Children's Services Meeting Minutes for August 2003

Date:  August 20, 2003

Location:  Midwest City Library

Attendance: Alma Brown, WA; Nancy Lytle, MKTG (formerly PR); Daniel Fields, BE; Mary Mahan, NP; Barbara Johnson, BI; Karen Bray, OUT; Kelley Riha, OUT; Carol Hunter, ED; Karen Lehr, ED; Fran Harbert, DC; Jo Nita White, HR; Angie Paeltz, LU; Cheryl Smith, MC; Rondia Banks, RE, Rosemary Czarski, CT; Joan Shelton, CH; Geri Price, OUT; Lisa Wood, VI, Dana Morrow, OUT; Julie Mock, MS; Scott Carter, MKTG; LaVetta Dent, OUT.

1. New Program Ideas, Cynthia Daniel Wolf, Program Presenter
   Cynthia gave handouts and demonstrations of “History Told Through Music: The Cattle Drive Area” and Sing out for children and families emphasizing her audience participation. Cynthia lives in OKC, and her Paseo studio number is: 525-4039 or home 525-4365. (Cynthia is in the system’s performer database.)
2. Summer at the Library – Dana Morrow and Scott Carter
1. Neighborhood Arts, etc. – Dana asked for comments about 2003 performers; response was good. The list of 2004 performers will come later. LaVetta will be arranging Michael Corley for the last week performer for those who want and will pay for his presentation; she will arrange and handle the paper work. Next summer Lucky Penny Players are having their 20th Anniversary.
   Tom Libby who gives the hot air balloon workshops is discussing a presentation Of Kites for the 100th Anniversary of Kitty Hawk. Karen, ED, said that they had Tom present the balloon workshop at a different time of the year and invited dads to come.
2. Summer Reading:
   Scott presented Summer Reading Stats from 1974-2003, and announced that MLS broke a 30-year record and went over the 12,000 mark. (13,239).
   Tulsa City County Library signed up 37,900 children this year. Tulsa’s Endowment provides many more prizes and drawings (inflatable dinosaurs for
   each child; family trips, DVD, more food coupons, etc.) About 3,000-4,000 are signed up at each branch library. Tulsa’s process of signing up participants is simple: they ask for a library card and male or female; they do not ask for name or address. When children receive their medals, they have a special platform for praise and photographs. Their program ends August 21.
3. Changes that are being considered:
1. a movie pass just for the little kids;
2. Every child gets 2 tickets to Sam Noble Museum;
3. Drawings system wide;
4. Ask Al Bicycle for a bike for each library;
5. enrollment begins May; not active until June?
6. Trying to get rid of the disclaimer that Putnam City Schools require on fliers.
7. Putting sign up forms on our web page so that people can print and bring it filled in. (a quick transaction)
8. Extend the program into August?
   Comments on the Volunteers: August teens are difficult to find. LaVetta  Suggested a Summer Reading Boot Camp and having teens volunteer for specific times--weeks or months—and not use the same volunteers all summer. Concerns that schools are starting at different times.
9. Publicity Booklets to the schools
   Concerns
1. separate brochures for Readers and “Read to Me” children versus having one single brochure for all levels.
2. Because not all the summer programs are on the brochures anymore,
   we would like a statement about more programs. Maybe check the web or your local library for complete listings. Perhaps, it would be better to “flash names” of performers and leave off the dates.
10. Survey to evaluate Summer Reading. Everyone is to look at the survey and comment to Mike Miller in Planning. Tell him what you like and don’t
    like.
11. A suggestion was made to remove the division of Readers and “Read to Me” to be like Tulsa and Pioneer systems, and discussion on the prizes,
    Especially the medals for the listeners. It was suggested that children have a choice—either a book or a medal. Everyone is to email Dana what they think about having one reading program for both readers and listeners.
12. New Sponsors: Borden, Krispy Cream and Sam Noble Museum. All
    Sponsors want to know is how many kids sign up (not finishers). Scott asked that, If a sponsor shows up unannounced, that we be nice to them, ask them to wait, and go to another room and call Scott. From now on Marketing (PR) will call us to make sure we know they are coming. Rondia (RE) suggested making a local bank a supporter in order to afford combining the Readers and Pre-readers (being able to afford $2 medals for each child).

    Scott also urged: if you get a sponsor or donation of any kind, you must notify Scott so that marketing does not get another sponsor angry….

13. ODL will be asking Sonic to change their food coupon to a frozen treat, and provide a couple of TV spots for summer reading for all of Oklahoma.
14. Discussion on the effectiveness of cable advertising. Cable is affordable.
    For other audiences, radio is being utilized.
15. Task Force for changes to Summer Reading:
1. LaVetta;
2. Scott;
3. All of Public Relations;
4. YA programmers;
5. who? Manager? Children’s Librarians?
16. Goal for next year: 15,000 young people enrolled.
17. Continue having a child throw the first ball at the Redhawks game.
18. A costume designer is making two Spoticus (the dog) costumes. They will have air conditioning. Those who want to be Spoticus will have to audition and train how to be the mascot.

