|
11-01-03 or 1255 |
|
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, November 01, 2003 12:31 AM
Subject: PUBYAC digest 1255
Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Internet & Censorship by <michael.pepkin@verizon.net> 2) Homework Club Contracts by Lisa Hunziger <hunzigel@hhpl.on.ca> 3) Why make the books less specific by Mitzi Thomas <mthomas@co.st-johns.fl.us> 4) PUBYAC: teen advisory boards by "Roberta Meyer" <roberta@effinghamlibrary.org> 5) clean YA fiction by Terrill <trumpeter2@shaw.ca> 6) Caldecott Contenders by Ginger Armstrong <armstrongg@co.chesterfield.va.us> 7) Read to a Dog program compilation by Domenica Simpson <dsimpson@mail.pratt.lib.md.us> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: <michael.pepkin@verizon.net> To: <PUBYAC@prairienet.org> Subject: Internet & Censorship MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:28:34 CST I need opinions for a school project on how people feel about the Internet and censorship for young children. I feel that as a parent we have a right to censor what our own children read and view, but I would appreciate input from others. Thank you. Geri michael.pepkin@verizon.net ------------------------------ From: Lisa Hunziger <hunzigel@hhpl.on.ca> To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org Subject: Homework Club Contracts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:29:00 CST Hello everyone. Our library is planning on starting a homework club. We are planning on having some kind of contract for parents to sign. If your library has a homework club and you use contracts, would you consider emailing me a copy? Also, any tips, must-dos and don't dos would be great. Thanking you in advance, Lisa Hunziger Halton Hills Public Library Children's Services ------------------------------ From: Mitzi Thomas <mthomas@co.st-johns.fl.us> To: "'pubyac@prairienet.org'" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Why make the books less specific MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:29:25 CST I can't imagine why anyone would want less information on a spine label. In our public library system we only have the last initial of the author on the picture books- it drives me crazy - even our music CD's and videos have the first 4 initials of title or author. Having only the first initial makes It is so difficult to find books. For example, our books by author last name beginning with C take up at least 7 shelves. So looking for a book by Eric Carle or Nancy Carlson takes forever. As far as it being a browsing collection - you can browse just as easy- if not more effectively, when the books are alphabetized. Mitzi Thomas, Librarian St Johns County Public Library System Ponte Vedra Beach Branch ------------------------------ From: "Roberta Meyer" <roberta@effinghamlibrary.org> To: "PUBYAC" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: PUBYAC: teen advisory boards Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:29:46 CST I received only three responses to my query regarding the purpose of teen advisory boards, one written policy and two unwritten. Thanks to those who responded. I had many requests to post the responses, so here they are. If anyone else would like to share their teen advisory board's purpose with the list, there is a lot of interest out there! Thanks! YAC - Young Adult Committee, Nelson Public Library The roles of YAC are to: * Advise the Library how to improve its services to teenagers * Promote the Library, especially its services to teenagers, through activities and publications * Provide an opportunity for teenagers to be involved in their community YAC may also, depending on what the members decide: - plan and run programs for teens - help with book selection - write a newsletter - volunteer for library projects - help with 'weeding' Due to limited money, time and space, not all ideas will be able to be carried out - the group may have to prioritize their ideas. The Library representative will: * Give the group feedback on their ideas and suggestions * Give help to the group when needed (eg advice or typing) * Compile meeting agendas * Distribute the minutes just before the next meeting Benefits * first 'go' at the new YA books (those without reserves on them, that is) * $2 library voucher for each meeting attended * After 8 meetings, if the person has attended 6 or more of them, they are given Volunteer status. No more vouchers given. * Volunteer status is lost after missing 2 meetings in a row without apologizing, or 3 with apologizing. * Volunteer benefits: no reserve fees, no extended loan fees, no music hire fees. Still have to pay for copying, lost and damaged items. * One way to get volunteer status faster, is to check tapes and CDs for the library - this depends on whether more checkers are needed. This status will be revoked if no checking is done for 3 months. Rules 1. A quorum (minimum) of 3 members (excluding Library rep.) is required for decisions to be made. 2. Everyone's opinions will be respected 3. Anything else required? I've been running a Teen Advisory Council for about three years. Sometimes it has had a lot of energy and other times it has quieted down. I see the purpose as teens giving