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From: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults & Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org> To: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults & Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 00:01:17 CDT Subject: PUBYAC digest 194 PUBYAC Digest 194 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) RE: POKEMON CARD TRADING NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY -- I NEED YOUR ADVI CE by "Chapman, Jan" <jchapman@ascpl.lib.oh.us> 2) RE: over crowded programs by Andrea Johnson <ajohnson@cooklib.org> 3) Re: Harry Potter by Susan Anderson-Newham <snewie@yahoo.com> 4) Re: Harry Potter by Smith <lsmith@suffolk.lib.ny.us> 5) Re: over crowded programs by "Melanie C. Duncan" <duncanm@mail.bibb.public.lib.ga.us> 6) Re: Harry Potter by ILefkowitz@aol.com 7) Re: [Fwd: Christian Fiction or propaganda] by Charles Schacht <schachtc@libcoop.net> 8) Re: patrons and rest rooms, etc. by Bonnie Warren <bonnielw@lincc.lib.or.us> 9) RE: over crowded programs by "Keeney, Scott" <SKEENEY@ci.albany.or.us> 10) Harry Potter popularity by Carrie Eldridge <celdridge@sanjuan.lib.wa.us> 11) STUMPER: Ducks named Alice, Emma, and Uncle Wesley by Lu Benke <lubenke@ns.ci.fort-collins.co.us> 12) Re: Christian Fiction or propaganda - related question by "Melanie C. Duncan" <duncanm@mail.bibb.public.lib.ga.us> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Chapman, Jan" <jchapman@ascpl.lib.oh.us> To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: RE: POKEMON CARD TRADING NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY -- I NEED YOUR ADVI CE MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:10:05 CDT Hi Stephanie: I hosted a Pokemon Card Swap recently. I had basic rules of trading that were passed out to each participant. Basically they were as follows: No cash transactions Even swaps only I also had a disclaimer that the library was not responsible for lost or stolen cards. I had a local Pokemon "expert" come in to help moderate the swap. We had no problems or disputes--we were lucky! I think it helps to post the rules ahead of time. Oh, and we had a Pokemon related door prize. Good luck with your swap. Jan Chapman Norton Branch Library jchapman@ascpl.lib.oh.us
-----Original Message----- From: owner-pubyac@prairienet.org [mailto:owner-pubyac@prairienet.org]On Behalf Of Langenkamp, Stephanie Sent: Monday, July 10, 2000 8:40 PM To: 'PUBYAC@prairienet.org' Subject: POKEMON CARD TRADING NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY -- I NEED YOUR ADVICE
On Wednesday night (7-12-2000), we'll be hosting an event where kids can bring their Pokemon cards and trade them with other kids. Do any of you have advice for me about how to run such an event? Thank you Stephanie Langenkamp San Marcos Public Library 512/393-8212 langenkamp_stephanie@ci.san-marcos.tx.us ------------------------------ From: Andrea Johnson <ajohnson@cooklib.org> To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: RE: over crowded programs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:11:40 CDT
We do issue tickets to our larger programs (e.g., anything with a performer like a magic show or a puppet show), because we can't have them in our library (our only remaining space for programs in this overcrowded library will hold maybe 30 kids). We print up tickets with the place/time and "Cook Memorial Public Library Presents" on them and distribute them at the Children's desk. We require a Cook library card (one per family) to issue tickets. Programs are often held at the Civic Center across the street from the library, and occasionally at another location. I don't know if this has reduced circ since we've done it this way as long as I've been here -- we have no other choice if we want to offer programs for more than 20-30 kids (we generally limit story and craft programs to this size). Someday when we have a bigger building, we'll have programs in the library, but until then we are forced to do this. During the school year, we distribute tickets beginning one week before the program. During the summer, tickets are distributed beginning one hour before the program. For the events during the school year, we usually end up with 70-75% of those who picked up tickets actually attending the program. One problem we have occasionally run into is with PR. Sometimes when we send a press release to the paper, the newspaper will end up printing a notice (or will print a photo after the fact) that says "So-and-so troupe has a puppet show at the Libertyville Civic Center" and completely neglects to mention the library. We have tried to be firm in reminding the papers to include the library name in their information about our programs. Actually, given all the disadvantages of our situation, I think it still works pretty well. Lots of people will come for tickets and stay to enjoy the library for awhile (and check some books out), and when they come for the program, many park at the library, attend the program across the street, then visit the library afterward. Andrea Johnson ajohnson@cooklib.org ------------------------------ From: Susan Anderson-Newham <snewie@yahoo.com> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Harry Potter MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:12:54 CDT
