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Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 13:17:02 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #783
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Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 09:04:30 PDT
From: "Tracy Mavar" <mavar27@hotmail.com>
Subject: Pros/cons of small two-story libraries
We are planning to build a new 28,000 sq. ft. 2-story library
for our town of 13,000. Our site is too small for
a one-story (original plan) without devoting the
whole block to building and parking. Staff and public
feel a 2-story building would be nicer to allow for
landscaping in our residential neighborhood. Due to current staffing levels
and city budget, it does not look likely we will be able to have a staff
person upstairs at all hours, at least not in the near future (library is
planned for next 20-25 years). We have decided to put upstairs the public
areas that require the least staff assistance (periodical browsing and back
issues, large print, adult fiction)
and leave reference, nonfiction, and children's services
downstairs. Also upstairs will be the administrative offices
and technical services, so there will be staff physically
present up there, but they will not be actively serving the public.
We do plan to have an inviting young adult area on
the first floor, designed by our teen advisory group,
which we hope will be more attractive to
them than hidden corners upstairs!
My question to those of you who work or have worked in such a situation is
this:
What problems have you encountered? Pros/cons? Any suggestions?
Things we may not have thought about?
Thanks,
Rae Kozloff
Anacortes Public Library, WA
respond to: mavar27@hotmail.com
_______________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 11:05:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: Toni Grow <growtoni@metronet.lib.mi.us>
Subject: Re: YA creative writing query
Victoria,
You might try contacting area schools (high school, community colleges) to
see if there is a creative writing instructor willing to either do a one
night presentation (though there may be a fee involved) or perhaps provide
you with some guidance.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Toni Grow
Adult Reading Librarian
Baldwin Public Library
300 West Merrill
Birmingham, MI 48012-3002
phone: (248) 647-1700 fax: (248)647-9363
growtoni@metronet.lib.mi.us
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 09:54:06 -0400
From: "Helen Mochetti" <helenmi@lori.state.ri.us>
Subject: Re: end of summer reading program
For three years now, we've run our Summer Reading Program until the last of
August, and it has eliminated many of the problems mentioned. We still
hold some prizes available, and a handful of kids always come in after
school is back in session. But these are always kids who live in the
"outer" sections of town who say that their parents couldn't get them
here
in time..they've usually walked down from school. I agree that you need to
have an ending date, but I feel so badly for the kids who did the reading
and are proud of it, but couldn't get an adult to bring them in.
helenmi@lori.state.ri.us
- ----------
> From: PIKLY@aol.com
> To: pubyac@nysernet.org
> Subject: Re: end of summer reading program
> Date: Wednesday, August 11, 1999 11:18 PM
>
> I really appreciate everyone's comment on this subject. I wonder if one
of
> the problems may be that the summer reading program is ending before
summer
> vacation is over. We try to go until late August (this year it is August
> 21st) which helps us have very few late people. If kids do turn in
things
> late, we have just a few prizes left but it is better than nothing.
School
> starts just a few days after our deadline, so it seems to reduce a lot of
> this problem. Just a thought.
> Thanks,
> Penny Peck
> San Leandro Public Library, CA
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 11:19:44 MST7MDT
From: "Bridgett Johnson" <BRIDGETT@lewis-carnegie-library.org>
Subject: Re: Special Reading Series For Adults
I don't know of any library series, but alot of low vocab-high interest books
are
available from many school supply catalogs. Contact special ed teachers at your
highschool or suggest she contact them and they may allow her to check them out.
If you have an adult ed program chances are they have some books to borrow.
Bridgett Johnson,Youth Services Librarian
Lewistown Public Library, 701 W. Main, Lewistown, Montana 59457
(406) 538 - 8559 bridgett@lewis-carnegie-library.org
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 14:43:34 -0400 (EDT)
From: carmel <carmel@ulysses.sebridge.org>
Subject: Re: birthday party
I think you should have a very large red flag flashing in your brain
about this time. If you want to do this for a stiffish fee, it may be a
good way to make some extra money. If you want to equate this with
teachers doing some tutoring on the side that's a professional way of
looking at it. It's not something I would do, or advise my staff to do,
at any time, however. They're right. Do one and everyone will want one!
