Children's Services Meeting Minutes for April 2007

Date:  April 11, 2007 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Location:  Choctaw Library

Attendance:  Lisa Wood (OUT), Emily Williams (OUT), Kelley Riha (OUT), Dana Morrow (OUT), Janet Brooks (MSL), Barbara Johnson (BI), Daniel Fields (BE), Joan Shelton (CH), Tulin Lafollette (CT), Fran Harbert (DC), Carol Hunter (ED), JoNita White (HR), Lois Cross (JN), Kristin Williamson (MC), Cheryll Smith (SO), Melissa O’Neil (VI), Alma Brown (WA), Stacy Dykstra (Smart Start of Central Oklahoma), Julie Mulford (Ready for Kindergarten), Leslie Garrison (Family Expectations).

Welcome:

The staff introduced themselves to guests Stacy Dykstra, Julie Mulford and Leslie Garrison. Kelley Riha read Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.

Handouts:

The Public Library Association recently published a booklet entitled Nursery Rhymes, Songs and Fingerplays and these were distributed to each person in attendance.

Sequoyah Book Award Children’s Masterlist posters were handed out, along with copies of the Masterlists and the NotQuiteSequoyah
lists. Emily informed everyone of the voting days for the current Sequoyah list.

Additional handouts that were distributed were: Oklahoma Voices, Legislative Day and goals, free prescriptions pamphlets from Pfizer, Step It Up 2007, and Smart Start Oklahoma posters.

Family Expectations
Leslie Garrison presented information on the Family Expectations programs, a project of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative. Family Expectations offers free workshops and seminars for new and expecting parents. The parents can earn money for baby products and are provided with gas money and babysitting services. Currently Family Expectations is part of a research study and is additionally funded with federal grant money and money from DHS. The focus is on relationship skills (not just parenting skills) because Oklahoma has the 2 nd highest divorce rate in the nation.

Ready for Kindergarten
Julie Mulford presented information about the Ready program. Oklahoma City Public Schools and Putnam City Public Schools are both participating in this program. The target audience is parents with children under the age of five and the goal is to keep these children from falling behind. Julie showed a video that described the program and how it works. The program stresses the importance of reading to and playing with children. The parents receive free tools such as toys and books that they can keep. Research shows that the way parents interact with their children is integral to preparing them for school.

Materials information:
Janet provided bibliographies for Asian American Heritage Month, Carnival of the Animals (a collaboration with the OKC Philharmonic), and Summer Reading.
Janet also provided instructions on how to access archived Spotlight On bibliographies.

BREAK 2:15 – 2:30pm

Summer Reading
Cheryll provided information about the free programs that are provided through the Oklahoma Museum of History. They have characters for living history and education trunks. They do teen programs too!

Lisa went over some Volunteer Services information provided by Heidi Port. The deadline for teen volunteer tshirt sizes is Monday, April 16 th by noon.

There will be a special training for those who supervise volunteers on May 8 th using True Colors. Next week is National Volunteer Week so be sure to give a special thanks to all your volunteers. Volunteer Services is mailing gifts to each active volunteer. Lisa passes around the example of the teen volunteer tshirt and mentioned that there will be an opportunity for staff to purchase them. More information about the staff shirts will be sent out later

The Neighborhood Arts schedule was passed out along with a reminder to visit the ODL blog, forums and website. Information was discussed about the additional sponsors (Omniplex, Joe’s Crab Shack, OK History Museum, OK Art Museum) and what the drawing prizes are going to be (Family Memberships to the Zoo and Omniplex, gift cards, etc.). Lisa and Emily also talked about the new way that the materials are going to be provided (presorted into labeled envelopes for each level).

Fran mentioned the importance of contacting the schools in her district that are part of the Moore Public School system. They need to be contacted and permission needs to be granted prior to mailing the summer reading brochures.

123 Play with Me
Lisa talked about the difficulty of booking professionals when so many libraries overlap their programs. She proposed a change of looking at the year in two segments (Spring and Fall) instead of three. She passed around Fall 2007 calendars and Spring 2008 calendars and asked the programmers to sign up for the months they would prefer to do the program, with no more than two libraries per month. Dana mentioned the grant that Lisa wrote to get a mobile 123
Play with Me unit so that she can take it out into the community to places like the Weed and Seed, Emerson High School and other agencies providing services to atrisk parents.

Lisa additionally asked for feedback and suggestions to make the 123 Play with Me program run smoothly and easily for the programmers.

Sharing

Emily (OUT) shared information about Wizard Rock bands and gave the dates for the Norman Public Library’s concert with Harry and the Potters. Metro is possibly getting the Remus Lupins and the Whomping Willows for the month of August.

Fran (DC) said that her evening storytimes are going well. The storytimes are focused on Oklahoma history.

Dana (OUT) talked about the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers that are coming to a library near  you soon. Flyers and posters are going to be sent out soon.

Mary (DN) is having DWe come to do her Biddy Mason storytime this week and Sheldon Beach is now doing a bit of children’s programming.

Joan (CH) ordered new toys with a Friend’s grant and they are being used in the children’s area and in the 123 Play with Me program.

Cheryll (SO) is doing a junk sculpture class to celebrate Earth Day and to promote recycling.

Tulin (CT) had a successful kite building program over spring break. There was coverage of the program in the Daily Oklahoman.

Kristin (MC) created buttons and bookmarks to promote her children’s book club. She is working on creating a Young Philosopher’s Club based on the book Little Big Minds by Marietta McCarty. Sam and Kristin created a special calendar to hand out to promote summer reading programs.

Barb (BI) mentioned the book Born on a Blue Day and the connection to an article handed out at the previous meeting about working with children with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Lisa (OUT) mentioned the Village Special Friends fundraiser that will take place on May 12 at Casady Square. The Village Library is going to do a Touch the Trucks Day in connection with the Village Fair. Some of the entertainment this year will be “Music with Susan” and the “Big Magic Book.” There is also going to be a best mom of the year award.