--- Deborah Landon <dlandon@npls.org> wrote: As a matter-of-fact, > I was > thinking maybe I should start reading the series. I > want to > know how books with MANY pages can be so > interesting/exciting > to kids . . . what's the mystery? After a 21/2 hour read aloud session with HP #4, my 9 year old daughter said, "Mom, when we read Harry Potter, I am THERE. I am not in our living room, I am right there at Hogwarts with Harry. How does she do that???" I think she does it with suspense, character, and great heaping doses of humor. Ultimately, regardless of their literary quality, Harry Potter books are FUN. Great magical fun. I highly recommend that you find out what the hype is all about! Susan Anderson-Newham ===== Susan Anderson-Newham Federal Way Regional Library King County, WA
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ From: Smith <lsmith@suffolk.lib.ny.us> To: David Serchay <a013213t@bc.seflin.org> Subject: Re: Harry Potter MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:14:03 CDT Yes!!! The hype surrounding book number four has brought a lot of people in who want to catch up with the series. I hope #3 will come out in paperback soon. Lisa Smith lsmith@suffolk.lib.ny.us On Tue, 11 Jul 2000, David Serchay wrote: > Has anyone else noticed a rise in the holds for books 1-3? > > David > > > David Serchay > a013213t@bc.seflin.org > ------------------------------ From: "Melanie C. Duncan" <duncanm@mail.bibb.public.lib.ga.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: over crowded programs Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:15:15 CDT Hi Mary, >We do not have a good space outside to have programs and we're in >Georgia, so the heat is a big factor. I can certainly agree with this! >Do any other libraries out there have their summer reading programs in >places other than the library? What happens to book circulation when >you switch places? We are worried about not getting the kids to the >books if we were to have the programs at a local school (our other >choice of location). I coordinated Summer Reading Club when I worked in the Fayette County Library during the Solar Summer theme back in 1995? 1996? Anyway, our library was only 4,800 square feet at the time, and the "meeting room" (basically the newspaper reading room) would only hold about 30-35 people according to the fire codes. I ended up booking all of our programs in either the County Commissioners meeting room over at the county annex building or in another meeting room in that building. My program attendance ranged from about 65 up to 225. Most of the programs were in the 150-200 range. Book circulation was no problem. The parents and kids would either visit the library before the program or right after. I would make a point of inviting them back to the library in my introduction to the program and in the conclusion. The only program I held outside was when the "Bubble Lady" came and showed the kids how to make their own soap bubble solution and create bubbles of all sizes. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.
Sincerely, Melanie C. Duncan, M.S.L.S. Reference Librarian, Washington Memorial Library Christian Fiction columnist, Library Journal Editor/Publisher, The Bookdragon Review (ISSN 1527-0157) http://www.bookdragonreview.com ------------------------------ From: ILefkowitz@aol.com To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Harry Potter MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:16:27 CDT All of our copies of the earlier books are out with reserves on them. I imagine when book five comes out the same thing will happen again. Ilene Lefkowitz Youth Services Librarian Mount Olive Public Library (NJ) ILefkowitz@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Charles Schacht <schachtc@libcoop.net> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: [Fwd: Christian Fiction or propaganda] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:17:41 CDT
On the other hand, playing devil's advocate, every time you use the taxpayer's money to buy a book you are encouraging the author/publisher to keep more of the same coming. If some misogynistic rap artist (using that word very loosely) comes out with a book full of rantings against minorities, authority figures etc. and glamorizing criminal activities it might well prove fairly popular among the KORN/EMINEM crowd if we were to buy it, but I'd be awfully reluctant to help people turn a profit off of exploiting that kind of mind set and bringing out the worst in their readers. We might do well to consider the possibility that Intellectual Freedom - the opportunity to put forth an IDEA - is not the same as what might be called "visceral freedom" - the desire to go whatever way your hormones lead. Although those seeking to promote the latter often attempt to wrap themselves in the cloak of the former in order to appear more respectable. The fact that we should be prepared to defend the presentation of a very wide spectrum of ideas in our collections does not mean that we need to accomodate the worst sorts of appeals to emotions/hormonal impulses, no matter how hateful, harmful or crass. One hopes that well reasoned selection policies would recognize this distinction. Speaking only for himself, of course,(and admitting that he still likes to put on The Rolling Stones every now and again) Chuck Schacht Romeo District Library Romeo, MI. Andrea Johnson wrote: > The > > moment we start rejecting books because we don't like their message, > > because we are afraid that somebody might get their feelings hurt, instead > > of choosing them on the basis of quality, popularity, or whatever we use > > for a well thought-out selection policy, we might as well chuck the whole > > principle of intellectual freedom out the window. > > > ===================================================== > Amen to that! (insert standing ovation) > > We must never forget the principles of intellectual freedom that we cite > when defending the books we love. If we only apply it to books we like, > it's a worthless idea, like passing a law against burning the American flag > (in my opinion). The freedom we're talking about has to apply to all > things, or it is worthless. If it is "freedom to agree with me," we are no > more defensible in our ideological stance than those who disagree with us > and want to censor our collections. > > Andrea Johnson > Cook Memorial Public Library > ajohnson@cooklib.org ------------------------------ From: Bonnie Warren <bonnielw@lincc.lib.or.