Good luck.... Marilyn Schlansky, Reed Memorial Library, Carmel, NY
On Fri, 13 Aug 1999, Sue Albert wrote:
> I have been asked by one of my storytime moms to do a storytime at her
> son's birthday party. The party is at her home and I am not scheduled to
> work that day. My branch head thinks it is great, but advises me that I
> cannot count it as a library program since it is not open to the public.
>
> The mother has offered to pay me to do this since it would be on my own
> time. The party guests will mainly be 2 and 3 year olds. She has asked for
> active songs, puppet stories, and participation stories. She wants me to do
> a 20-30 minute program - longer if the kids do not get restless.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 12:19:59 -0400
From: Dana C Kelly <dckelly@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us>
Subject: Need ideas for super hero program
I am planning a program on superheroes - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woamn,
etc, for preschoolers - and wanted to ask for ideas any one on the list
may have used in the past. Thanks in advance!
Dana
- --
Dana C Kelly (dckelly@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us)
Outreach Services Manager
Fontana Regional Library
33 Fryemont St.
Bryson City, NC 28713
(828) 488-2382 Fax: (828) 488-2638
"Opinions expressed in this message may not represent the policy
of my library"
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 12:39:23 -0700
From: "Denise Gerdes" <deniseg@lvccld.lib.nv.us>
Subject: Re: end of summer reading program
I always feel bad for the kids who have read during the summer, but cannot
collect their awards because Mom forgot the ending date. This year we took the
time to go thru the logs and call the children who hadn't finished the
program. We told them that Saturday was the last day to report hours--and left
messages for those who didn't answer the phone. (It took 4 hours of staff
time). Many parents were grateful for the call, and we really had alot of
people at our end-of-summer party because of the calls! Afterward, when we had
people coming in late for their awards, we reminded them that we had called
about the ending date and that we had turned in the leftover prizes at the end
of the program, and they seemed more satisfied at that.
Carol Hoke wrote:
> Yes, I believe this happens everywhere. There are some people who believe
> that the guidelines should be bent not just a little, but in half for them.
> Just today we had a mom come in with 2 kids to get prizes for summer
> reading. Our program ended August 6. We had prizes up until today for
> late ones, but have taken them apart to get things put away. She left
> unhappy, telling my staff person that she "wasn't very nice" when
she had
> been polite and gentle in her rejection. Sometimes you just can't win.
> What is frustrating is that we become the bad guys for the kids when Mom
> was the one who didn't have her act together and get them down here in
> time. (And yes we tell them when the program is over and it is printed in
> large, bold letters on the front of the folder!)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 11:11:36 -0400
From: Elizabeth Thomsen <et@noblenet.org>
Subject: Creative writing workshop ideas
I've done writing workshops in two different libraries, under very
different circumstances. In one, I was working with a self-selected
group of about 12 kids about 10-14 years old who came for six weekly
two-hour sessions. They came from a good school system, and had had
lots of experience and encouragement and support for their writing
activities. In the other library, I had a very different situation,
more kids, less structured, a very different school system, and the kids
were basically there for a program-- the fact that they came to a
writing program didn't imply that they had a particular interest in
writing. Although these situations were entirely different, I felt that
both were interesting and fun and successful.
I used some ideas from two books, Jacqueline Jackson's "Turn Not Pale,
Beloved Snail," and "Gifts of Writing" by Stephen and Susan Judy.
"Gifts of Writing" is a book of projects that combine crafts and
writing, and I used this much more with my less-structured group.
