Pursuing excellence for library service to children
This post is in honor of my colleague, Julia Pflager, who created an amazing passive/self-directed program that should be shared with all. Julie and I used to work together, and one of our favorite things to do was to plan bimonthly big programs where we would decorate the children’s room with larger than life items and self-directed activities and programs that featured different programming themes. It was so much fun!
STEM Teaching and Learning Begins with Preschoolers! So, I was explaining STEM to my dad, a retired physicist. He’s skeptical by nature as any good scientist should be. When I got to the part about teaching it to preschoolers, well, let’s just say I was bombarded by particles. But hear me out – it really DOES start with preschoolers! And I can prove it! Penny Bauder, environmental scientist, teacher and mom of two, points out that “It is never too early to start STEM education, and an ideal way to teach STEM is to go out into nature!” Boston Children’s Museum, too, points out that children have a natural curiosity. STEM is a great way to help 3-5 year-olds to focus and refine their naturally inquisitive behaviors. Linking it up to Summer Reading 2019! Even a pre-schooler can be a NASA citizen scientist! Download and install the GLOBE Observer app…
Starting in the fall, we have been trying to do BIG programming every other month in our wonderful new library. This month, we are taking on SPACE. Big programs encompass the entire children’s department– from staff to program types to decorations.
Summer Reading 2019 No, it really is NEVER too early to be thinking about summer reading 2019! If you have the means, hire your performers super early. If it’s you, some volunteers and a great deal of cardboard, then this is the beginning of a great series of blogposts just for you! Summer reading 2019 is largely about outer space. Already ideas have been bouncing off the satellites. Here’s some to get your engines started! STARNet! STARNet was introduced to me at ALA when it hit Orlando. Since that time, I have never been let down in terms of all they have to offer, and the support they can give. Already STARNet has a whole portion of their site dedicated to – say it with me! – summer reading 2019! They’re calling it “A Universe of Stories”. And just to get your pulse running, they have a handy countdown clock…
“Station, this is Houston. Are you ready for the event?” “Houston, this is Station. We are ready.” “Wallingford Public Library, this is Mission Control Houston. Please call Station for a voice check.” “Station, this is Allison Murphy with Wallingford Public Library. How do you hear me?” “We are ready to speak with you.” Gulp.
Not that long, long ago, but in a meeting room really far, far away from the West Concourse, a band of rebel librarians met to discuss Starnet.