New Paintings

 This is a very different post of paintings. These were done for work. We created an outdoor obstacle course for kids on the sidewalk outside the library. It's themed as an outdoor course for Adventure Begins at Your Library

Here are a few details:

Logs

Bee

Bear in a cave - the original bear didn't work out, so it was fixed.

Firefly

Duck (kind of looks like a dinosaur)

Elephant Cloud

Rainbow

Library Joy (2)

I have always been a great and terrible library patron.

I have memories of taking home stacks of books in high school. I lived across the street from our local library. In middle school, the books in the library jumped from children's books to adult books. I went through Mary Higgins Clark, Victoria Holt, and Phyllis Whitney. Those three authors kept me reading for ages. I walked home with as many books as I could carry.

And I haven't stopped taking out library books. I take out too many and never have time to read them all. 

Do you take out more books that you can read?

On Reader's Advisory

 

I chatted briefly about how reader's advisory is one of the favorite parts of my job as a librarian. And in the summer months, it happens almost daily. 

We see so many people in the library during the summer - partly because it's summer and they have time and partly because we have SO MUCH happening in the summer in terms of programming. 

Sometimes I'm in a program and we just happen to talk about books - favorite books, what people are reading, and book suggestions spiral from there. 

But often times kids with their parents are coming in asking for book recommendations. Sometimes they run out of book titles and they need suggestions. Which I enjoy. We talk about what they like in a book and I load them up with other books. 

But the ones that tug at my heartstrings the most are the kids or teens who aren't readers. 

I'm not worried about the parent. After the initial greeting, I talk primarily to the reader.

After all the "reference interview" questions -

1. Do you like to read?

2. What kinds of movies/TV shows do you watch

3. What are your hobbies?

4. Do you like Sports?

5. Are you a foodie?

Once we find something they enjoy, then we can find the right book for them. I tell them I can talk about books all day and they aren't going to hurt my feelings if they tell me they aren't interested in a book. We talk through a number of books until we find one that appeals to them. It might take 10 books or 30 books. They might think the first book sounds great. It really all depends on the reader. I am patient as I walk through our library's collection. 

I do ask them to come back and let me know what they think. And that is the best part. I love seeing if they felt a connection to the book. It's amazing when they ask for another book, just like this one. 

And if I failed, failure is a part of life, and we start over again. 

Another Year of Summer Reading: The Covid Years

 

Another year of summer reading is over.

And it was again a different summer - but similar to last summer.

Looking back, in some ways it's easier and in some ways it's harder. 

We still don't have huge numbers of readers. And we didn't go into the schools to publicize it. But I don't think we were that far off from "normal" times.  

My library was not hosting any in person programs with the exception of an outdoor storytime (not on the library grounds.) 

The storytime was at a local park and it was great. We didn't have to limit the number of people to fit our storytime room. Children could wander a little bit. They could snack. We all enjoyed the fresh air. Everyone was happy to be there and I left every storytime feeling happy.

For the other programs, we pretty much did the same types of programs we've always done - BUT they were Take & Make bags. So no one had to be at the library at a certain time.

The bags didn't run out quickly, with the exception of the Foodie Fun bags. I think it was a little bit easier on parents because they always had crafts to pick up but they didn't have to rush to the library.

The Take & Make bags also allowed us to have more people participate in the programs.

Personally, it is a little be easier. All the Take & Make Bags come out in the beginning of the week. I'm not hosting there programs a day. It's easier to manage the desk with people taking summer vacations.

 (I actually managed two long weekends this summer - which is unheard of for a Children's Librarian). We didn't have huge crowds at the library, it was a steady but more quiet pace. 

Of course the weeks before summer, were hectic getting all the recorded programs filmed, edited, and scheduled for social media. 

Summer is always going to be stressful, busy, and challenging - just in different ways. 

Of course we missed doing the programs in person, but the library folks did had the patron interactions. The patrons missed the interactions with each other.

I honestly think after the world goes back to normal, we'll end up doing a hybrid of in person and Take & Make programs. As we always have more programming supplies than needed. Families will be able to pick up the program supplies to do at home if they couldn't make the program.

The one thing didn't really work (in terms of numbers) was performers. We had a few meet the animals over zoom. Our families are zoomed out or the timing was terrible. Either is possible. 

Our finale program was a live recording. I honestly think parents like this better. It's less stressful for parents and library folk. We give them a week to enter their earned raffle tickets into the prize packs.  It's not rushed. You're not required to be there that night. Everything is just smoother and easier. But the kids might like the excitement of that big night. However, they are more than happy to come into the library to see what they've won.

If you're in the library world, have you started talking about that yet?

Top Ten Tuesdays: Book Buying

This week's topic is about book buying. I'm going to change it up a little and talk about reasons I buy books for the library.

I buy books for children, tween, and teen. Basically for ages birth thru ages 18. 

1. Auto-buy Authors (There are several authors I will always purchase for the library. 

One example: Ally Carter)

2. To fill a hole in the collection. 

Example: I've been working on diversifying the picture book collection.

3. Pop Culture: Books to support the latest blockbuster movie or video game

4. If it looks good: Do judge a book by it's cover

5. If someone asks for more books on X (Example - Sesame Street - we didn't have many books on Sesame Street because they were not being published, but now I'm buying them all up because they go out)

6. Educational: To support the schools. While it's not the public library to support the schools, it's great if we can collaborate together.

7. If it looks fun: the public library is ALL about fun books and reading for fun.

8. Reviews: If the book gets a great review from a library journal

9. If a trusted author recommends it (Through blurbs or social media)

10. If a social media friend (not author but book person / librarian) recommends it.