With the more structured group (who I still think of as "the little
geniuses") I concentrated more on writing exercises, rather than
critiquing their outside writing projects. Sort of the "process rather
than the product" thing, which applies to writing as well as art. Here
are a couple that worked really well:
Freewriting: Give them paper, and tell them to write for five minutes,
to write whatever they want, whatever comes out, without editing or
planning or outlining. The only rule is to pick up the pen when I say
start, and to write continuously for the whole time. I would give them
a topic to start them off, something extemely general like "Write about
this room." Then we would go around the room and read them aloud. I
would write along with them, and read mine first, as a way of showing
them that rambling, disorganized and digressive was just fine.
Sometimes we just enjoyed this for the fun of it, and sometimes it gave
us ideas for things that could be developed into stories or essays or
poems. Some of these kids had had the spontaneity schooled out of them,
and needed this exercise to loosen up a bit.
Embarrassing moments: I think I got this out of the Jackson book. We
talked about how the good things in your life you tend to remember in a
glowing, general haze, but the bad things, especially the embarrassing
things, you remember in excruciatingly specific detail. I read them a
few relevant scenes from books, like the famous underwear scene from
"Ellen Tebbits." Then they chose an embarrassing experience of their
own, and wrote about it, concentrating on the use of detail. These were
wonderful and fun for all of us.
Picture this: Get a collection of art prints and have the kids write for
ten minutes about the picture. Like the freewriting exercise, encourage
them to be spontaneous and write anything they want. A couple of kids
wrote about the picture itself, like art criticism, one wrote as if he
were the artist, explaining why he was painting this picture, and most
wrote stories about the people in the picture. Sometimes I used art
prints and you wrote about whatever picture you picked at random, and
other times I brought a pile of art books into the room, and let the
kids spend a few minutes looking through them and choosing a picture to
write about. (Side benefit: some of the kids ended up checking out art
books!)
- --
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Danvers MA 01923
et@noblenet.org
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 16:08:21 -0700
From: michael crosby <mdcrosby@earthlink.net>
Subject: Women in Science
Dear pubyac-sters;
I am getting more and more school assignments for biographies on women
in science. I have compiled a list of encyclopedia-like non-fictions
"Women in Aviation and Space" etc., but I was wondering if anyone had
any ideas on single-subject biographies, simular to a Marie Curry
biography. I'm sure that there are some new biographies out there. If
there aren't any, maybe we should write one. Please respond directly to
me.
Michael Crosby
Children's Librarian,
La Canada Flintridge Public Library
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 09:12:20 -0500
From: TChumbley@bettendorf.lib.ia.us
Subject: Stumper Solved
Thanks to all who responded to my query about the golden apple. It was in
fact the Golden Apple and it is out of print. We'll try for interlibrary
loan! Thanks again.
Tami Chumbley
Youth Services Manager
Bettendorf (IA) Public Library
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 12:25:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Rebecca Hastings <rhasting@vlc.lib.mi.us>
Subject: red shoe stumper
dear collective brain, they come in three's i guess...a patron was in
looking for a book she read in the late 1950's about a crippled girl and
some red shoes. possible title is red shoes for nancy, nancy's red
shoes? she described it as non-fiction, but i've learned not to trust
the public's understanding of that term. the girl wants to dance and
these shoes represent dancing somehow? we've exhausted what we have
here, so any help would be appreciated...thanks! rebecca
From: Rebecca Hastings <rhasting@vlc.lib.mi.us>
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 08:47:13 -0500
From: "Sheilah O'Connor" <soconnor@library.epl.etobicoke.on.ca>
Subject: Re: end of summer reading program
I have to jump into this discussion with a totally different take on the
question. Why do so many library systems end a *summer* reading club half
way through the summer? If part of the point of a SRC is to keep the kids
reading all summer, why end so early? And perhaps many of the
parents/children feel that they want to continue with the Club and so go
past your deadline not because they are trouble makers but because they are
enjoying what you have labored so hard to create!
Just a thought!