input and assisting with the services to teens. They've helped me put on 3 or 4 programs for teens a year, given me input on collection development, and done some fabulous bulletin boards. Now we will be starting a newsletter for teens. The biggest accomplishment was our first Teen Overnighter last June. We had 14 teens spend the night and participate in various storytelling and reading activities. Good luck with this. Rosalie Rosalie Olds [rolds@kcls.org] My group floundered for quite some time--at least a year--until we started doing instead of talking at meetings. This made a big difference for our group. The talk became secondary and we all felt like we were doing something. Of course all groups are different, but maybe this information will help you. Or group is starting its seventh year and they are amazing! Our mission is "To insure the availability of quality resources for both leisure activities and homework assignments for junior and senior high school students. The Committee encourages teen involvement in the library through creative original programming and suggesting programs to be held at the library." Also check out: http://www.jervislibrary.org/YAweb/TAGs.html and http://www.jervislibrary.org/YAweb/teenparticipate.html for more information and other libraries that have TAGs. And Rosemary Honnold's site is great, too. Her group just won a YALSA award. http://www.cplrmh.com/tab.html Feel free to email me if you have any more questions. Lisa Matte Lisa Matte, Rome [LMatte@midyork.org] Roberta ****************************************** Roberta L. Meyer, Youth Services Librarian Helen Matthes Library 100 East Market Avenue Effingham, IL 62401 Phone: 217-342-2464 ext. 6 Fax: 217-342-2413 www.effinghamlibrary.org roberta@effinghamlibrary.org ************************************************** "The Library is the Answer. What's the Question?" ------------------------------ From: Terrill <trumpeter2@shaw.ca> To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org Subject: clean YA fiction Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:30:12 CST Seekers of the 'clean teen' .... This is just a moments thought, please don't take offense those enquiring about clean YA fiction ..... the fact is, the life of most teens is not clean and obscenity free .... even those with uniforms and good homes and stable environments ...... its their job to experiment and that includes language, wannabe-adult activity, and just general obnoxious acting out. To find books that are devoid of that must be a challenge, and those stories are are avoiding part of the teen reality. Don't get me wrong, I wish it were different, that we could teach them not to swear (whereas all we are really teaching them, is where NOT to swear), that we could teach them to consider others as they would themselves (they want to be treated in the way they treat others, thats why they do what they do ... they want to feel the extremes, perhaps, even briefly). The thing with teens is exposing them to the world, and helping them manage it with courage and strength. Having said that, I truly believe there is nothing wrong with reading fantasy ... in the adult reading world it is one of the most popular genres (next to mystery). Maybe the parameters of the fantasy section in YA should be changed to include more than alien activity in outer space, but the out of this world goings on of todays teens. Thanx for letting me toss this out to the world, raised teens, love 'em in the library, but know they are just doing THEIR job! In nature the herd often runs them out because they are so anti-anti-anti group! We civilized humans try and accept and work with them and get them past it with their dignity and self-confidence intact, and not having to run them out on to the savanna. Just my feelings du jour ... by happy to hear what others think on this matter. Terrill Scott British Columbia Canada "Let us read and let us dance, two amusements that will never do any harm to the world." - Voltaire ------------------------------ From: Ginger Armstrong <armstrongg@co.chesterfield.va.us> To: pubyac@prairienet.org, CHILD_LIT@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU Subject: Caldecott Contenders Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:30:40 CST Hi everyone! Well, it's that time of year again. Our library is searching for titles to supply our mock Caldecott election kits. Here's how our program works. We provide kits for elementary schools to check out that contain our Caldecott contender titles, a master voting sheet, and information about how to conduct a program with our kit. The students vote for their top contenders and see how their choice matches up with the real thing. So put on your thinking caps, and if you have any suggestions of Caldecott contenders for the year, just let me know. I will post a list of all suggestions that I receive to the list. To start people thinking, here are a few of my personal favorites from this year: Creation by Gerald McDermott The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathmann Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, pictures by Harry Bliss George Washington's Teeth by Deborah Chandra, pictures by Brock