Children's Services Meeting Minutes for October 2007

Date:  October 3, 2007

Location:  Midwest City Library

Attendance:  Lisa Wood (OUT), Dana Morrow (OUT), Emily Williams (OUT), Kelley Riha (OUT), Julie Ballou (MSL), John Brooks (Guest Presenter), Barb Johnson and Priscilla Doss (BI), Daniel Fields (BE), Joan Shelton (CH), Carol Roberts (CT), Mary Strasner and Sheldon Beach (DN), Karen Lehr and Carol Hunter (ED), Fran Harbert (DC), Kristin Williamson (MC), Joanie Porter (RE), Cheryll Smith (SO), Alma Brown (WA), Melissa O’Neil (VI), Lois Cross (JN)

Announcements, Handouts, ReadAloud:
Halloween—stock up on stringy spiderwebs at Halloween stores for next year’s Summer Reading (Catch the Reading Bug).

Diecuts—please send paper for diecuts, as there is not a supply readily available. Lisa is creating an order form, so you can send in the order form with the paper. You can view diecuts online at Accucut.

Lisa Bradley wanted inspiration for her story times, so Lisa created a handout with websites, magazines to check out, etc.

ODL program sponsored by NASA, to incorporate spacerelated things into children’s programming. Lunch is provided. May still be room.

Dana Morrow—Todd Oberling brought video. How do we get families to the library? Video from Brooklyn, NY, outreach to families in service area. Dana is trying to show it everyone. Video is about school libraries, but we don’t care where kids learn to love books, as long as they get exposed to that. Some great notes from the video: ‘A world without books is like a planet without words.’ ‘A book is like having a teacher right in your hands.’ Video—Remodeled library to be bright, kidfriendly, wanted the kids to come in and think they were in another world. The library offers opportunities that parents that went to the same school didn’t have. ‘You know when you are in this place, you can make those dreams come true.’ ‘This library means everything to me.’ ‘[This library] is like a part of my family.’ ‘If you give me more books, I’ll hug you forever.’ Dana said, ‘If you know anyone with a lot of money, let me know. I’ll show them this video.’ We need to partner with everyone else, so we can make things happen for our kids, because they are what counts.

Baby’s first book coupons—we are still handing these out constantly. If you don’t have a supply of board books, email Lisa. People can turn in coupon for board book. Dana talked about people who are working two jobs, trying to make ends meet, they don’t necessarily know about the library or know what an asset it is to all. Talk about this with staff, etc, so everyone knows about this program.

Lisa introduced the new children’s librarians—Carol (CT), Joanie (RE), and Sheldon (DN).

Guest Presentation:
John Brooks, local author presented his proposal for a holiday program. Mr. Brooks talked about his life during the holidays as a kid. What would it be like to be a Christmas tree lightbulb that was never seen? Bobby Bright’s Greatest Christmas Ever. Wednesday with Writers luncheon is starting up and will be located at the Downtown Library. It will be on the first Wednesday every month at the café.

Summer Reading:

Kelly Riha—fake mustaches are good things.
What did we think about the packets for Summer Reading signup and goals? Great for the librarians. A few things missing from some packets, but a pretty thorough job, over all. The reading certificate from ODL—how to better handle that? Add a label to Level 1 envelopes that says ‘Add ribbon’? Have volunteers put labels on envelopes? Think about ways to improve it for next year.

Barb’s (BI) Summer Reading cart—mobile, compact, very functional. Perhaps we should all have one.

Alma (WA) would like a colorful poster of the prizes, to let participants know what they could win, to engage more kids.

Drawing prizes—were they motivating? If the intranet had printable drawing cards available, that would be handy. Some would rather have more prizes of smaller amounts, rather than bigger, but fewer, prizes.

How do we instill in people that Summer Reading ends on July 31 st ?

Lisa really likes Mary’s (DN) idea about the ballpark, where you would be sitting, parking information, upgrading, etc.

Mary (DN) thinks that the Summer Reading stuff should be in the Info magazine before June, and all of the programs should be on the website as well. Mary also liked the OK Kids Kaleidoscope stuff better than the Centoonials.

Melissa (VI) asked if ODL gets feedback from kids about what they want, since they are they ones that end up with the stuff. Adrienne at ODL doesn’t have an advisory board made up of kids. Lisa will be checking in to some sort of advisory board idea, to see if kids have a say in what prizes they get.

Summer 2008 is Catch the Reading Bug—order catalogs for artwork, packets for program (part goes to Teen librarian). Catalog to purchase stuff for Summer Reading on our own.

Share Fair:
One of the people helping Adrienne (ODL) with Summer Reading stuff created a handout of various bug crafts. Form for gardening grants that your library can apply for, to start community or children’s gardens. Talk to manager before you write grant, because it must be approved through administration. The Village has a garden (which has been neglected, as of late, but is getting back into shape).

Summer 2009—Be creative at your library. It is all about the arts. Give ideas for programming to Lisa, on music, art, dance, etc. Programming ideas can be put into collaboratives manual.