Sheilah O'Connor
Children's Librarian
Toronto Public Library
Toronto, Ont. Canada
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 18:05:58 -0400
From: "Capehart" <capehart@ziplink.net>
Subject: RE: end of summer reading
Hello,
My Director asked me to query the collective brain. Do any of you have
formal complaint forms (not materials reconsideration forms) that you think
work well? We would like to have something formal to hand people complaining
about the temperature or a staff member or another patron rather than
forcing our staff to deal with the entire problem at that moment. Any help
will be appreciated! TIA!
Tim Capehart
Head Children's Services
Leominster Public Library
Leominster, MA
tcapehar@cwmars.org
http://www.ziplink.net/~capehart
"If you really want to help the American theater, don't be an actress,
dahling. Be an audience." - Tallulah Bankhead
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 12:16:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Nancy Pew <nancypew@spl.org>
Subject: Summer Reading Program0
At Seattle Public our summer reading club starts June 1 and goes through
the end of August--that covers most of the vacation period. Most branches
keep the prizes available for some time into September.
Having the reading program stop just when the doldrums of August have hit
would seem to discourage the idea of reading all summer. Some kids have
trouble getting through the number of books required. If the program
length matched the summer length you would probably have more compliance
with the guidelines.
Just my 2 cents. Does not reflect views of my employer.
Nancy Pew
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 12:18:32 PDT
From: "Elizabeth Buono" <ebuono73@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: statistics
We keep track of how many kids joined from each school, since we send
letters to the school letting the teachers know how many kids from their
school finished. We also keep track of how many kids in each grade joined,
and at what branch the kids joined (this may not apply to everyone).
Elizabeth Buono
Children's Librarian
The Ferguson Library
Stamford, CT
>From: mfalabel <mfalabel@concentric.net>
>Reply-To: pubyac@nysernet.org
>To: pubyac@nysernet.org
>Subject: statistics
>Date: Sun, 08 Aug 1999 23:40:34 -0400
>
>Dear Pubyacers,
>I was recently given the responsibility to calculate statistics for the
>summer reading club. I am familiar with calculating, how many joined,
>and how many finished, etc. The head of my department has her own way,
>of keeping statistics, ie. how many joined, how many read one book, two,
>three, and how many read none, and so on.
>How are statistics done for summer reading clubs in other libraries???
>All responses are greatly appreciated.
>Thank you,
>Marjorie Falabella
>LBPL-
>
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 10:07:41 PDT
From: "Susan Graf" <susangraf27@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Homeschoolers
Our local school district has an office to coordinate home schooling
families. They cannot give us a mailing list; however, I have prepared a
couple of mailings.
I do a letter and flier regarding a new/upgraded resource or service , put
them in library envelopes and have them postage metered. Then I take them
to the school office and they attached the mailing label and send out.
To be honest, we haven't had an overwhelming response, but I am planning one
more mailing this fall.
Susan Graf "Saint James says in
Family Services Librarian his epistle that we are
North Las Vegas Library District to confess our sins to
2300 Civic Center Drive each other, which is the
North Las Vegas, NV 89030 Christian rationale for
(702)633-1070 FX (702)649-2576 storytelling..."
susangraf27@hotmail.com
Garrison Keillor, in
the preface to "The
Best American Short
Stories, 1998"
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 10:22:00 -0700
From: Maya_SPECTOR@city.palo-alto.ca.us (Maya SPECTOR)
Subject: End of summer reading program
We run our program very late, through the last day of August. The
kids set their own goals (which works out very well), and we let them
complete the program any time during the month of August. We also
advertise that we will make special arrangements for anyone gone the
entire month. So, each child gets his/her certificate and prizes when
they come in with their goal met (no having to fill out tons of
certificates only to have them never picked up). If they try to cash
in before August 1 we tell them they set their goal too low, and to
read more.
Even with a whole month and all the accomodations, we STILL get people
coming in late (September, October, whenever they feel like it). We
keep stuff around for a week or so, but then that's it. Many of the
coupons we give expire by then, anyway. It's a shame to penalize the
kids when it's mostly the parents who blow it, but you have to stop at
some point!
