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