2010—Need to think about slogan having to do with water. The very general theme is water, so far. Give Lisa ideas on expanding the theme by the end of October. Order catalog form for women’s tshirts (p. 10)—they are not green, but are periwinkle.

Adrienne is looking into getting a statewide discount for movie licensing and will also be looking for funding to pay for part of it. Adrienne wants to do a statewide reading program. For example, “Oklahoma Reads to Babies.” Everyone reads the same book, and programming will be around that book.
Adrienne wants input about a statewide program that you have heard about. Send Lisa information about that.

Lisa is taking 123
Play with me on the road. She is starting at Family Expectations and at all 3 parenting resource rooms. Basing it on whatever the agency wants/needs.
For example, Family Expectations is having a fathersonly night, then mothers only night. It will include toys, craft, resource table, etc.

Read to Me Video, 123 Play with me on the road
Smart Start conference video—(20 minutes) Read to Me presents ‘Reading to babies’. Babies use all of their senses to discover what a book is. Point things out to draw them in. Follow your babies lead. Sometimes they feel like reading and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes you need to take a break to take care of your babies needs, then read again. (If you have ideas of how to share this with parents, please let Lisa know.) There is a school near Daniel’s (BE) library that has incentives to get parents out.

Break:
Wii, DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), etc—Outreach has materials for gaming programs  for kids. Sample of Wii.

Karen Lehr (ED) is retiring. Her last day is October 9th .

Materials Selection:
Julie Ballou presented her idea for a collection training program. If we want to do this project, we can work out a time with our manager. Would spend an afternoon downtown, talking about the budget, withdrawn materials, etc. Then Julie would come to our library and help us in any area we need assistance in. Julie and Ruby (MSL) did cookbook reviews for Read About It and brought the books they talked about. Fairytale Feast, Jane Yolen. Perhaps a Storytime with food tasting. Grossout Cakes. Dog poop cookies, pus pockets, kitty litter cake, don’t eat the yellow snow cake, etc.

Share Time

Joanie (RE) is busy doing reference, because they are so incredibly shortstaffed.

Daniel (BE) worked with Western Oaks Elementary for Come Read with a Teacher, a summer camp to promote reading.

Cheryl (SO) did a Talk Like a Pirate program with a treasure hunt. The clues made up a map that led to the treasure coffin.

Fran (DC) has been doing centennial story times. This past month was Oklahoma inventors.

Lois (JO) is going to school with Kelley Riha (OUT) to read to kids. She had more fun than anybody watching the Neighborhood Arts programs.

Kelley (OUT) is going to extension libraries to read to kids. Elmo projector projects book, so kids can read along, so the books have different voices for different characters.

It is available (with a travelling Kelly) to borrow. Neighborhood Arts had a very successful summer.

Barbara (BI) is looking at some centennial stuff, including Oklahoma library legends.

You can read their bios. Apples, inventions, and phrases in Oklahoma, etc.

Joan (CH) is busy with the Halloween program, and she is also getting ready for their very large holiday program. The kids are going to make Christmas ornaments for their tree.

Carol (ED) is in mourning because Karen is leaving. She just went searching for her roots in the Shenandoah Valley. She met a woman who grew up in Okmulgee, OK, and that she grew up in the dust bowl time. Edmond had a pirate story time, and Carol wore a patch. Arrr.

Lisa (OUT) graduated with her Masters in Library Science. The information sheet for Storytimes. If we need anything like that, just call. Lisa is also available to sub, if need be. Karen (ED) will also be available to sub.

Carol (CT) just trying to figure out what she’s doing. Kristin (MC) had the Oklahoma Master Gardeners come out and do a program for kids.
(This would be good for next year’s summer program.) They made dirt babies. Also, their Philosopher’s Café teaches philosophy to kids. (She is using Little Big Minds. And some good websites. Email her if you would like them.) Kelly (OUT) suggested contacting homeschool groups. Lisa (OUT) suggested OCHEC—good for networking with homeschool families.

Emily (OUT) reminds us that the YA programmers get the other part of the summer manual.

Melissa (VI) is doing Babar and Me Yoga and Booktime, as well as Bookclubs and 123 Play with Me.

Karen (ED) is doing Lapsit and having an American Girl tea party.

Sheldon (DN) just turned 30. He started during the summer, so his first program will be Monster Makeup this week. The Gazette will be writing a short article on it.

Alma (WA) did family tree/memory art projects and scrapbooks. Some of the teen volunteers were sewing this summer. She will be giving out sewing kits to kids caught reading in the library. She’ll be starting the Caldecott Club, including Owl Moon art.  October Storytimes are cats, owls, and crafts.

Mary (DN) is tourless, so she’s going to do Storytimes and tours on the road. Because of the condobuilding, Mary will be putting fliers on doors. Mary praised the parenting programs.

Lisa (OUT) reminded people to remember their 123 months that they signed up for.

Thanks to Kristin for the food and Melissa for the minutes.

Remember, slogan for water for Summer 2009.
Meeting adjourned at 4:00pm