Children's Services Meeting Minutes for December 2004
Date: December 8, 2004 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Location: Downtown Library
Attendance: Alma Brown, WA; Nancy Lytle, MaC; Cheryl Coleman, RE; Fran Harbert, DC; Carolyn Abernathy, SO; Carol Hunter, ED; Heidi Port, DVS; Lisa Bradley, DN; Mary Strasner, DN; LaVetta Dent, OUT; Mary Mahan, NP; Jonita White, HR; Daniel Fields, BE; Karen Lehr, ED; Barb Johnson, BI; Cheryll Smith, MC; Kelley Riha, OUT, Dana Morrow, OUT, Geri Price, OUT; Lisa Wood, VI; Janet Brooks, MSL
Volunteer procedure changes - Heidi Port, DVS (handout – packet)
Heidi Port passed out handouts and summarized the procedural changes for MLS volunteers. Forms will be available on Intranet and Internet (when appropriate). A request to have the Teen forms online in January. There are three types of volunteers: 1) Teen; 2) Adult; 3) Court appointed. The volunteer time sheets will now be due quarterly.
Background Checks and Badges: Adult volunteers have background checks and photo ID badges. Teen and court appointed volunteers do not have background checks and will use volunteer badges kept at the library. The background check form will automatically print with the adult volunteer application form. Send the background check form to Volunteer Services in a sealed white envelop. Do not keep the background check form or a copy of it in your office or library. Because background checks cost money, let Heidi know if you want one performed or if you do not need this individual for volunteer work.
Schools in Service Area sample - LaVetta (handout)
LaVetta handed out schools in service area lists and requested that each library send her corrections and additions for their schools by Dec. 31. Also, if you share a school with another library, they can be listed on both agencies lists, but when it comes to Summer Reading talk with the other library to determine which library should have the school on their list. “PreK” is any age before Kindergarten (i.e. 3 or 4 year olds). Private schools will be in a different color type or colored highlight. This list or information will be on the Intranet, and we will be able to save it as an Excel file. School district web sites will be listed on these documents.
2005 Schedule of Meetings (handout)
LaVetta will also send copies to the managers.
Spring Fling 2005 Schedule – LaVetta and Dana (handout)
Antonio Rocha will present programs for families or all ages. There are good photos on the website for making fliers. Outreach will request a system-wide flier for March Spring Fling. Dana thanked everyone for your flexibility in scheduling the Spring Fling times. Next year MLS is planning on having Paul Mesner’s Puppets.
Summer Performances Evaluations for Arts Council - LaVetta (handout)
The Arts Council needs MLS to show that the programs they sponsor are successful. The handout is the 2004 form; it will be the form for 2005 this summer. Each Neighborhood Arts performance needs to have a form filled out. Staff can either ask performers to ask the questions informally asking for a show of hands and count or estimate the numbers or ask the questions themselves and have volunteers count or estimate numbers for questions like:
- Those who have attended a “Neighborhood Arts” performance before
- How many years have you been attending? (ask for 2, 5, 10 or more)
- How many plan to come to the next performance
Ask staff or observe:
- Are more books checked out?
- Is there a increase in questions for books related to the performance?
- Is there an increase interest in performing arts? (acting, clowning, dancing)
Circulation statistics printed the next day can be checked and used. Circulation stats are entered on the MLS Intranet monthly, so this will not be timely enough to use for this purpose.
ODL Summer Evaluations – LaVetta (handout)
With changes at ODL and the Downtown Library, there was a lot of confusion with this form. Question #1: “Youth” means children. Question #2: “young adult” or teens. Question #4: The number of individual programs/events held is all the performances, story times, play times, etc. Question #10: What did your library, not the system, spend on the Summer Reading program.
Family Place Program - LaVetta
Fall Parent/Child Workshops follow-up: Discussion and experiences with these workshops. BI had an evening workshop and lots of fathers came, including a pediatrician. When asked for advice by parents, direct them to library books and resources. Kelley and Dana discussed the baby's brain grows to 90% of its size by the end of the child’s third year (or by 4th birthday).
Winter/Spring Parent/Child Workshop: Those who are conducting a winter/spring P/C workshop are to e-mail LaVetta with the scheduled dates and times for a system pamphlet or publicity.
