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From: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults and Children"
<pubyac@prairienet.org>
To: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults and Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 11:01 PM
Subject: PUBYAC digest 951
PUBYAC Digest 951
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Re: picture books in categories
by "Olivia Spicer" <ospicer@loudoun.gov>
2) Re: "Santa" in the taxpayer funded library
by "Olivia Spicer" <ospicer@loudoun.gov>
3) Second/ Third Grade Read Alouds
by Beth Gaughan <bethg2@yahoo.com>
4) Re: "Santa" in the taxpayer funded library
by Mary Ann Gilpatrick <magilpat@walnet.walla-walla.wa.us>
5) Messy room stumper solved!
by "Iserman, Jennifer" <Jennifer.Iserman@co.dakota.mn.us>
6) stumper - mouse trying to escape book
by "Lori Fritz" <LFRITZ@mail.ci.lubbock.tx.us>
7) Gameboy Cartridges
by Sara Joiner <sjoiner@bcls.lib.tx.us>
8) Stumper solved!
by Erin Helmrich <helmrich@tln.lib.mi.us>
9) Re: hobbit party
by Robin Jacobsen <rjacobse@russell.lioninc.org>
10) Spongebob Squarepants Compilation
by "Melissa MacLeod" <mmacleod@sailsinc.org>
11) RE: Toddler Story Time Themes
by Paula Gilmour <PGilmour@plainfield.lib.in.us>
12) job posting
by D'awnna Williams <dawnna@rockford.lib.il.us>
13) Re: "Santa" in the taxpayer funded library
by karen maletz <kmlib@yahoo.com>
14) "Santa" in the taxpayer-funded library
by "Mike Wessells" <mwessell@timberland.lib.wa.us>
15) Re: After-school program
by Jeri Kladder <jkladder@gcfn.org>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Olivia Spicer" <ospicer@loudoun.gov>
To: <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Subject: Re: picture books in categories
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:35:48 CST
All of our picture books are together, but if a book is obviously intended =
for an older audience (very long or mature content) we put a purple =
sticker on it to let patrons know that it is what it is. That way =
everything's still together.
Olivia I. Spicer
Youth Services Librarian
Loudoun County Public Library
Rust Library
380 Old Waterford Rd.
Leesburg, VA 20176
Tel: 703-771-5624
ospicer@loudoun.gov
------------------------------
From: "Olivia Spicer" <ospicer@loudoun.gov>
To: <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Subject: Re: "Santa" in the taxpayer funded library
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:35:56 CST
I think it's fine to use Santa & Christmas in non-religious ways as long =
as you're doing Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. in non-religious ways as well. =
Even though Santa is not religious, it is still Christians who do the gift =
(Santa) thing on Christmas day. I think sticking to a winter theme is the
=
most safe.
Olivia I. Spicer
Youth Services Librarian
Loudoun County Public Library
Rust Library
380 Old Waterford Rd.
Leesburg, VA 20176
Tel: 703-771-5624
ospicer@loudoun.gov
------------------------------
From: Beth Gaughan <bethg2@yahoo.com>
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Second/ Third Grade Read Alouds
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:36:06 CST
Greetings,
I'm am a new children's librarian and I would love to hear your
recommendations on books to read aloud to second and third graders.
Both picture books appropriate for this age, longer fiction, even
non-fiction that serves this purpose would be appreciated. Just send
them to me at BethG2@yahoo.com and I will
compile for the list once I
get settled.
Thanks in advance,
Beth Gaughan
Children's/YA Librarian
Beech Grove PL
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------------------------------
From: Mary Ann Gilpatrick <magilpat@walnet.walla-walla.wa.us>
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: "Santa" in the taxpayer funded library
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:36:15 CST
I announce early that I try to be inclusive rather than exclusive, as it
seems unrealistic to ignore what is going on all around. I do one Festivals
of Light program, including Diwali, Ramadan, and Hanukkah stories, and I
would love to include a Solstice story if I could find a good one, plus one
week of Bible Christmas stories and one week of secular Christmas stories
such as Morris' Disappearing bag -- it's really about sibling rivalry, so
kids can all relate. Ziefert's First Night fits right in for New Year's.
-- Mary Ann
ps: I also have a little tree on my desk, and a local knitting club makes
kids' hats for one of the local shelters. Everyone seems to feel this is
good
community building.
