Children’s librarians are experts in making local connections. As a librarian in Springfield, Missouri, I have gotten to know our resident children’s poet and author, David L. Harrison. Mr. Harrison has hosted several book releases and readings at my library. His programs are energetic and always include lots of engagement for the kids. I love having a local author available to help us promote a love of reading and writing to kids and it’s wonderful having a local connection for writing events at our library. Mr. Harrison has helped us out in the past by serving as a judge on our teen writing contest and his love of books and libraries shines through in all that he does. He is an invaluable partner for our library and I would encourage other librarians to reach out and make connections with their own local authors. I recently had the chance to ask…
Author: Sarah Bean Thompson
Bedtime Books for the Weary
Photo Credit: Tired by Andrew Bardwell (photo of baby yawning) You know the look-the tired eyes, the coffee cup in hand, the weary smile. It’s the look of a caregiver who has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get some sleep. Maybe the child is a newborn or maybe they’re a negotiating preschooler, but it’s a common thread among adults-the cry of why won’t you sleep? The theme of kids not sleeping has long been a picture book go to, but the theme has gotten especially creative this year with books published for the adults as much as their kids. These new picture books are sure to get laughs and nods from the adults in storytime as they see themselves and their kids in the pages.
Homemade Interactive Play Stations to Invite Imaginary Play
I recently attended a training given by two of my amazing co-workers about their fantastic homemade interaction play stations. Once I saw what Emily and Kelly had created, I was inspired to try it out at my branch and I knew I had to share their creativity with others! Emily & Kelly: We noticed in our interactions with children in both our storytimes and outreach visits that when we asked an open-ended question that required them to use their imaginations children would either not answer or respond with “I don’t know.” So we started looking for ways to introduce pretend play to spark their imaginations. We also wanted to demonstrate to parents the importance of pretend play and the ability to provide the same types of learning opportunities at home without having to invest in expensive toys.
ALA Annual Sessions for Media Mentors from the ALSC Children’s & Technology Committee
Every month, the ALSC Blog will feature a post from ALSC’s Children and Technology Committee featuring tools that help librarians connect and engage with their users. Greetings from the Children and Technology Committee! Are you heading to ALA Annual in a few weeks? There are a lot of amazing sessions happening and many of them are perfect for librarians wanting to know more about media mentorship and using technology in your library. Here are a few ideas of sessions to check out:
Fan Bands Provide Concerts for All Ages
When I first heard about The Shake Ups, I had no idea that “pony power pop” existed. I knew about fan bands from the Wizard Rock movement that came from Harry Potter, but didn’t know much about other fan bands. When given the opportunity to book The Shake Ups, a My Little Pony band, my staff and I jumped at it knowing they would be a hit with our patrons. We’ve now hosted two concerts with The Shake Ups and I can’t say enough great things about them! Even if you’re not that knowledgeable about My Little Pony (which sadly, I have to say, I am not), you can still find lots to love about their shows. The music is infectious and upbeat and the atmosphere of the concert is so warm and friendly it’s hard not to leave without a smile on your face. It’s so much fun…
New Winter Themed Books for Storytime
Here in Missouri it’s just started to feel like winter and we are all eagerly awaiting the first snowfall.
My New Favorite Storytime Music
I love using music in storytime! I love to sing and dance with the kids and parents so I’m always on the lookout for new songs to use in storytime that I can get my families excited about. While we love old classics, I like to switch things up and introduce some new songs to promote our music collection and let them know we have lots of great kids music-no listening to annoying kids songs here!
Pokemon Go, Libraries, and Media Mentorship
Pokemon Go popularity is not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. According to a report from USA Today the game has topped 15 million downloads and the average person is spending around 33 minutes per day in the app. With the game continuing it’s pop culture run and with libraries as many Pokestops or Gyms, this is a perfect time to embrace media mentorship in the library and incorporate it into our Pokemon Go programs.