Return Visit

Looking up over my computer screen, I saw a woman approach the reference desk with two young boys. She introduced herself as the mother of Edmund, who had visited the library earlier in the week with his daycare. She smiled and said that Edmund had been "bugging her" to bring him back to the library. Edmund's class had come to the library for a storytime which I had conducted 4 days earlier. His class had been very attentive, enthusiastic, and well-behaved. I had urged the children to return to the library with their parents so they could get a library card and borrow books. I explained that the library was open at night and on Saturdays and Sundays, when their parents might not be working and could bring them. I told them that I worked almost every Sunday and would be delighted to see them if they came back to visit the library. And Edmund did. And I was TOTALLY delighted. It made my day. And it was a great way to start another intense work week, knowing that I had truly connected with a little boy and had made him feel welcomed at the library. I let Edumund know just how excited I was to see him again. And everyone in his family got a special bookmark to keep.

Kneeling

I kneel a lot these days at work. The picture books (Easy Fiction) are my assigned area to shelve. On any given day I shelve two to four full book trucks of picture books -- hundreds -- in and around my other duties. And it involves a lot of kneeling, as the shelves that hold the books are low for the young children the books are intended. Often you can spot my head bobbing in the children's area as I walk on my 51-yr.-old knees, from one range to the next, while pushing along a stack of books, which are laying flat on the top of the shelves, with my raised arm. It is the very task with which I began my career in libraries, as a shelver while in high school. As I handle the books I remember my first experience in a public library as a very young child. My Aunt Judy, an elementary school principal in south Florida, took me to the Coconut Grove library and let me pick out two picture books. I was awed by the huge selection of colorful stories from which I was allowed to choose. I was entranced by books from the start. And I still am. They have opened up a world of ideas --- real and imagined -- to me and so many others. So I am honored to daily stock the low shelves of picture books for the children who come to the library. I am humbled by the richness that books and libraries have brought to my life. I am grateful to be part of the continuum of providing others with library materials -- to be a librarian. My vocation has provided me with a rich inner life, a comfortable lifestyle, and the opportunity to continue to grow and learn as I age. As I kneel to re-stock the shelves with returned picture books, I also kneel in appreciation and respect for all that books and libraries have meant to me and others.

They're Reading!!!

Yep, they're reading. And how. Summer library programs have begun this week at my library, and we are swarming with children of all ages, and dads, and moms, and aunties, and grandmas, and grandads, and group leaders, etc. And it's super to see all of this happening in the public library. Even though it means way more time for me spent shelving books that are being returned. I wouldn't want it any other way. I am encouraged by how many picture books, juvenile fiction titles, young adult novels, and graphic novels are being read at my library. The juvenile non-fiction load has remained high, even though school is out and reports are not being assigned. It's a beautiful and sometimes chaotic thing to see all of this reading behavior in a world full of digital temptations!

3 P's of Programming

This month I've pared down my programming to just a few special programs -- "Paws For Reading", a program where therapy dogs come in and patiently listen to children read to them, and an outreach program at the local Boys & Girls' Club. In preparation for the library's busiest programming months -- June & July, when kids of all ages are out of school, May programs are minimal. But that doesn't mean I lay fallow. There are what I will call, "3 P's of Programming," the first two being my focus this month. The 3 P's are Planning, Promoting, and Presenting. The first two, if done well, will result in a successful 3rd. Most public librarians create, promote, and present their programs. In planning, I do things like reserving rooms, contacting guests, requesting checks for performers & materials from our FOL (Friends of the Library), pulling books, preparing hand-outs, and making props. Promoting involves creating & printing signs and flyers, posting signs, cutting & distributing flyers, talking to customers, booking groups in my service area for the programs, and informing library staff of programs coming up. Then, when all of this preparation is completed, it's time to actually hold a program. Presenting a program, aside from enjoying the kids and sharing books, involves setting up the room, putting out materials (CD player, books, props, hand-outs), thanking sponsors, engaging the audience, keeping statistics, and promoting upcoming programs. If it looks easy, it is after a few years of experience and getting organizational skills primed. If it looks fun, it is. Always. Sharing my enthusiasm for books and reading is absolutely the best part of my job.

Big Groups/Small Groups

I like doing programs in a room full of children and caregivers. I also like doing programs in a room with just a few participants. Both scenarios provide enlightening experiences. In doing library programs for a crowd, I learn what "grabs" the audience and pulls them together. And we can all enjoy the exhileration that comes with a focused, resounding, unifying experience -- when everyone is together, singing or clapping or laughing at the same moment. In doing library programs for just a few children, I can better discover each child's unique personality -- his/her gifts and challenges, so that I can better direct activities toward individual needs. A small group allows me to literally and figuratively get closer to the children and celebrate each inimitable little spirit. So I'm thrilled when the room is packed for a program. It inspires me. And when the weather is stormy and there are just a few participants for a program, I am delighted. Both allow me to learn and grow and tweak and get better at providing library programs for children. At the library I am currently working in, I get both, which is nice. Sometimes it's a zoo, sometimes it's a tea party. It's all good!

Book Review

WE CAN'T ALL BE RATTLESNAKES (J Fic) by Patrick Jennings

Meet "Crusher," a snake who is caught and kept by an unsavory human boy named Gunnar. Crusher is the rare cold-blooded reptile with a surprisingly warmish heart. Misidentified as a "he," Crusher is actually a perceptive and s-s-s-s-assy female gopher snake with no intention of remaining in captivity. With the ability to communicate telepathically with Gunnar's other pet reptiles -- "Rex," a sarcastic alligator lizard, and "Speedy," a submissive desert tortoise -- Crusher learns to survive Gunnar's antics and begins to plan her escape. When a botched attempt lowers her status to that of Gunnar's other neglected prisoners, Crusher has time to ponder predators and prey, and to develp a bit of compassion for both -- for her slimy and also-neglected captor, Gunnar, and for her intended meal, "Breakfast," a nervous and ditzy mouse. How Crusher's compassion and perseverance enable her to cleverly return to the great and warm outdoors is a rattling tale of reptile heroics and human amusement. Even for those who despise snakes of any kind.

February Blur

Here it is, with only one more day left in February, and this is my first and only post for the month. Though February is a bit shorter than other months, it was also jam-packed with many and varied programs at my library, including an after-hours YA gaming program, a fun Valentine's craft program, several class library tours and, of course, the usual early childhood fare (Baby, Toddler, Preschool, and Bedtime Story Times). I also took an arduous, county-required, online training course and filled in at a "sister" library for Baby Time there one morning, which was worthwhile -- just to step into another space, make-do with minimal materials, and experience new and different children and caregivers. A temporary rut-reducing gig is very valuable, I think. It gave me the opportunity to use my skills in a different environment than I am used to, and to expand my notion of what works and what doesn't. It's all good. And it was the beginning of the new, regional program coverage concept that is being implemented in our library system due to, of course, budget cuts which have, ultimately, translated into front-line staff reductions. Oh, and I also turned 51 this month. I'm glad to be able to stay fresh in my profession. Working with children truly keeps me open to change and new ideas.