------------------------------
From: "Iserman, Jennifer" <Jennifer.Iserman@co.dakota.mn.us>
To: "'PUBYAC@prairienet.org'"
<PUBYAC@prairienet.org>
Subject: Messy room stumper solved!
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:36:25 CST
Thanks to all who responded about this stumper:
Big book, pink cover - a girl has a messy room and decides to clean it up
after her mom puts a sign on the door that says no one can enter.
The answer is an out-of-print Golden Book by Norah Smaridge called "The Big
Tidy Up".
Jennifer Iserman
Children's Librarian
Dakota County Library - Burnhaven
1101 West County Road 42
Burnsville, MN 55306
(952) 898-7107
jennifer.iserman@co.dakota.mn.us
------------------------------
From: "Lori Fritz" <LFRITZ@mail.ci.lubbock.tx.us>
To: <PUBYAC@PRAIRIENET.ORG>
Subject: stumper - mouse trying to escape book
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:36:33 CST
I think this is the first time I've had to post 2 stumpers in one week!
This one is for a coworker.
She remembers reading a picture book in a children's lit class about a
mouse who is trying to escape from the book. In the end, the mouse
makes a paper airplane and escapes. She took the class in '95. Any
suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Lori H. Fritz
Branch Manager
Groves Branch Library
Lubbock, TX
(806)767-3733
lfritz@mail.ci.lubbock.tx.us
------------------------------
From: Sara Joiner <sjoiner@bcls.lib.tx.us>
To: 'Pubyac' <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Subject: Gameboy Cartridges
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:36:42 CST
I have a co-worker whose teen advisory committee wanted to purchase Gameboy
cartridges to circulate. Does anybody out there circulate the cartridges?
If so, how do you catalog them? How do you store them? Any
information
would be great.
Thanks!
Sara K Joiner
Children's Coordinator
Brazoria County Library System
131 E. Live Oak
Angleton, TX 77515
979.864.1505
sjoiner@bcls.lib.tx.us
------------------------------
From: Erin Helmrich <helmrich@tln.lib.mi.us>
To: pubyac <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Subject: Stumper solved!
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:36:51 CST
Dear Friends,
Thank you to everyone who answered my stumper about "the Jewish family
that lived in a Synagogue and were small like the Littles and the
Borrowers." Two suggestions came through:
- When Mindy Saved Hanukkah by Eric Kimmel
- K'Tonton series by Sadie Rose
My patron wasn't sure so we got both titles for her - she was delighted!
Thanks again!
****************************
Erin V. Helmrich, M.L.S.
Youth/Teen Services Librarian
Royal Oak Public Library
222 East 11 Mile Rd.
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
PHONE: 248.246.3734
FAX: 248.246.3705
EMAIL: helmrich@tln.org
*****************************
------------------------------
From: Robin Jacobsen <rjacobse@russell.lioninc.org>
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: hobbit party
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:37:01 CST
All right, I yield. Count me as another lurker drawn from the depths!
I
just hosted a Hobbit event last month, and it was terrific fun. We had a
good group, all ages from grand mamas to little ones. First on the program
was a local theater company's actors currently playing Gandalf and Bilbo
for a quick visit in costume. We offered some activities for all ages,
from a simple guide to drawing Smaug to Riddles, Runes and Mazes all on
paper. There was a very difficult trivia contest for true fans. We
offered great door prizes, from the new Alan Lee illustrated LOTR to
tickets to the 12/18 opening of Two Towers to handmade candles donated by a
Tolkein fan group. One local game-playing group, (in our case, all
teens,) came by to demonstrate the new card game for LOTR. Of
course, we
decorated the room with maps, lots of dark green fabrics, and some simple
things like walking sticks, wooden dishes and unlit candles. The most
teasing about this program came from my colleagues on the refreshments
question. What does a Hobbit eat? Well, bacon, of course, and
mushrooms...a Middle Earth menu was called for, and we managed quite nicely
with cheeses, hearty breads, apples, cider and cookies. It was a great
evening, 6-7:30 or so, and we could have gone on and on, I think. Everyone
left with a smile and wants to do it again, so that works as an
evaluation! Have fun!
Robin Jacobsen
Community Services
Russell Library
Middletown, Ct
At 07:07 PM 12/12/02 -0600, you wrote:
>I wrote a couple of weeks ago about suggestions for a book discussion
>winter vacation idea. Thank you for your responses. However, the kids
>voted unanimously to read The Hobbit. Has anyone ever done a Hobbit
>party or something similar?