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: patrons and rest rooms, etc. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:18:53 CDT We keep our restrooms locked with the key for each (men's and women's) on a ruler at the end of the circulation desk. Because the keys are in complete view and are necessary to get into the restroom, this has eliminated problems that have occurred in the library in the past I'm told. Patrons don't complain either. Bonnie Wright wrote: > We have had trouble in the past with getting adult patrons to shut the > door to the > rest rooms-has anyone else had to deal with this situation? I can see a > kid forgetting, > but an adult?( I'm not talking about mentally or physically challenged > adults, either.) > > Sometimes we've had a patron singing ditties, complete with swear words > in > the restroom(audible to other patrons) and we've had to speak to the > patron. > > Once I had to knock on the door-a young couple was making love in our > restroom. > A 14 year old girl and a 17 year old boy came out together. > I was told I handled the "aftermath" of the situation well-but has this > sort of thing > happened to anyone else? > > We've also(twice) had someone smear a restroom with" unmentionables." It > took the > director and I a good half hour to clean it up. > > I wonder if we are unique in having to deal with this sort of thing. It > is hardly > a "pressing" topic, but it seems to be happening a lot here recently. > > Bonnie Wright > bwright@aldus.northnet.org
------------------------------ From: "Keeney, Scott" <SKEENEY@ci.albany.or.us> To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: RE: over crowded programs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:20:41 CDT We issue tickets for some programs, "overbooking" by roughly 20-30% to allow for no shows. We require signups, on clipboards on Children's Department desks, for some programs, with the same "overbooking" built in. We even required attendees at one particularly busy series of programs to not only preregister, but also to be registered cardholders. (I'm astonished at how few libraries "card" (not charge) for expensive, labor intensive, value-added services they offer citizens for free, especially in areas, such as my county, where half of all taxpayers have historically chosen not to tax themselves for library service.) But the huge majority of our programs, including three all ages/no signups/everyone welcome morning storytimes, three times weekly, 50 weeks a year, average attendance 60, are open to and for all. Many are packed to the point where safety and quality suffer, a bit. If safety and quality suffered a lot, I'd immediately institute more restrictive signup/crowd limiting policies. Though I sure wish I could close the doors every now and then when the storytime horde peaks at over 100! Scott Keeney Children's Librarian work 541-917-7591 Albany Public Library fax 541-917-7586 1390 Waverly Dr SE Albany OR 97321 skeeney@ci.albany.or.us
-----Original Message----- From: Mary Matuszewski [mailto:marym@srls.public.lib.ga.us] Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2000 1:20 PM To: 'pubyac@prairienet.org' Subject: over crowded programs
Hello, We have a "good" problem. Our attendance to all our Summer Reading Programs is booming, so much so that we are going to need to find a new place to have our programs, or issue tickets or...(any other ideas?). We do not have a good space outside to have programs and we're in Georgia, so the heat is a big factor. Do any other libraries out there have their summer reading programs in places other than the library? What happens to book circulation when you switch places? We are worried about not getting the kids to the books if we were to have the programs at a local school (our other choice of location). OR... Does anyone issue free tickets for programs? We could then control how many come into our too small meeting room. How do you go about issuing the tickets? Did you see changes in your SRC participation with limiting the program attendees? Thanks so much for the information. Please respond to marym@srls.public.lib.ga.us, and I will post responses if others are interested. Mary M Statesboro Regional Library Statesboro, GA ------------------------------ From: Carrie Eldridge <celdridge@sanjuan.lib.wa.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Harry Potter popularity Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:21:52 CDT
Thank you Connie Vandervort for even-handed discussion of the Harry phenomenen. No one can know at this point if they will be on the shelves fifty years from now. Let's just enjoy kids reading some very long books with lots of detail. I heard an newsman on ABC sum it up this way: It's hard to be cynical about children reading (while the camera showed kids at bookstores reading the new Harry Potter.) It was wonderful. Let's just be happy about it. And if they read Harry Potter -- they will read...... (you fill in the blank). Hooray! for J.K. Rowling!
