Children's Services Meeting Minutes for April 2003

Date:  April 9, 2003

Attendance: Alma Brown, WA; Mary Mahan, NP; Rachel Mosman, CT; Angie Paeltz, LU; Julie Mock, MLS; Karen Bray, OUT; Lucie Smith, JN; Jo Nita White, HR; Barbara Johnson, BI; Joyce Helms, SP; Lisa Wood, VI; Heidi Daniel-Morgan, OUT; Geri Price, OUT; LaVetta Dent, OUT; Dana Morrow, OUT; Mary Strasner, DN; Joan Shelton, CH; Carol Hunter, ED; Cheryll Smith, MC; Carolyn Abernathy, SO; Fran Harbert, DC; Karen Lehr,ED; Daniel Fields, BE; Nancy Lytle, PR; Rondia Banks, RE

Hands Outs:
Week of the Young Child: Share a Book Day, Toddler Aerobics, Safety Day, Family Fun Fair

Celebrity Readers: Rondia, RE – invited fireman. Mary, DN had Michael Corley

Toddler Aerobics: Carolyn, SO will have it again in August, because people asked for more. Fran, DC, had an evening session, and served juice & teddies afterward. Lisa, VI, stressed the importance of starting with stretches before and after the “work out.” VI offers every other month and to head starts. LaVetta said that this program brings out new people and helps fill story times. Cheryll, MWC, had a father video tape the whole event. Edmond had a big response. Karen Lehr wants to show ED Staff to generate interest in helping offer this program. Use the carpet squares, but run out side the carpet squares—not on them, because they could slide, slip and fall. Talk about going in and out of the circle.

Family Fun Fair: There is more advertising for these events; so, we do not know how many will be at Family Fun Fair. Those who are reading need to let LaVetta know how they want their name on their sign.
Summer @ the Library – Dana Morrow:
This covers the following programs:

1. Read-to-Me
2. Dig it @ the Library Readers
3. Culture Shock Teen Readers
4. Neighborhood Arts - performers that come to our libraries
5. Teen Volunteers ?

Sign Up Prizes from ODL: (no stickers this year)

1. Sacks
2. Bookmarks
3. Reading Logs in the shape of a backpack.

PR – Stamps for Children to stamp the back of their reading contract/certificate
A sign up sheet was passed around for each library to place how many stamps they will need.

Prizes for Finishing:

Read-to-Me: book to keep

Readers:

1. medal;
2. ONE Children’s Theater ticket;
3. Two tickets to Red Hawks game

Teens: see below
Display: Make a display of the prizes; use the tri-fold board that LaVetta handed out at the Feb. retreat. Write “sample” on ticket.
Sonic Coupons: Sonic may give us drink or tots coupon at the last minute for children. Give as sign up or finishing, but not at a party or large group. (Teens will have their own….)

Neighborhood Arts:
When Outreach arranges the performer/program, they will do the paper work for business office and the events calendar entries. If they are arranging the program, but not paying for the event, they will still do the paper work and calendar work. Because Neighborhood Arts is co-sponsored by City and State Arts Councils, we need to give introductions and display signs that give them credit. Dana will send an email with wording on how to make these introductions.

Teens:
Teen Summer @ the Library:

1. Reading program;
2. Volunteers;
3. events to attend

Reading Program: There will be one paper/card that the library will keep; it will not leave the library. It will be stamped. Publicity will be a tri-fold of “Culture Shock” calendar or list of system programs. The information at the top tears off. There will be drawings for prizes at each library (maybe gift certificates at Barnes & Noble &/or movie theater. The big, system drawing will be for concert tickets to “Stripped & Justified” and DVD player. There will be a place to check for DVD prize, only. For signing up give:

1. food coupon;
2. Rubberband bracelet;
3. Red Hawks ticket (how many?) .

No contracts this year. Age requirements: no younger than 11. Encourage older teens into the program, but if a 11 or 12 year old wants to be in this program, let them.

Teen Events: Salsa Dancing sponsored by Arts Council; Manga, Henna; Art, etc. All programs require pre-registration.

