Young Adult Services Meeting Minutes for September 6, 2006

Young Adult Services Meeting Minutes 

Date: September 6, 2006
Location: Choctaw Library, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. 

In attendance: From MLS: Janet Brooks (MSL), Josh Schell (VI), Emily Williams (OUT), Heidi Port (DVS), Barb Johnson (BI), Rondia Banks (WA), Angela Hill (CH), Cheryll Smith (MC), Teresa Matthews (ED), Kim Edwards (DN), Simona Long (DC), Tulin Lafolette (CT), Charleen Miller (CT), Daniel Fields (BE), Ronna Davis (ED), Dana Morrow (OUT).

Presenters Rob Vollmar (Atomik Pop), Geoffrey Smith (OK Arts Council artist in residence), and James Cain (local puppeteer) were also in attendance. 

Emily handed out several items: the article “Seeing is Believing: Teens and Online Video” by Linda W. Braun, the article “Godzilla vs. the Librarian” by Kevin A. R. King, the “I Recommend…” teen book review form (which is available on the Intranet), and a VOYA teen pop culture quiz #19. 

Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 1:07 p.m. Attendees introduced themselves to Angela Hill, the new YA librarian at Capitol Hill. 

Rob Vollmar, comic book store owner and published author, presented details about his creative writing program, entitled How to Write a Story. He discussed centering stories, main characters, structure, and plot. The program is roughly an hour and half, and costs $100. Thursday is a good day for him. He is also still available for teaching comic book/manga programs. 

Geoffrey Smith discussed video production classes he could teach in the library system. He provided four handouts: a media survey he uses as an icebreaker with classes, a bio, a resume, and a class outline. The possibility of MLS hosting a young filmmaker’s festival was also suggested. 

James Cain presented the monster puppets program he taught at Southern Oaks this summer. He can teach 10-12 students in a 1.5 hour program for ages 10+. The cost is $100, which includes supplies that he will provide. He provided one handout, the monster puppets flyer from SO with his contact information attached. 

Janet Brooks discussed teen bullying, focusing on the behavior of girls as bullies. A handout from www.stopbullingnow.hrsa.gov and a Girl Bullying bibliography were provided.  

Janet also handed out an info sheet with links about books for boys and Teen Read Week: Get Active bibliography. She had several ideas about how to promote books to boys: get to know boys and what they’re interested in, booktalk adventure & action titles, create WOW! displays that are creative, hang posters of their heroes, and make friends with retailers of boy hangouts (comic book stores, etc). 

Rondia Banks booktalked Oklahoma author Mel Odom’s Lord of the Libraries trilogy and Emily Williams reviewed Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. They provided themed refreshments. 

After the break, Heidi Port discussed the summer volunteer program and survey. 

Statistics for the children’s and teen programs were handed out. The group discussed summer @ the library 2006: what worked, what didn’t, and what to do next year. Different ways of numbering and keeping track of statistics were discussed. Daniel suggested making Teen Read Week/summer prize winner news releases or radio announcements for local schools. Teresa mentioned that the wolf caps weren’t popular at Edmond because to many of their teens the wolf is a rival school mascot. The 2007 teen theme “Road Trip” was brought up and drawstring bags were discussed as a sign-up prize. 

ALA’s Teen Read Week posters and bookmarks were distributed. 

Conclusion: Meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.