Program presenters – Kelley, Artist/Presenter Forms; Ask the artist or presenter to keep Kelley’s letter that explains the background check. Also, make sure that you have written the performance date and library; this helps Kelley conduct the checks in order of need.
Artist/Presenter Database: Kelley can add comments, like “hired by BE” and date. Feel free to use the database when individuals ask for performers or about performers we’ve used; give the customer the name and phone number. Keep in mind that this is just a list, not a recommendation. (Also, the performers that come to our meetings as an audition and should not be considered “recommended” by the system, each library must decide their needs. Kelley will send an email inquiring about making the professionals’ list made available on the MLS Intranet. Because the list is so large, it was requested that the list be placed in a database like the artist/performers. Dana said that would not be possible, but that she would work with Kelley on the Excel file to make it more usable.
Business Office and checks for performers: There is concern over the inconsistency of checks. Outreach will have Lloyd Lovely, from the Business Office, will review the guidelines, and maybe come talk to us at an upcoming meeting. When filling out the RFP for performer’s pay, print in bold at the top of the form that the “check is needed by [give date of Thursday before the performance]”(or at least the day before the performance). Business office prints checks on Tuesdays and have checks signed on Wednesdays.
W-9 List: Has the list of performers with W-9 forms on file been dropped? Or, is it started new each year Outreach will find out the status of this list.
Materials Selection - Janet Brooks
Janet gave a reminder about sending in our numbers for award books by Dec. 17, and said that she is ordering baby board books for 0-2 year olds. She passed out Sequoyah Books lists, and announced the correction of Dan Brown to Don Brown.
Dana The books are being ordered and plans are proceeding for the board books for libraries to give away to promote our programs. LaVetta will attend Success by Six meetings for Directors of Daycares and promote MLS family place programs.
Marketing- Nancy Lytle
The Metro Library Magazine will be quarterly. The system’s monthly event calendar will continue, and stay in the same format with the side bars of information. January 1 the March programs are due—have everything entered and checked. Adding a program after the deadline creates a problem with the text; changing a date or time does not. Proofs will still be sent out ahead of time for corrections. Nancy was asked to find out if Jeanne wants corrections electronically and in hardcopy. The information on our website can be changed by e-mailing Nancy.
CATS (Children and Teen Services of OLA) – CATS invites everyone to their workshop, Spoken Arts for Teens @ Your Library, Friday at the Downtown Library. Heidi Morgan is chair elect.
Resource Sharing, LaVetta Dent, resource: Guide to celebrations and Holidays around the world: The best books, media, and multicultural learning activities. This book has stories, activities, information and it is part of Outreach collection and may be borrowed (the book is also part of the reference collections of most of the branches).
LaVetta also passed out a copy of the Oklahoman article, “Craft projects produce gifts children can give,” which gave three favorite web sites: Familyfun.com, KinderArt.com and www.craftown.com/kids.htm. These sites have crafts and articles.
Program Ideas:
DN – Mary gave a presentation of book talks with a power point presentation available from Outreach.
DC – Fran brought a Rudolph Reindeer craft made from popsicle sticks.
BI – Barb described a food craft, a s’more or snowman?, made from marshmallows, gumdrops and cinnamon graham crackers.
OUT - Dana described concert pianist Wayne McEvilly has “a reincarnation of Mozart” and said that he wants everyone to hear Mozart. He performs beautifully on a keyboard, and children are amazed. See Dana for contact information or see the presenter list.
ED – puppets make with Popsicle sticks.
OUT – Kelley passed out pamphlets from Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth on Post Adjudication Review Board.
WA - Community Leaders read at the library during book week. (Fire chief, police officer, doctor and postal worker)
Guest Presenters:
3:30 p.m. -- The Simoleons played string instruments, harmonica, accordion, and singing swingin’ songs. Price range is $100 for 2 hours; ½ hour is $70 but they are negotiable. They can conduct a Harmonica workshop. See Dana or presenters list for contact information.
3:45 p.m. – Stephanie T. Kotzum was the dance instructor for “Felicity’s Dance Lesson” (based on the American Girl book) for WA, and recently acted the part of Sarah Hale. Stephanie came dressed as Mrs. Henry Overholser, the wife of the “Father of Oklahoma City,” Stephanie specializes in historical dance and reenactment from 1700s-1940s. She led us in a simple dance of “Duck Soup.” (Suggested titles of dance program could be: “Play Party” or “Relay Games.”)
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