>Thanks!
>Debbie Leopold
>Lincoln Public Library
>Lincoln, MA
>linmail14@mln.lib.ma.us
------------------------------
From: "Melissa MacLeod" <mmacleod@sailsinc.org>
To: <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Subject: Spongebob Squarepants Compilation
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:37:11 CST
Many thanks to Chris Mallo, Barbara Scott, Tracy Moritz, Erin Helmrich and
Gideon for their responses to my plea for Spongebob Squarepants ideas. I
ordered a CD from Amazon with songs from the show, and will probably use the
jellyfishing idea, bubble blowing, and play Squidward May I in addition to a
trivia segment and a make your own Spongebob with sponges and fun foam. Of
course, we will read a Spongebob book too! For snacks I plan on serving
Goldfish (of course!) and pineapple juice. That shoudl fill an hour! Thanks
again and I hope everyone enjoys their holidays! Sincerely, Melissa
>From Chris Mallo
Children's Specialist
Great River Regional Library
Intro
Character Discussion
Spongebob Theme Song
Activities
Sea Shell Treasure Hunt
Pinata (whale, star,
treasure chest)
How to Draw Spongebob
Squidward's Octopus Tag
Krabby walk relay race
Fish, Fish, Shark
Blow Bubbles
Squidward May I?
Pin the Square Pants on
Spongebob
Pin Spongebob on the
Pineapple House
Jellyfishing (balloons
and butterfly nets)
Spongebob Grab (sticky
hands and plastic coins)
Spongebob Madlib
Crabby Patty Toss
(plastic hamburgers, spatulas, target on floor)
Crafts
Spongebob (Sponge, paperpants, googley eyes, pipe cleaners, markers, glue)
Sponge Paintings (Sea
sponges, paints, construction paper)
Bubble art (Water, Large
pot, food coloring, straws, paper)
Balloon Octopus
Balloon Jellyfish
Food
Ocean Slushies
Fish Crackers
Pineapple Slices
Other
Spongebob video
Spongebob music CD
>From Barbara Scott
Children's Librarian, Bucyrus Public Library
Ohio Reading Program Manual Editor
I completed a powerpoint presentation of a SpongeBob trivia quiz. I found
my questions by going to Google search engine and typing in "SpongeBob
Trivia" or something like that. I can burn you a copy of the CD if you have
powerpoint capabilities. There are tons of trivia quizzes out there!
Amazon offers a CD of songs from the show. Altho it is not a long one, I
ordered it and will probably have it as background music for craft time.
Our local Wal-Mart had wonderful SpongeBob pinatas. I will just use mine for
decoration of some type. I also purchased a length of SpongeBob material to
help decorate my snack table. I am told our local Foodtown supermarket has
a ton of SpongeBob stuff, so I will have to visit there!
For snacks, I am considering spongecake....goldfish crackers are a must!
I ordered Nickelodeon figurines (which include SpongeBob) and SpongeBob
stickers from Sherman Specialty Company.
Nickjr's site has some party ideas for crafts and games. I am thinking about
taking the "Pin the Square Pants on SpongeBob" and enlarging it so
that we
can play this game during the program. They have a really cute SpongeBob
doll to make with a real sponge, but this might get kinda cost-prohibitive.
www.dtlk.com also has some SpongeBob stuff.
I think we might make the treat
bags, a paper craft to put together SpongeBob, and a doorhanger.
>From Traci Moritz
?Sponge Bob Square Pants
"So strange, so unique, so...uh...spongy. Deep down in the Pacific Ocean
in the subterranean city of Bikini Bottom lives a square yellow sea sponge
named SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple with his
pet snail, Gary, loves his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, and has
a knack for getting into all kinds of trouble without really trying. When
he's not getting on the nerves of his cranky next door neighbor Squidward,
SpongeBob can usually be found smack in the middle of all sorts of
strange situations with his best buddy, the simple yet lovable starfish,
Patrick, or his thrill-seeking surfer-girl squirrel pal, Sandy Cheeks. In
Bikini Bottom, fish walk, blowing bubbles is art, and the tastiest undersea
treat is a deep-fried
Krabby Patty Burger. Dive in and soak it all up with SpongeBob! "
BUBBLESTAND 2A
SpongeBob introduces Patrick and Squidward to his unique talent, the art of
bubble blowing. After first turning his nose up at this silly sport,
Squidward accepts the challenge and attempts to surpass SpongeBob's level of
expertise. Squidward's plan to humiliate SpongeBob completely "blows
up" in
his face.
