Parachuting in the Library

Who doesn’t remember how much fun it was to run under the big yellow parachute?  Well Teresa Walls has decided to revive that same feeling of excitement to the children attending her toddler storytime.  Envision a huge yellow parachute pulled tight by many pairs of small hands – a few large ones too.  Moving the parachute fast, slow, up, down and around and round, chanting in unison.  This activity helps make them aware of basic movements.  The parachute can serve as a cavern of learning, as children are invited under it to play games and listen to stories. Shelley Frost suggests  using stories about the ocean or wind so children can mimic the movements using the parachute.

It might be that I myself was facinated with parachute games as a child, but I believe this activity serves as a teaching tool that can generate excitement for children.  I would love to hear other suggestions on how a parachute can be used during story time.  Has anyone used it for older children and how?  I would be interested in the opinions of those who have incorporated this activity as part of their programming offerings.

Telling A Good Story

Librarians have become much more aware of the need to promote their services and the value of those services to the community. It is through this awareness that libraries have come to understand how valuable story is as a mechanism for conveying their message. Maryfran Johnson suggests that stories are capable of making messages more memorable and their impact lasts far beyond that of statistics.   It is for this reason, that I have decided to add a post on using story to promote libraries.

I have discovered that librarians do understand the power of story as a promotional tool.  Seattle Public Library and New York City Public Library have both realized the importance of telling their story.  Seattle Public Library – The Story of Libraries For All, is a screen cast that includes a brief history of the library project and numerous testimonials from library patrons, board members and community leaders.  Another excellent example of using story is Shout It Out For Your Library, as told by library patrons and a cast of well known actors, authors, and singers.  The video is a visual and oral production of the impact that New York City Public Library has had on those who enter its doors.

I invite each of you to take a few minutes to view the clips and to add your opinions about the impact of story on promoting libraries.  I would also be interested in other library stories.

The Library Sleepover

I never really thought about combining libraries and sleepovers until I read a post by Stacey Dillion.   The evening’s festivities include pizza, games, crafts and a library themed scavenger hunt. During the scavenger hunt, children are given the opportunity to experience all types of library resources, honing their library skills in an effort to finish the race.   The evening ends with a movie and lights out at midnight. A rather detailed description of one such evening involving a Brownie group and a library is available from Jayashree Chatterjee. Along with providing a detailed description of specific library related activities, she also mentions the importance for attaining the appropriate permission from board members; informing both the police and fire departments of the after hour activities and conducting a mock fire drill for the campers. I would suggest that anyone interested in incorporating a sleepover as a program should read this article.

Although I believe that library sleepovers are creative and innovative ways of leaving lasting impressions on children, I do have a few concerns. An interesting post by roycekitts highlighting Patti Collins, brings to light some of the problems that one may encounter during a sleepover – hard floors, giggling deep into the night, and grumpy children, just to mention a few. I’m left wondering, how does one deal with these issues? And what about children who refuse to conduct themselves in an acceptable manner – especially if it is at midnight or later?  I’m also interested in the role community partners can play in such an event? How are their roles determined? I would much appreciate your comments with respect to these questions or any other experiences that you want to share. What were the challenges and how were they overcome?

“Feed Me A Story”

How about adding some spice to the traditional childrens’ story time?  Just the other day I mentioned to a friend that I was interested in creative and innovative programs and promotional techniques that libraries can implement to attract and engage users.  She immediately opened her desk drawer and from its depths brought forth a handout she had received from a teleconference in 2006, entitled “Promoting Your Library’s Services: Top Tips” by Kathy Dempsey.  As I read through it, I was struck by an outreach program designed and implemented by Williamsburg Regional Library. The library has partnered with Ukrops Supermarket, the local grocery story, to offer a children’s story time program called ‘Feed Me A Story’.  The goal of the program is to reach children who may never visit the library.  Each Saturday morning, children’s storytime is transported to the store’s cafe area, where families are treated to stories told by librarians and nutritional treats supplied by the store.  Other incentives include free books, given to those families that attend at least four visits.   Funding for the program is provided in part by the Loleta D. Fyan Grant from the American Library Association.

What I really love about the program, is that it is daring in its efforts to place the library within the community.   And what better location to conduct a storytime other than a grocery store on a Saturday morning – definitely more traffic than the library would be experiencing.  The choice of a grocery story as the location for the program also serves to promote the library to a variety of individuals, some of whom may not otherwise visit the library.  And finally, it provides a great opportunity to develop partnerships and create awareness. And although I think the idea is absolutely ingenious, I invite others to comment on it.