Cole Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee Thanks for any suggestions! Ginger Armstrong Chesterfield County Public Library Chesterfield, VA armstrongg@co.chesterfield.va.us ------------------------------ From: Domenica Simpson <dsimpson@mail.pratt.lib.md.us> To: "pubyac@prairienet.org" <pubyac@prairienet.org> Subject: Read to a Dog program compilation Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 01:31:05 CST First, thanks to everyone who sent information regarding their Dog reading programs. Secondly, I have compiled all the information into a document (it is somewhat lengthy) for anyone who is interested! Thanks again, Domenica Simpson 410-396-5402 Enoch Pratt Free Library 400 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201 -------------------------------- Hello, We are having a great success with the 4 Paws for Reading Program in conjunction with Tender Paws Pet Therapy Organization. Check out their website at <www.tenderpaws.org> Copy from our advertisements: 4 PAWS for READING Join us on three Saturdays, October 11, 18, and 25, 2003, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to read to our four-footed friends. Sign up each Saturday on a first come first serve basis. Special awards for readers who attend every session. Good Luck,it is a lot of fun. Jean Nichols -------------------- We had the FUR ANGELS come in. Kids that came enjoyed it. Have not had a chance to do a second program but would like to. Christine Gogolowski Y/YA Services Librarian Trenton Veterans Memorial Library Trenton, Michigan 48183 Branch of Wayne County Library ------------------------ We do a program here called Reading to Rover. We got in contact with the Visiting Pet Program here. They are trained dogs that visit nursing homes and hospitals. They come in and sit as the kids read to them. We sign the kids up and pair them up with a dog. Often we have a waiting list going. We tell the children that they can read again as soon as everyone has had their first turn. So I have a list for repeat readers too. I found some good early reader dog books that I put out on display. You might want to check with the local SPCA and see if they know of a group that visits hospitals and nursing homes. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Stacie Barron Children's Librarian East Bank Regional Library 4747 W. Napoleon Metairie, LA 70001 (504) 849-8812 -------------------------------------- Hi I don't know anything about the programme but there are a couple of books that might fit into a programme. Sara Swan Miller has a couple of books - Three stories to tell your dog and three more stories to tell your dog. Hope it helps. Cheers Marion Hi, I held a "Paws to Read" program this summer. I called a local vet & he was able to give me names of people in the community w/certified therapy dogs. I had 3 dogs each session & asked kids to sign up for a 10 minute session. The dogs stayed for an hour & a half. The owners & dogs were wonderful. The kids & parents loved it. One family had children who were petrified of dogs & used this as a safe way to for their children to interact w/ dogs at whatever level they felt most comfortable. One girl petted the dog!! We had preregistration. We did have several no-shows, so I would recommend calling people a day in advance to remind them that they we signed up to come & read. I also offered a simple dog-related craft for kids to do before or after they read. Good luck Terry Zignego --------------------------- Hello Domenica, Saw your post to PubYac and I am attaching a document that might help you know a little history behind the concept as well as some other details you may find helpful. I volunteer with a local humane society that already had an active pet therapy program to draw upon. I work fulltime in my library as a library assistant in children's services. It was a simple matter to partner my two loves, animals and children. Your biggest considerations will be: 1) Where the dogs will come from and liability concerns 2) Where the program will be held in the library and when 3) Funding (mats or pillows, dog bowls, gifts for kids, ie. bookmarks?, etc) 4) Program coordination and notification We've discovered a few things since we started our program a year ago... 1) We welcome parents to stand and observe, but not interfere with the one-on-one contact with the child and dog. Parents demanded answers from our dog handlers for evaluations about how their child is doing, what they thought their reading level was, etc. They also bring along younger siblings and want them to sit in, also. This was a big problem and we now make it clear that we invite parents and younger siblings to enjoy the library while their child is inside the meeting room. 2) We register children depending on how many dog handlers volunteer to come to the library on any given date. 10 dogs coming means we can sign up 20 children over two 25-minute sessions, i.e.: 7:00pm-8:00pm means 1st session= 7:00-7:25pm ...then a 10 minute break for the dogs and handlers and then 2nd session= 7:35pm-8:00pm. A couple of months earlier, we send out e-mails with selected dates and times to the participating dog handlers asking what dates they could BE SURE to volunteer for. There is a cut-off date and then we start signing up children. 