SPONGE BOB
SpongeBob is a sea sponge who lives with his pet snail, Gary, in a fully
furnished, two bedroom...pineapple, and has an unusual love for his job
as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab. SpongeBob is as optimistic, earnest, and
well-meaning as a sea-dwelling sponge gets, but despite his best
intentions, he can't seem to avoid creating problems for himself--and
usually
everyone else around him, too. While trying too hard, he tends to do things
wrong--really wrong--which often spells disaster. But SpongeBob can't
help looking on the bright side of life, and his positive outlook and
enthusiasm about just about everything make him downright irresistible.
PATRICK STAR
Patrick Star is SpongeBob's neighbor and best friend, and his big
ambition in life can be summed up in four words:
"uh...I...uh...forget." As
SpongeBob's closest pal, Patrick is always offering his advice and
encouragement.
Unfortunately, Patrick's not exactly the brightest starfish in the sea
(if you catch our drift), and he usually ends up helping SpongeBob into a
heap
of trouble. Even their simplest plans end in disaster. But for better or
worse, Patrick will always be SpongeBob's loyal buddy.
SANDY CHEEKS
Sandy Cheeks is a sea dome-dwelling squirrel who lives for action and
adventure. Having attempted just about every death-defying stunt under
the ocean, she's accepted the ultimate challenge: living underneath it
in an oxygen-filled dome. Sandy is Bikini Bottom's only resident rodent, and
the apple of SpongeBob's eye(the only thing under the sea he likes better
than his job at the Krusty Krab). For Sandy, SpongeBob is the sea bottom's
best stunt buddy, and when they get together, crash helmets and parachutes
are usually required.
SQUIDWARD
Squidward is a mean, whiny, stick-in-the-mud squid who thinks he's
better than everyone else. Just about everything annoys him. The Krusty Krab
annoys him. The customers annoy him. The boss annoys him. But most of
all, SpongeBob annoys him--almost 24 hours a day. Besides working side by
side with SpongeBob at the Krusty Krab, Squidward is SpongeBob's next door
neighbor. If it weren't for the fact that SpongeBob is the only one who
likes listening to his clarinet playing, Squidward would have nothing to do
with him. SpongeBob, on the other hand, thinks the two of them are the lunch
shift dream team.
MR. KRABS
Mr. Krabs is SpongeBob's boss and the owner of The Krusty Krab. Making
money is what it's all about for Mr. Krabs, and he can usually be found
in his office counting his cash and adding up the day's receipts. Although
SpongeBob gets on his nerves, Mr. Krabs likes that he's willing to work
long hours for little pay, and sometimes acts like his mentor. Mr. Krabs
hates his fast food rival Plankton, the owner of "The Chum Bucket,"
but not
as
much as Plankton hates him. The only thing that has more control over Mr.
Krabs
than money is his teenage daughter, Pearl.
Trivia:
What is the name of the town where SpongeBob lives?
Bikini Bottom
In what type of house does he live?
Pineapple
What is the name of his pet?
Gary
What kind of animal is Gary?
Snail
What is the name of SpongeBob's best friend?
Patrick
What is Patrick?
Starfish
What does SpongeBob do for a living?
He is a fry cook at the Krusty Krab
What is the main thing they serve at the Krusty Krab?
Krabby patties
What is the name of SpongeBob's boss?
Mr Krusty
Who is his arch enemy?
Plankton
What is the name of SpongeBob's girlfriend?
Sandy
What is Sandy?
A squirrel
Who is SpongeBob's neighbor?
Squidward
What is his problem?
He is annoyed by everything
Bonus question:
What is the name of Mr Krusty's daughter?
Pearl
To do:
Introduce SpongeBob
Play trivia game (divide into teams)
Talk about the Bubblestand Episode
Let's see if any of you are bubble blowing experts...
Mix up 3 different solutions.
1. Regular stuff you buy at the
store
2. 1 cup joy
2 ounces glycerin
enough water to make a gallon
1/3 cup Joy
1 1/4 cup water
2 t sugar
food coloring
3. 1 cups Joy
2 cups glycerin
1 cup karo syrup
Now what can we use to make the bubbles?