From: "Connie Vandervort" <cvandervort@mail.hillsml.lib.nh.us> To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org Subject: Harry Potter Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 19:12:28 CDT Dear PUBYACers, I have been very interested in the discussion that has been going on about Harry. I admit that I have read aand enjoyed all of them. However, I have not heard anyone mention the one thing I find, as a Children's librarian, most important about them. We have had a number of parents who have come in to get them and admitted that for the first time, in a long time, they have something they can discuss pleasantly with their teenagers. They admit to enjoying reading them, but most importantly, to enjoying sharing something with their children again. Other parents who were desperate to move their children beyond Goosebumps are amazed to find their kids reading Harry. Teachers who complained constantly about not being able to find something that they could read and hold their whole classes attention with are thrilled to have Harry. Only the test of time will determine whether this series becomes classic literature. Until then, let me say, that I am glad to have Harry Potter on my shelves. These books have rekindled a love of reading that I was beginning to fear might be burning low. So whether Rowling someday ranks in the pantheon of great children's authors or not, she certainly has done something wonderful for at least this librarian and the families my library serves. Thank you, J.K. Connie Vandervort Children's Librarian Hills Memorial Library Hudson, NH Hudson, NH Carrie Eldridge San Juan Island Library District Friday Harbor, WA 98250 360-378-2798 360-378-2706 (fax) celdridge@sanjuan.lib.wa.us
"I eat words wherever I find them but am no wiser. Keep your books under lock and key or they'll be devoured by me!" what am I? -from "Riddle Road: puzzles in poems and pictures" illustrated by Erik Blegvad ------------------------------ From: Lu Benke <lubenke@ns.ci.fort-collins.co.us> To: PUBYAC <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: STUMPER: Ducks named Alice, Emma, and Uncle Wesley Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:23:07 CDT
Here's hoping you can help. A customer remembers reading a chapter book at about the age of ten in about 1965. The book included ducks named Alice, Emma, and Uncle Wesley and perhaps other barnyard animals. The animals do talk, but otherwise there was not magic in the book. We have checked what we could through our database, Bibliofind, the 1961 edition of Children's Catalog and the database of a nearby large public library and nothing stands out as likely (Oh, how did we ever do without searchable summaries!) It is not Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Thanks so very much in advance for your help! Lu Benke Children's Services Fort Collins Public Library 201 Peterson Street phone: 970-221-6686 Fort Collins, CO 80524 fax: 970-221-6398 lubenke@libsys.ci.fort-collins.co.us ------------------------------ From: "Melanie C. Duncan" <duncanm@mail.bibb.public.lib.ga.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org Subject: Re: Christian Fiction or propaganda - related question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 20:24:29 CDT I read and reviewed the book Harm None by M.R. Sellars, a mystery with a Wicca protagonist. It also tried to straighten out misconceptions regarding Wicca by weaving the information into discussions about the case. I enjoyed the book because of the excellent characterization and mystery, not necessarily because I agree with the viewpoint espoused. There are fantastic books waiting to be discovered if you're willing to leave the safety of the familiar and explore the unknown.
Sincerely, Melanie C. Duncan, M.S.L.S. Reference Librarian, Washington Memorial Library Christian Fiction columnist, Library Journal Editor/Publisher, The Bookdragon Review (ISSN 1527-0157) http://www.bookdragonreview.com ------------------------------ End of PUBYAC Digest 194 ************************ |
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