    Next year’s theme is: “Summer of Champions” with photos (not drawings) of  Oklahoma champions. Baseball cards with champions?

3. Family Place presentation of Bruce Perry Video - Dana
   Dr. Perry presents the reasons for lap sits and Family Place programs. Success by 6 is putting together presentation packets for librarians to take to local club, churches, and groups to promote early literacy. Show this video to local leaders (pastors, doctors, businesspersons) who have influence on families. Also, give them a card with a button that says “Read to a child every day & change that child’s world.” The video and cards are available from Outreach ?

   Handouts: A listing of 2003 schedule of Parent child workshops, and “Regional Parent/Child Workshops for 2004 & 2005.” The workshops rotate seasonally to help share the resource professionals.

   Other Notes: A visitor will be coming to interview about Family Place workshops. New Family Place Brochures have been routed. Kelley’s coffee talk will allow meeting, thanking and explaining that we want the professions to circulate and talk to all the parents—not lecture. LaVetta will show video and power point Presentation.

4. Material Selection, Julie Mock
   Free trial for “Children’s eLibrary.” Books are animated so that they can be seen on a screen and the pages turn. Use for story times. An email will come. Most

   Likely there will be something to down load first. Email Susan feedback. MLS is thinking of buying it.
   Hand out on “Hispanic American Spotlight 2003 Picture Books” This can be accessed on MLS web page by going to “metrolibrary.org.” Other lists are also available.

5. Community Information, Performers List will be presented next time by Kelley  Riha. The Performer list is available through Intranet, Outreach department….
6. Announcements from LaVetta:
   Notebooks and Guidelines: instructions on how to do children’s services.  (Examples: steps for presenters; Family Place, Outreach, Schools, etc.) After
   they are written they will be presented to Ad Team and managers, and then put on Intranet.

   Summer Reading Supplies Graph: (a handout) We will get a copy of last years
   Orders and a blank one for ordering. LaVetta will notify other departments. A Ten percent increase is suggested for ordering.

   Story Time Kits are coming after the move to Downtown Library. This will also be posted on Intranet. Including Big Books, Puppets, Resources for story times, teens and parents.

7. Karen Bray, Resource Sharing
   Handouts: “Telling & Crafting Stories for Young Listeners” by Beekman in Storytelling World; it has a list of helpful resources. A pink sheet of favorite Internet sites of storytelling, crafts and sites for Kids (games, picture dictionary, science) She will send an email with the Internet sites so that we do not have to Type, just click. Notebooks of crafts instructions that we can borrow.
8. Geri Price, Outreach Services
   Geri shared “Cjome Read with Me Summer, 2003 Site Schedules” and books & crafts. She asks for rainforest book suggestions. ?
9. Summer Share Time for All
   Daniel (BE): Teen volunteers sewed dinosaur prizes for “Read to Me” kids. Recommends Susan Wood for Music programs.

   Joan (CH): Dinosaur wall mural. Pictures of dinosaurs decorated with hand prints.

   Alma (WA): Teen volunteers read this summer in our “Read to Me at 3:00” and Alma recommends others try something similar. She also recommended City Arts presentation and afterward activities.

   Karen & Carol (ED): Teen volunteers read from big books. They recommended programs from Omniplex and Sam Noble Museum. They had a dinosaur dig. The teens planned a party. This helped with keeping their interest in volunteering to the end of summer. Also, they recommend Toddler Aerobics, because it is so easy, and Teddy Bear Picnic (because the newspaper sends a photographer).

10. Scott Carter and Movie Tickets
    In November the tickets will be for Cat in the Hat. (Please display books of Dr. Seuss). In December the tickets will be for Return of the King.
11. Back-to-School and Writing Contest – LaVetta
    Please contact media specialists and teachers as they go back to school. Tell them about the journals available and to make it clear to the students there is a difference between Internet and a journal from a database. Homework helper will have advertising on TV. Give the library card policy to teachers.

    The computer problems have delayed the final production of the Writing Contest. The plan is to go to print on Monday, August 25 and get them back a week later. Mailing to libraries and schools as soon as possible. As soon as you get the materials start promoting the contest. The writing contest is for the 4th and 5th grades and the entries will be due Oct. 3. At our next meeting Oct. 8 everyone will help weed the entries to 25 for each category. The theme of the contest is “When I was Young In the Mountains….” This is a historical theme for kids. The winners will attend a private workshop with author Darlene Bailey Beard followed by a public awards ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 22.