2) Phone parents a couple days ahead to remind them about their child's date with a dog. "No-Shows" are a big problem. Keep a waiting list. 3) We never advertise our public program as a program for reading- challenged children for fear of stigmatizing it for the children. We DO notify our school district's reading specialists first about the program dates so they might recommend the program to students' parents who could really use the extra reading attention in a fun way. Keep in mind, however that the program is of HUGE benefit to ALL children. Just the 20-25 minutes of reading alone is beneficial to everyone. Some children have working parents who can never find to time to read with them. Some kids can't have pets. Some children just need more confidence and their self-esteem built up a bit. Some children with pets suddenly see their pets in a new light and start reading to them (tell parents to buy a huge. comfy dog bed especially for the child and pet together). 4) Its takes about a year or so for people to understand what the program does and why it makes sense. Expect to do a lot of explaining and prepare for lots of PR coverage. Have information handy. 5) Prepare for dog owners to come out of the woodwork wanting to be a part of your program! We simply refer people to the humane society for them to be evaluated, pay dues (for liability coverage) and become a part of the pet therapy program and their standards for awhile. THEN we evaluate them for the library program if they are interested. That way you'll tend to have good, committed volunteers. We started with 15 dogs and now have 37. Ok, well let me know if you have any questions. Just know that our program has ended up being more work than we had anticipated. We have a television crew coming out tomorrow evening to cover our program! We're ready! Good Luck! Sue Jones Pleasanton Library, CA www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/library.html (925) 931-3400 x 23 sjones@ci.pleasanton.ca.us PAWS TO READ A reading program partnership between the Pleasanton Public Library and the Valley Humane Society. Mission: "To improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of pet visitation teams as literacy mentors." Background: Children reading to dogs was first proposed by Sandi Martin, a critical care nurse and board member for Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) based in Salt Lake City, Utah. In October 1999, she developed the R.E.A.D. program (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) based on the premise that if the physical health of patients improved with the presence of therapy animals, that the reading abilities of children might also be similarly influenced. The first trial was at held at local bookstores, where children were invited to read a book to pet therapy dogs. This became so popular that Sandi approached the Salt Lake City Library system about allowing children to read to dogs in the library. The library's program, "Dog Day Afternoons" is now currently held every Saturday in all six branches. Sandi then contacted local school districts about instituting the program in schools and documenting the possible benefits. Bennion Elementary School in Salt Lake City selected 10 at-risk students with known reading and social problems. The students would each read to dogs once a week for 20 minutes for 16 months. The students were given standard tests for reading ability and behavior prior to the reading sessions. After 16 months, the quantitative results were dramatic. a) Reading scores improved 1-2 grade levels in the first 10 months; one student jumped 4 grades levels b) Absenteeism dropped c) Children were willing to get involved in other activities d) Children showed improved self-confidence & self-esteem e) Children improved their hygiene f) Interaction with animals became more respectful and kind g) Children found reading to be fun h) Children checked books out of the library and asked the librarians about books i) Students improved their grades with some ending up on the honor roll j) Students volunteered to read aloud in class k) Children volunteered to help their peers with reading l) Psychological evaluations showed students exhibiting greater empathy and respect toward peers This program began as an unusual idea to mix literacy and pets, but the program's impact on students' reading abilities has amazed educators and researchers. Similar programs are now in schools and libraries in eighteen states and Canada. The Pleasanton Library and the Valley Humane Society have developed "Paws to Read" based on the groundbreaking program developed in Salt Lake City. The Valley Humane Society is a no-kill organization based in Pleasanton and serving the tri-valley region. It has maintained an active pet visitation program in the valley since 1991. PROGRAM BENEFITS: - Research shows that children with low self-esteem are often more willing to interact with an animal than another person. Further, during such interaction, they are inclined to forget about their limitations. - Dogs don't tease, laugh or judge. They are a non-threatening, non-judgmental audience