Maya Spector
Palo Alto Children's Library
maya_spector@city.palo-alto.ca.us
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 17:46:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tracy Kendrick <tkendric@gvpl.victoria.bc.ca>
Subject: harry potter #3 donation
Re: Harry Potter #3 donation
We've been using separate records for British and American editions for
years and haven't had a problem that I know of--maybe Canadians are more
used to this, however. Our system simply puts a note in the record
stating that the book is also published under the title "whatever".
As for cataloguing the donation--go for it! Your patrons will be
delighted.
<snip>
How do I know this? Because it happened in my system with HP#2!
It took lots of confabbing and conferring between Juv Services and the
Catalog dept to combine the two records into on (with catalog dept
resistance). I would recommend doing what I do in my branch with the
surprising number of gift copies we get of the British edition. Put
a plastic jacket on it, slap on a typed label that says "Check out in
pamphlet envelope" /"give to children's librarian when returned".
Each time I stick the book on my "Like Harry Potter" shelf and some
wildly thrilled patron discovers it on a "it's your lucky day" basis.
Gayle Richardson
<snip>
Tracy Kendrick
Public Services Librarian
Greater Victoria Public Library
tkendric@gvpl.victoria.bc.ca
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 16:44:35 -0700
From: Jan Wall <janw@norby.latah.lib.id.us>
Subject: RE: End of SR
Oh, the dangers of being smug! I've been reading the posts about *parents*
who push the envelope at the end of SR and thinking: "I'm so lucky it
doesn't happen here." Well - the last 2 days have brought 4 parents asking
if their kids are too late to pick up their prizes...
We end our program on July 31st and give until August 10th to pick up
prizes. It's the same every year, and the info is on all the stuff we hand
out and posted at the library from the middle of July on.
On the one hand, I really like giving out as many prizes (including PB
books) as possible. I really don't want to store more than necessary (or
sell some of the leftover PBs at a booksale.) So I really do want those
kids to pick stuff up.
OTOH, it's an issue of staff and space (as Torrie has pointed out.) I don't
have unlimited storage (or work) space, and leftovers are stored WAY up at
the top of a cupboard ASAP, so that it's done and I can go on vacation. (I
really like to have it done before I go. This is the ONLY time of year that
my family and I can get away together, as is the case of many YS people.)
If I put it off until I get back, it starts interfering with storytime and
fall activity prep stuff.
We also have a small staff, and if I'm not here, circ staff has to leave
the desk and go to the back so that tardy kids/parents can choose prizes.
So yes, I guess I'm annoyed at late-comers. I do allow them to pick up
prizes while I'm here - I've been trying to give them "appointments"
that
they commit to. ("If you come in tomorrow morning, we can arrange to have
you pick up prizes.") I might tell the circ staff to tell late-comers that
they have to come back when I'm here. Will that make an impression on them?
Maybe, maybe not...
The deadline is definitely when school starts. (To my mind, it's not SUMMER
reading at that point!) I'm afraid I'm not patient enough to allow kids to
pick up prizes in November. (Plus I am NOT going to drag the old step
ladder out just to get the prizes that are stored on the top shelves!)
I think that there are people who will always push the limits, no matter
how understanding or strict we are. We can take heart that it's not just us
it happens to. My oldest son worked in a grocery store and told me "Mom,
you wouldn't beleive how many people come in 5 minutes before we close and
expect us to stay open while they do 20 minutes worth of shopping.." And
most of the people who do this are consistent across the board with this
type of behavior (and then wonder why "everyone is against them.")
A rant I didn't think I'd have to make this year...
Jan Wall
Youth Services Librarian
Latah County Library District
110 South Jefferson Street
Moscow ID 83843
fax: 208-882-5098
janw@norby.latah.lib.id.us
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End of pubyac V1 #783
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