Different wands
Hands
Tin cans
Cotton string
Straws and string
Wire clothes hangers
Supplies:
Food coloring
4 large tubs
wire hangers
tin cans
cotton thread
cut into lengths and tied
cut into lengths
straws
cut in half
Joy
glycerin
white karo syrup
sugar
measuring cups
measuring spoons
>From Erin V. Helmrich, M.L.S.
Youth/Teen Services Librarian
Royal Oak Public Library
- made Patrick pins out of that flat, somewhat spongy stuff (foam?) that
comes in colors - we have an Ellison machine so I cut stars and had the
children
add googly eyes, and his pants.
- we played "jellyfishing" with helium balloons taped to the floor,
the
children were blindfolded and with a butterfly net they "caught" the
jellyfish.
- we bought a bag of that flat, scrap sponge - it swells up when it's wet
the kids made spongebob out of these pieces.
- we made crabby patties out of the aforementioned foamy, flat stuff that
was pre-cut into lettuce, tomato, and meat pieces.
- I also got a lot of stuff off nick.com for the kids to color and play
with.
------------------------------
From: Paula Gilmour <PGilmour@plainfield.lib.in.us>
To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'"
<pubyac@prairienet.org>
Subject: RE: Toddler Story Time Themes
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:37:20 CST
Themes:
Babies
At the beach
I love books
Count with me
Crawling creatures
Fish
Big and Little
I can do it
On the farm
Go
Look and see
Mice are nice
Toys
Manners
Zoo
-----Original Message-----
From: Elaine Moustakas [mailto:mailforelaine@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 2:13 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Toddler Story Time Themes
I'm in the midst of planning my Winter Toddler Times
and I need some fresh ideas. I like to plan my story
times around a theme and I feel like I keep recycling
the same themes in my Toddler groups. My Toddler
Timers love having a craft each week and I usually try
to tie it to the theme somehow and do a very easy
usually glueing type craft. Some themes that I've done
a lot lately include:
Dinosaurs
Getting Dressed
Any Holiday theme
Snow
Eating
Rhyming Stories
Silly Stories
Bears
Dogs
Cats
Hats
Body Parts
Bathtime
Trains
Trucks
The most important thing is that there are age
appropriate books. My Toddler group is for ages 18
months to 3 years old. Any and all help would be
appreciated. I will post results to the list.
Please send responses to: mailforelaine@yahoo.com.
Thank you!!
Elaine Moustakas
__________________________________________________
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From: D'awnna Williams <dawnna@rockford.lib.il.us>
To: 'PUBYAC' <PUBYAC@prairienet.org>
Subject: job posting
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:37:29 CST
Job Posting: Youth Collection Librarian (full-time)
ANNUAL SALARY: $30,014 ($14.43/hour)
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:
Under general direction of the Collection Manager, performs work of moderate
difficulty by applying concepts, techniques, and practices of library
science; evaluates library-wide youth collections; and selects youth
materials in all formats.
QUALIFICATIONS:
The qualified candidate must demonstrate a terrific customer service
attitude. Applicants must have good knowledge of youth materials such as
formats, publishers, authors, illustrators, awards, genres, and series;
ability to analyze needs, issues, and available data to effectively
administer youth materials budget; proficiency to demonstrate effective
problem-solving, decision-making, and mediation techniques; and know-how to
comprehend management goals and objectives.
Completion of the curriculum requirements for a Master's Degree in Library
Science from an ALA accredited school is required. Applicants with 2+ years
as a youth librarian in a public library; good working knowledge of
children's literature and various formats; familiarity with electronic
ordering; or, any equivalent combination of training and/or experience are
desired.
Send resume to: Rockford Public Library, Attn: Dawnna Williams, 215 N. Wyman
Street, Rockford, IL 61101 or e-mail to: personnel@rockford.lib.il.us
by
January 10, 2003
------------------------------
From: karen maletz <kmlib@yahoo.com>
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: "Santa" in the taxpayer funded library
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:37:39 CST
This was a "hot" topic in our library approximately 5
years ago when a local official complained about our
menorah, but not our Xmas trees. His opinion was that
a menorah was a religious symbol, but an Xmas tree was
secular. He insisted that if we had a menorah, it had
to be accompanied by a creche (nativity scene) but my
director doesn't want to do that. So now not only
don't we have Xmas trees, we don't even hang red &
green decorations over the circ desk. (I think this is
taking it a bit too far!). The balls hanging over the
circ desk are gold & silver & you can't even tell that
they have anything to do w/the holidays; they look
like we are doing some kind of outer space display. I
don't see what's wrong w/having a little of
everything. As far as storytimes are concerned, with
the little ones this week, I did a Christmas story
along with several winter stories but with the first
grade class visit I did yesterday, I stuck to the
winter stories.