to kids who read below the level of their peers. - The introduction of a therapy dog into a learning environment creates a bridge between the learner and the task; "When there's an element of fun involved in learning how to read, kids forget they're actually doing work." - Children will find reading to an animal less intimidating, a special time for them that is helpful and fun and will become a positive environment in which learning is facilitated. - The dogs bring a wonderful combination of kindness, curiosity and patience to the task of reading. The program leads students toward an understanding of the purpose and potential of reading. - Children often increase interaction with their own pets, including reading to them. - There are physiological benefits to interacting with animals. - Children who stutter do not feel that animals laugh at them. - Children are more excited to go to the library. - Kids who are frequently truant at school, never miss their READ sessions. - With so much competition for a child's free time, reading to dogs offers a special attraction to children who might not otherwise enjoy reading away from classroom requirements. BASIC PROGRAM OPERATION NOTES: If a similar program is being considered for a school or library, inquiries into the school district, city or county policies regarding animals in their buildings need to be made. Questions regarding liability and factors of health (allergies, parasites, cleaning) need to be addressed. If handlers are to have contact with children, what precautions are taken to assure safe interactions with a child? These precautions help to justify new programs and allay liability issues. Desired attributes in a handler include a calm, friendly and patient demeanor. Handlers working with children should be positive and non-judgmental. They should enjoy children and reading. Handlers should be reliable and punctual and have no criminal history. Dogs must be clean, healthy, friendly and well behaved. Older dogs are preferred, as they tend to be less energetic. The dogs' behavior must be predictable. They must respond to voice control and know basic obedience commands. VHS does not require a CGC (Canine Good Citizenship), but that is a plus in any canine candidate. The dogs must love being around children and being touched. The dogs must be quiet (no barking, growling or whining) and safe around other dogs. The dogs should be bathed and groomed within 24 hours of a visit. The dogs should be subjected to standard health, personality & temperament testing. If a library or school chooses to partner with an animal organization for "reading dogs", liability issues should be seriously discussed and investigated. Appropriate insurance coverage should be obtained. Veterinary health documentation, including fecal tests for parasites, should be collected annually. The qualifications, experience and standards of the organization's dog evaluators should be researched. Organization policies should be provided in writing for consideration. Handlers should be provided basic literacy training in how to help students when they encounter words they don't understand or cannot pronounce. It is helpful to have dog & handler participants volunteer for a probationary period, perhaps 2-3 visits. It gives you a chance to see how reliable the handler is and how the volunteer and dog are with children and other dogs. The focus of the reading is age-appropriate books with animal themes. Suitable books may be provided by the library or children may bring reading material from home. If a child comes in who doesn't know how to read, the volunteer can read a story to both the child and the dog. The child can help turn pages. If possible, reading to pets at home should be encouraged. It benefits both the child and the pet. Children and handlers should be provided a reasonably quiet and comfortable area in which to interact. The program works best if the child reads to the dog on the dog's level. Mats and pillows, low steps, seating against a wall in a carpeted area, are all acceptable. Dogs tend to overheat, so a cool area is helpful. The first five minutes with a child should be devoted to introductions and bonding between the child and the dog. Then, "I think Rover would love to hear you read him a story now." At times the handler must keep the focus on reading when the child wants to talk about other things. That is a judgment call on the part of the handler. Sometimes it's the trusted relationship with that child that will be more important. Conversation should be "through the dog", i.e. "I think that book might be too hard for Rover to understand.how about picking out an easier story?" It is customary to end reading sessions with a special ritual or gift to the child. This could be as simple as stamping the child's hand or giving away bookmarks, stickers, paperback books or book bags. Polaroid pictures of the child and dog together have also been given. Gifts can be given after every session or after a 4-week series, for instance. Some programs are drop-in and others register children for specific dates and times (Pleasanton Library operates in this way). CHILDREN'S QUOTATIONS: "When I read I stutter a little bit and