Daily Oklahoman’s Reading Program: Are they doing this program again? Will they use the internet more for questions and send us less copies? (We don’t need so many copies.)

PR – Summer Brochures to the Schools:
The brochure will not have the contract attached. We will ask that printer srink wrape the brochures in packs of 100.
The brochues include “Name the Dalmation Contest.” A box for each entry will be at each library. (a sheet was passed around to ask for the size. Five winner names will be picked, and adults and children with library cards will be allowed to vote for their favorite name. The winning name will be announced at the ball game. There will be prizes for the five; the biggest prize to the winner.

The reader brochures will have a dog on the cover and the color tan. The read-to-me brochure will be cream color with a dinosaur illustration on the cover.
There was some discussion about the wording for the libraries that give tickets. The libraries that give tickets have different systems. The wording that was decided was: “Sitting is limited. Call for Registration Information.”

Sharing:
Karen (OUT) used cut up CDs to decorate a heart box. She used “Sticks on Contact” glue from hardware section in Wal-Mart. (Tacky does not dry fast enough. Mosaic grout mixed with acrylic paint. Glue first then grout.

Barbara (BI) free wall paper samples for crafts, bulletin boards. Etc. LaVetta suggested using wallpaper with Let’s Make Rabbits by Lionni.

Geri – Come Read with Me – Summer: requested help for finding possible locations for 16 locations for eight weeks, two mornings a week. There may be no funding for the school sites. So, looking for possible churches, day cares, etc. Children are in Kindergarten and older. Each group is about 25 kids. Children get a book from a Friends’ grant. (ask for brochures). She hopes to work with Boys & Girls Clubs, The Ys…Need

Mary (NP) shared a tiny basket: a tuna can covered with paper, pipe cleaner handle, scotch tape.

Mary (DN) Dead Presidents performer was very visual.

Lisa (VI) book club craft of a Insect catcher “bug vacuum” made of: 1) clear plastic tub (from Home Depot); 2) clear plastic cup and top; 3) straws; 4) gause. Instructions from familyfun.com Check restaurant supplies that are open to the public: 39th & Portland and one on May.

Joan (CH) is having a Dinosaur Dig and lots of decorations.

Mary (DN) described a geology program taking chicken bones and making a skeleton, and a jello recipe.

Daniel (BE) is considering having Teen volunteers make small, felt, stuffed dinosaurs to give as prizes.

Karen (OUT) talked about a gorgeous jungle mural at Moore Public Library

Guest:
Jamie Howard with her dog, Lacy, would like to present volunteer story times called, “Books & Bow Wows.” (LaVetta will distribute her handouts and biography.) She comes as “Miss Gabby” and her therapy dog. She sets down rules and boundaries. Her program is 30 minutes. She reads a book about Lacy, and the librarian can choose the other book. She hopes that this will promote other related programs, like Canine Readers, etc. Recommended for at least 5 and up. Younger children are scarred of Lacy.

Resource Sharing – Mary Strasner – Sign Language Resources: (two handouts)
There are differing opinions on babies using sign language:

1. Sign with your Baby ASL sign language (see MLS video & book)
2. Baby Signs simplified sign language (like baby talk)

The specialists are concerned that adults not use either after the child begins talking. Like baby talk developes into regular talk. Like bilingual babies, language may slow at times, but the children have double the language/vocabulary.

Family Place – Parent/Child Workshops:
Alma made a request for dye cuts for “Magicraft” paper of fruits and vegetables. “Magiccraft” when wet/dampened sticks to paper. The children could “wash” the fruit and vegetables on the wet sponge and stick it to a paper plate. Alma is gathering a list of alternative crafts for Parent/Child Workshops and Play Times, and will distribute them to everyone. It is advised to visit a P/C workshop when planning your first workshop at your library. Having a circle time or a “Baby’s Lap Time” at the end is great—Alma invites you to WA. Lisa suggests a diaper bag storage.

Writing Contest – Alma Brown, Karen Lehr & LaVetta Dent:
The author has not confirmed, yet. The author workshop is for the nine winners on November 22.

A request was made for the committee to consider an honorable mention (so more people could attend the workshop?) A certificate template that we could print and sign for the children who ask was requested.