--- wroe@sslic.net wrote:
> At our library we have always displayed Christmas
> books as with any other
> holiday. However, this year, I made several displays
> -- Ramadan, Hanukkah,
> Kwanzaa, and St. Nicholas. <snip>
------------------------------
From: "Mike Wessells" <mwessell@timberland.lib.wa.us>
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: "Santa" in the taxpayer-funded library
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:37:51 CST
I find this such a fascinating mine-field. Many of our patrons find
Santa a religious symbol, but a great number of my conservative
Christian colleagues find him to be a totally secular consumerist
shill, and are surprised to find he has any religious antecedents at
all! Some of the local Christian families think it a matter of great
irony that in order to shield non-Christian children from feeling
implicitly disinvited, we have to make Christian children feel
explicitly disinvited. I suppose it all comes down to how you wish to
see it. I have told Halloween stories with specifically Christian
themes (just as I tell stories with religious themes from across the
religious spectrum), and have had complaints for telling Halloween
stories at all. I even visited a local Assemblies of God Sunday School
and told "Mary Culhane and the Dead Man" and demonstrated the wealth
of
Christian symbolism within the story, if one wants to see it. That was
a lark!! (n.b. I did that in my guise as a pastor, not as a children's
librarian).
While I realize that the Secular Public Square requires that we throw
out the Baby with the bathwater by carefully not celebrating the
Nativity, I do not shy away from Mother Baboushka, from Allah-ed-Din
(Aladdin), or from deities that inhabit stories I tell from Native
American to ancient Babylonian to ancient Greek traditions (I do a
series on the Iliad and the Odyssey that can't escape the Greek gods).
>From my perspective (and I am a minority religious position in my
community), it does me no favor to pretend that my faith is so weak
that any acknowledgement that another religion might once (or still)
have been believed will shatter it. To me toleration means a
celebration of the differing religious beliefs that make us what we
are, rather than a careful tiptoeing around the elephant in the belief
that somehow no-one will see it if we pretend it isn't there.
That said, we are careful not to be in-your-face. We eschew explicitly
Holy-day (er, holiday) decorations. We have a tree (which, of course,
has pagan antecedents far pre-dating its use as a Christmas symbol) and
it is decorated with carefully chosen ornaments (e.g. ducks and leaves)
which could not have any possible sectarian connection. That way, the
joy of the season can be recognized without heralding any specific
religious connection. We also carefully use the secular symbols when
we celebrate other days of potential religious significance, such as
Mr. Patrick's Day in March and All Hollow's Eve in October.
mike wessells, whose outlook is definitely not to be inferred as that
of his employer
------------------------------
From: Jeri Kladder <jkladder@gcfn.org>
To: Paula Lopatic <paulal@rpls.lib.il.us>
Subject: Re: After-school program
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 10:38:01 CST
Paula,
To put the best spin on this....maybe the reading is such a
fantastic given that they don't need to ask? But the craft that follows,
well, we'll see. I would like to think that books are so obvious to the
kids that they don't even question what you'll read, they just know it'll
be good. Call me Pollyanna. - jeri
On Thu, 12 Dec 2002, Paula Lopatic wrote:
> In my library I sometimes wonder if the kids are
coming for the
> crafts...we rarely feed them! Some kids enter asking, "What are
we making
> today?" It's VERY unusual for one to begin with "What are
you reading to
us
> today?" But I try to remember that you can't always tell
who is
listening.
> The child with his head down may actually be taking in every word and the
> one staring at the me or the book may be daydreaming. I'm working to
create
> good feelings about the library and books and reading. When these
kids
are
> ready to check out books, or need help with homework research, or years
from
> now, are asked to vote for a tax increase(!), they will see the library as
a
> good place to go.
> If the kids are coming consisently and seem
reasonably happy, I'd say
> you're doing great!
> Paula
Jeri Kladder, Children's Librarian & Storyteller
jkladder@gcfn.org
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus, Ohio
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End of PUBYAC Digest 951
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