when I read to the dog it didn't make fun of me." "Olivia! I have a really cool book to read to you today!" "I loved reading to your dog, but what I love even more is that I get to go to the library and read more and more books." "I think it might be easier to read to a dog because they can't tell comments about you, like, "Ha, ha, you can't read" or something." "The dogs don't tease you if you miss a word." "They help me learn how to read so I can read harder books when I grow up." "It's really fun because dogs are easier to read to because they listen." "Mom, this will be the most fun I'll have all year!" CURRENT KNOWN PROGRAM LOCATIONS: 1) Six branches of the Salt Lake City Public Libraries 2) Martin County Library System, Florida 3) Weber County Library, Ogden, Utah 4) Five branches of the Multnomah County Library, Oregon 5) Layton Library, Utah 6) Davis County Libraries, Utah 7) Algiers Regional Libraries, Louisiana 8) Stuart Public Library, Florida 9) King County Regional Libraries (2 branches) Washington 10) Blake Library, Vero Beach, Florida 11) Milwaukee Public Libraries, Wisconsin 12) Aurora, Colorado (Library sponsored program in school) 13) Lake Tahoe Area Public Libraries 14) Bennion Elementary School, SLC, Utah 15) Holt Elementary School, Clearfield, Utah 16) Oakdale Elementary School, Sandy, Utah 17) Oak Park Elementary School, Overland Park, Kansas 18) Divide Elementary School, Butte, Montana 19) Melrose Elementary School, Melrose, Montana 20) Barnes & Noble and B. Dalton Book Stores, SLC, Utah 21) Boys & Girls Club, Murray, Utah 22) Benchmark Hospital, Woods Cross, Utah 23) Boys & Girls Club, Midvale, Utah 24) Moraine Recreation Center, Moraine, Ohio 25) Bishop Weigard Head Start facility, Utah 26) Daniel Boone Regional Libraries, Missouri 27) Eveleth, Minnesota Public Library 28) Broward County Libraries, Florida 29) Fraser Valley Library, Colorado 30) Washoe County School District, Reno, Nevada 31) Several elementary Schools in Fulton County, Georgia 32) Dallas, Texas area through Univ. of North Texas 33) Elementary Schools, Lake City, Columbia County, Florida 34) Howard County Library, East Columbia Branch, Maryland 35) Tommie Barfield Elemen. School, Marco Island, Florida 36) Henderson District Public Libraries, Henderson, Nevada 37) Jefferson Public Library, Wisconsin 38) Deibler Elementary School, Perkasie, Pennsylvania 39) Athens County Regional Library, Georgia 40) Acorn Public Library, Oak Forest , Illinois 41) Ouachita Parish Public Library, Louisiana 42) Parsippany Public Library, New Jersey 43) Long Valley Elementary School, New Jersey 44) St. Louis County Library, St Louis Missouri 45) Francis Howell School District, St. Louis, Missouri PUBLICITY: 1) Wall Street Journal 2) Parenting Magazine 3) BARK Magazine (Berkeley) 4) Family Circle Magazine 5) ABC News (TV) with Peter Jennings 6) School Library Journal 7) Dog Fancy Magazine 8) Denver Post 9) Seattle Times 10) New York Times 11) ASPCA "Animal Watch" Magazine 12) Miami Herald 13) Animal Planet television segment 14) MSNBC news segment and website article 15) Future Discovery Channel segment: "A Day in the Life of a READ Dog" Many local newspapers and newsletters ------------------ Hi Domenica, We had a program at our branch library for almost 1 1/2 years - the attachments describe how we coordinated and implemented the program. We've since made a transition to an area elementary school. The East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Library in Howard County, MD, also has a similar program and they work with an organization called Fidos for Freedom (I think). Good luck, Mie-Mie Wu Children's Librarian King County Library System Bothell Regional Library 18215 98th Ave NE Bothell, WA 98011 info Coordination A coordination committee will involve § branch librarians and branch support § regional Pet PartnerŪ coordinator(s) § regional Pet PartnerŪ evaluator(s) § regional Pet PartnerŪ recruiter(s) Volunteer Pet PartnersŪ A minimum of 3 Pet PartnersŪ is recommended to implement Reading with RoverT at your branch. § volunteers and their animals must be certified as Pet PartnersŪ with either Delta Society or Therapy Dogs International § volunteers and their animals must have sufficient, documented animal-assisted therapy experience prior to participating in the program § volunteers must complete the Reading with RoverT workshop and mentoring program § volunteers and their animals must be evaluated by a Reading with RoverT evaluation committee prior to participating in the program § volunteer Pet PartnersŪ must agree to a schedule of visits and follow program protocol Protocol Coordinators must implement Reading with RoverT protocol to ensure program consistency, quality control, and the safety of program participants, Pet PartnersŪ and branch staff. § insurance and liability issues § health concerns § management protocol for Pet PartnerŪ participation § handler protocol and conduct § program procedure Space & Signage Coordinators will post notice that dogs are in the library and establish Rover reading areas. § post program signs in library entrance and area where dogs are located § create a welcoming environment for the reader and Pet PartnersŪ with