YA Services Retreat Meeting Minutes - March 2014

Date: March 5, 2014
Location: Downtown Library

Attendance: Linsay Egle – DC, Suzette Felton – MC, Kristin Williamson – OUT, Taryn Kingery – AL, Dana Beach – CT, Emily Williams – OUT, Mary Sholly – OUT, Annie Emmons – NW, Meg Hunt-Wilson – ED, Anna Todd – BI, John Hilbert – SO, Sarah Abbasi  - RE, Elisabeth Wright – VI, Cheryl Coleman – WA, Dana Morrow – OUT, Heidi Port – DEV, Kim Edwards – DN

Welcome, Intro, Talk about award winning books

Janet Brooks – MSL
Janet encouraged everyone to do more displays in their libraries and to share their great displays via MyMetrolibrary so others can enjoy and learn from the displays.  She encouraged everyone to try to make displays that use more than one genre of books.
Janet discussed a really cool book display at CH where they did book spine poetry and encouraged the customers to add and change the poems that were created.
There is a free weeding tips webinar March 25 at 1:00 pm.  This webinar could be a useful tool to use.
When weeding keep in mind when the book was actually written and if it was written as “contemporary.”  Contemporary books from the 1980’s are no longer relevant to today’s readers. If a book is being checked out, keep it, or have it replaced, on the other side, if books aren’t being checked out you can get rid of them. 

Heidi Port – DEV
Summer Reading! DEV and PLA have created some awesome Volunteer Orientation videos that will be shared with all volunteers after they have been placed at their location. These videos cover topics on proper ways to call in, attire, and other job related issues.
Heidi discussed the book:  Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior.  She suggested using some of the interview techniques found in this book when deciding what volunteers to “hire” this Summer.  It’s best to set goals for your teens on what is expected and how to be good role models at the Libraries.  Heidi suggested interviewing the teens for positions.  Since we won’t need as many volunteers this year, staff can do more of a tailored fit for what they are looking for and the positions they would like to fill. These interviews work really well as a team effort and Heidi will work on some sample questions for the interviews.  It was also suggested that you try to speak with the teen when setting up the interviews and making other business contact. This isn’t to exclude the parent but rather to give the teen ownership of their first “job”.

Stacy Shrank and Kellie Delaney – PLA
Stacy presented the new Summer Reading preview.  Summer Reading has been a great program with the library system and in order to grow changes were made.  One big change to the Summer Reading is the online sign up.  Planning has converted the traditional Summer Reading program into an online Summer Reading program in an attempt to increase our participation without creating unnecessary additional work for library staff.  Pre Registration starts May 15th.  IT is working on changing the CyberMars computers where customer can access the Summer Reading site to sign up and log their reading.  On March 17th Planning will present the Summer Reading sign up process on MyMetrolibrary where staff can get accustomed to the new sign up process.  All library staff is required to participate.  The Office staff will be strongly encouraged to participate as well. You will have the opportunity to test signing up as a single reader, a family, and a group! There will be a landing page on the Metrolibrary.org website that will explain the changes to our customers. With this new program, we are excited to encourage our goal of Life Long Learning!
 The library now has a tumblr account. If you have anything you would like to contribute, please send it to Emily Williams.

Emily Williams – OUT
The library will be participating in World Book Night once again this year. Emily will be handing out free copies of Codename Verity by Elizabeth Wein. The location has not yet been decided.
Summer Reading will be a lot different this year but just as exciting! Outreach is going to handle giving out supplies as needed and requests will be handled on a weekly basis. April 8th Outreach will host a breakfast talking about the changes to Summer Reading. All of the Library Media Specialist from our service area has been invited to join us to learn about the new program. Emily extended an invitation to the MLS YA Librarians to join us. RSVP Emily at 606.3834 ASAP if you would like to attend.
We will continue to mail out postcards telling about Summer Reading to all schools in our area. The postcards will be a bit bigger this year as they will include information about all age groups - Early Childhood, Children, Teen, and Adult.

Dana Morrow – OUT
Doug Berky performances coming up –IMASKINATIONS.  Doug is also doing the Classics for Kids in April, Spring Weather program.

Book Reviews
Dana Beach – Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Conn-Mills
Emily – Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen
Elisabeth – The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barn
Annie – Spies of Mississippi

Sharing

Kim –DN
Duct Tape DIY next Thursday. DN will be closed March 31 and to until April 27. Will have Super Hero Day in May. Read the Movie now every third Sunday of the month, May will be The Great Gatsby.

John – SO
Cory Doctorow will skype with the SO library for a program. Making her story a program designed by library aid Lena Khader.

Lindsay – DC
Lindsay was invited to a meeting of the Mid-Del schools library media specialist so she was able to meet them and give them a face for the library. Trying some new programs: Bike safety and maintenance, Marshmallow Catapult, Mintos and Coke rockets, making lava lamps, and elephant toothpaste.

Anna – BI
Did a Blind Date with a Book display and had over 100 books checked out. Working on doing more displays! April doing a display called Note by Note by Note. This display will tie in YA books, poems and music all into one, finding a common theme between the 3. Movie Maker workshop. Been using the book Weapons of Mass Destruction for a lot of craft programs, the teens love it. Having a book club for adults who love YA books.

Debbie – BE
Several Bethany High School teens requested E-media for teens. Daniel will be doing a rocket program in May.

Cheryl – WA
Warr Acres presented, Sculpture contest for Teen Tech Month, took some of the broken gaming equipment to use for supplies. Hashtag program Ice cream & cupcakes.

Suzette – MC
Midwest City presented creative writing program on Wednesday night. Wednesday is teen night at MC. She presented an Animal Farm book discussion with teens, made magnets with animal pieces on the magnets. Natural Hair program has taken off and doing great at MC. Suzette had Alma from WA present the Natural Hair program last time and everyone had a great time. Natural hair has taken on the meaning of doing your own hair rather than going to the beauty shop. For Teen Tech Month we are doing “can” do robots, robots made from cans.

Kristin- OUT
Remember that Aaron Reynolds will be coming to some of the libraries in April. He is the author of some great children’s books such as Creepy Carrots, Sam Fly Private Eye, and Chicks and Salsa. Aaron will make salsa in every program.

Taryn – AL
Taryn is getting back into the swing of things after having an adorable baby boy. Creative writing program. Celebrating poetry month by doing a “Poetry and Palette”. Suggested people go to the BLT class, it has been really helpful.

Meg – ED
Doing a Smart Phone Photography program during spring break. Having a Divergent Tea Party. Meg have been working a lot with schools in her area. Oklahoma Christian Academy doesn’t have a library at their school so they came to the ED Library and Meg taught them a unit on the library. Meg is planning to do a program at the school during finals week with some of the therapy dogs. The kids will be able to get “puppy snuggles” to distress between classes. Meg is doing a teen service team, will do one service project per month with teens from the library.

Dana – CT
Science you can eat. Minecraft club. Giant magnetic poetry. Coming up - comic book upcycling in May.

Elisabeth – VI
Teen Book Club reading Sequoyah books, had 3 returning teens. Needs Altoid cans for a DIY program. Muslim Voices book club done by Casady school will start March 29th.

Annie – NW
Chess club, and journal junkies have been doing really well.

Sarah – RE
Warm Island Giveaway was great. Had the sisters of motion out and they did hula demonstrations and were very entertaining. Doing a soap making class.  Cause and Effect dance studio will be teaching a class on dance and aerobics.

Meeting adjourned