blankets, pillows, bean bags and books § maintain a safe, intimate reading environment for the reader § keep reader and Pet PartnersŪ within staff visibility Schedule & Schools § Coordinators will establish volunteer and program schedules. School contacts (especially school librarians and reading specialists) and school support and/or parent involvement are invaluable. § Create volunteer schedule - program can be registered or drop-in § Promote program through publicity, school visits, special events § Contact area school librarians, reading specialists and ESL instructors § Contact after-school care agencies Reading with Rover Report - August 2002 Mie-Mie Wu, Bothell Regional Library, King County Library System Project Description Reading with Rover began as a summer reading program and pilot project at the Bothell Regional and Kenmore Libraries in June 2001. The program, which is set up as a four-week reading series, pairs young readers with certified therapy dogs and handlers and gives children the opportunity to practice their reading skills in an approachable, receptive environment. The program seeks to provide and promote reading opportunities for children that advance reading enjoyment and sustained reading over a period of time. We encouraged participants to attend a 30-minute reading session, once a week, for four consecutive weeks. During the reading sessions, participants brought books of their own choosing or selected books from titles assembled specifically for the program. The participants were paired with a therapy dog/handler team and they read aloud to the dog for 20-30 minutes. Books were displayed for check-out and grade-level book lists were available to consult or take home. The therapy dogs, or Reading Rovers, "wrote" weekly cards to their readers to encourage reading and to remind them of their next session. At the end of the four-week session, readers received a reading certificate, a book "pawtographed" by their Reading Rover, and a photograph of their Reading Rover. Reading with Rover was offered Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-6:00pm, Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:00pm and Saturday afternoons from 2:00-4:00pm. With funds from the King County Library System Friends of the Libraries Grants, the King County Library System Foundation, the collaboration of community pet therapy volunteers and the support of branch staff, the Bothell Regional Library offered three registered sessions of Reading with Rover, as well as eight drop-in sessions, from October 2001 through April 2002. The Bothell Regional Library plans on beginning the fall series of Reading with Rover in mid-October 2002. Statistics 50 participants registered for Reading with Rover and 36 participants completed their four-week reading sessions for a completion rate of 72%. 98 people attended drop-in sessions and read aloud to a dog or simply enjoyed the company of a good book and a good dog. Reading with Rover was able to offer 216 reading sessions due to the generosity of eight Pet PartnerŪ teams who donated their time and expertise. We hosted a special Reading with Rover session with a reading class (grades 2-4) from a local elementary school. The elementary reading specialist, the Bothell Regional Library and volunteer Pet PartnerŪ teams coordinated a library visit, a library tour and reading sessions for a group of 28 students and parents. Reading with Rover is exceptionally fortunate to have dedicated and knowledgeable volunteer Pet PartnerŪ teams without whom this program would not exist. Reading with Rover has worked with several community groups to plan, coordinate and sustain the program, including Paws for Health, Puppy Manners and several elementary schools in the Northshore School District. Reading with Rover requires that a coordinating committee, involving library staff, regional Pet PartnerŪ coordinators, Pet PartnerŪ evaluators and Pet PartnerŪ recruiters, be in place to oversee the establishment and maintenance of the program, as well as to recruit, evaluate and mentor new Pet PartnerŪ teams. --------------------- We just started our Furry Friends program last Saturday and so far it has been a great success! I began my search for dogs with the Delta Society www.deltasociety.org. They are an international organization, but they were a little slow on their response (or maybe I was impatient:) I then heard of a local golden retriever club and they have so far been my best source of dogs. I would suggest local agencies such as your Humane's Society or on the Delta Society's web page you can search for evaluators in your state who might be able to suggest some other local organizations. So far, we have started small and targeted the program to challenged readers, grades 2-3. Obviously, reading to dogs is going to be a very popular program among kids and we wanted to work all of the kinks out before we had fifty kids trotting in to read to the dogs. So we have teamed up with the local elementary school and had their reading specialist hand pick some of their more reading challenged students. We have also talked with some of our local homeschool educators about other kids that might benefit from the program due to their reading challenges. And finally, we are in the process of advertising the program at local tutoring centers to try to round up some more challenged readers. We schedule the kids thirty minutes with the dog. This allows for time to pet the dog, give him a treat at the end of the session and even helping the handler take him for a walk. When all is said and done, the child gets a good twenty minutes of reading done. We have this set up for an ongoing program of seven weeks. The kids attend seven Saturdays with the dogs and then on the eighth week, we are planning a party with prizes, awards and food. Of course the dogs will present and we hoping local businesses will donate books and dog treats. We do require all parents to sign a permission slip, all dogs must be currently registered therapy dogs, either through the Delta Society or through Therapy Dogs International, and we require all dog handlers to go through a criminal history check since they do work closely with the children. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions or need any other resources! Good luck and happy reading! Angie Woodson Children's Associate Greenwood Public Library 317-885-5035 ------------------------------ Domenica, I have been out of the office for a while, but I wanted to let you know about our "Paws to Read" program. (Just warning you...this is a long one!) We have been doing it for about a year and it has been wonderfully successful. We currently have 4 dogs (3 for the kids to read to and one that is a "writing" dog) and 7 kids that participate. We meet twice a month and the kids spend 20-25 minutes reading to their dog and then they have 20 minutes to write about what they have read and read it back to the writing dog. The dogs were originally gotten through our local Humane Society's Pet Partner's porgram. That program is no longer in effect here due to budget cuts, but your local place may have something like it. You can also contact the Delta Society in order to find more therapy certified dogs in your area. We currently work with a local Golden Retriever club that has about 10 certified dogs. We have kids from kindergarten through 7th grade that participate. I contacted some teachers I knew and the principal of a local private school to tell them about the program. We currently have openings in ours, but that is just because we added another dog. I always have books of several different reading levels available for the kids to choose from and I encourage the kids to bring their own books or books that they are reading for school. We have one child that brings his spelling words to work on every time. He reads the story for school and writes the sentences he needs during the writing portion. Most of the other kids just read what I have out for them. We didn't do much formal training with our handlers, but I did give them pointers about correcting the kids' reading and things like that. I also gave them tons of info from the America Reads website. We constantly remind the parents that we are tutors. We are trying to make reading a fun, non-stressful activity that doesn't only need to be related to school. Twice a year we have a party to celebrate the kids' success. Our local Barnes and Noble has donated books for the dogs to give to the kids and we have cake and punch. The dogs get a cake too and the kids think it is a hoot. I know this is probably WAY more than what you wanted, but there is the essence of it. I have lots more stuff that I have collected over the year. If you would like me to snail-mail it you, I would be more than happy to send it your way! Please let me know if there is anything else you need! Michele Farley Children's Librarian Brownsburg Public Library Hello- I did this last Summer using the Delta Society which trains dogs and their owners for use as therapy dogs in such places as schools, hospitals and nursing homes. You may contact them at www.deltasociety.org or you may email my contact in Massachusetts at cmmelton@attbi.com. It was wonderful both for the kids and the dogs. I would recommend having at least two dogs and giving the kids 15 minutes to read and interact with the dog. Make sure there are breaks for everyone in between sessions. Enjoy! Karen L. Gabbert Armand Children's Librarian Ames Free Library Easton, MA 02356 508-238-2000 ----------------------------- AT the North York Central Library Branch of the Toronto Public Library, we contacted St John's Ambulance. The therapy dogs and handlers are insured. Handlers have been checked by police and dogs are evaluated. ---------------------------- Hi, Just wanted you to know that we had a successful program here. A dog,called Homer the Wonder Dog, had about a dozen elementary age children read to him. I gathered about twenty of my favorite dog/pet story books and doggie poems on a level 3 - 4 reading level. The children gathered, chose a book/poem and spent 5-10 min. reading to Homer while the other children listened. It worked well. Good luck! Dorothy Children's Librarian Frankford Public Library 8 Main St. Frankford, DE 19945 tel. 302-732-9351 fax: 302-732-3353 ------------------------ ------------------------------ End of PUBYAC Digest 1255 *************************
|
|
|