Friday, February 20, 2009

Call for Conference Programs!

Dear Gang,
The 2009 PaLA Conference Program Proposal form is now ready. We suggest that you submit a program proposal using this link:

Click Here to take survey

The Youth Services Division is eager to hear from you. Please help us provide you with the best lineup of programs ever at the annual conference.

We are requesting your responses by March 16. We are hoping this will give the committee enough time to review them, before we need to turn them in to the Program Committee on or before April 6.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

From Green Sign to Green Sign, by Katherine Ayers

A particular logo pops up as you travel across Pennsylvania—a green sign with a stylized profile of a person reading along with the word LIBRARY. These green signs appear in large towns and small, in cities and rural counties, all pointing in the direction of books.
For nearly six weeks this spring I traveled Pennsylvania, visiting these public libraries. As the author of the 2008 Pennsylvania One Book (Every Young Child), I hit the road to promote early childhood literacy from Pittsburgh to Susquehanna, from Philadelphia to Greencastle, and numerous points in between.
Because I was working with young children (70+ events with children, 5 with teachers and librarians) I met many children’s librarians. These folks were kind, extremely cheerful, and possessed great senses of humor. As children entered, the librarians gave them a wide smile and said, “Hello friends.” That’s all you have to do to become a friend, just walk in the door. These days, there is no shushing. Children’s learning can be noisy and that’s just fine. Toddlers darted about. Infants bounced on laps. Sometimes they fussed but that was okay. Story hour is about the children, after all.
Or is it? In one library, while the children were having a snack after their story, the mothers were socializing intensively. But of course—it was the start of spring, and they’d been cooped up indoors with small children for months. Story hour provided intellectual stimulation for the children, but also a social support network for their mothers.
And across the state, libraries have been stretching their missions in an attempt to become centers of community. New library buildings crop up next to municipal buildings, in the midst of town playing fields, in the midst of the action. You want a tax form? No problem. Need to use a computer? Sign up here. Nationwide, libraries are developing Family Places, programs that reach out to parents with children three and under to provide information and support about all aspects of childhood from child health to typical patterns of growth and emotional development to early literacy activities.
On my own trip, I was greeted effusively in every town, every county. In one library, the community room was soon to undergo reconstruction. So on their own time, the librarians painted huge vegetables on all four walls. (My book, Up, Down, and Around is about how veggies grow.) Early in the tour, 160 children arrived for the story and songs dressed as veggies, wearing colorful tee shirts and amazing headgear—green beans dangling from vines or a green foam visor “planted” with three bright beets. Later, a librarian and teachers collaborated so that 300 kindergarteners sang my story as a song. (Twice! Once in the morning , and again in the afternoon.) Another librarian had four-year-olds decorate a tee shirt with veggies as a gift. Still another set up a farmers’ market outside the entrance. By noon, some of her display carrots had been nibbled. In seventy different events, there were seventy different stories to tell—all filled with a joyful spirit—the delight of words and stories and learning.
Children respond to this generosity—they bloom, share opinions, get excited about books and ideas. “I weally, weally wove wettuce,” one little boy confided after hearing my book. Another girl informed the room that “My sister lives with me!” I led a small group, spinning in and around the children’s room bookshelves, pretending to be pumpkin vines, tangling up the books. “This is so fun, I want to keep doing this,” said a kindergarten boy. I agree. I want him to keep tangling with books for the rest of his life. Another child, whose thoughts were stimulated by a story and discussion, asked hard, interesting questions: “Why do seeds grow?” (Not how, which I could answer.) And then, “Why don’t we grow like plants do?” Such a question had never occurred to me. I checked the bottoms of my feet for roots.
As I traveled the state, the children invigorated my spirits. Yes, I got tired of the turnpike, but I only got lost twice and ate in some fine and funky restaurants. And although I was away from home, away from my family and usual companions, I was rarely lonely. Several governors ago, the state had a promotional campaign. Its motto: You have a friend in Pennsylvania. After traveling for six weeks, from green sign to green sign, I can testify to the truth of that statement. We all have a friend in Pennsylvania—she is the librarian.


Katherine Ayres is the author of 10 books for children. She teaches writing in the MFA program at Chatham University and lives in Shadyside.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Family Place

If you've ever wondered what a Family Place Parent/Child Workshop is like,
as you can see it is a lot of fun!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Inpiration!

I have never been so filled with ideas! The meetings and workshops that I have had the privilege to go to over the past 2 weeks have been astounding and inspiring.

PaLA Leadership Orientation: Every year, incoming and outgoing chairs of PaLA's divisions, committees and round tables gather together to get inspired on the best way to lead others towards this fine organization. What are the missions of our prospective areas? What haven't we tried yet to get new members interested in PaLA? What do we need to do to keep members involved in PaLA? How can I get my division inspired to do new things and be more vital to the organization? I have some new ideas inspired by this gathering that I would love to discuss with all of you at our annual meeting during the PaLA Conference on Monday, November 10, at 8 am. I promise that, with enough coffee and attendees, I will try my best to inspire you to get involved along with me.

Family Place Retreat: This was awesome! On the first day, we learned about how Norfolk, Virginia libraries went above and beyond the Family Place Library concept to redesign their branches to have Kidzones - inviting and spacious areas for play and imagination to help kids grow and learn. Go to this website: http://www.npl.lib.va.us/press/press.html and scroll down to look for the Pennsylvania Family Place PowerPoint presentation on the right. You'll be amazed and inspired too.

The second speaker was from the Vermont Center for the Book and has designed programs and kits for us to use on Science and Math concepts. Each Family Place Library got a kit of 6 of these awesome kits to bring back and make use of in many fun and creative ways. We played with blocks to make a map of the room. How many meetings let you play with blocks?





Each District also received more materials to share to make the concepts more well rounded. I already have my entire next year planned out thanks to this inspiring talk and these kits. Check them out at http://bigidea.mothergooseprograms.org/. You might be inspired to do science and math based programs with your families. Make discovery centers for families to play with science and math based objects like tangram puzzles and other fun stuff.

Between the science and math kits and talking about the upcoming art and drama based summer reading club theme (Be Creative @ Your Library: http://www.cslpreads.org/2009/cp09.htm), I began to wonder just what was left of a school curriculum we were not covering at my own library. We use the word "Explorers" a lot in naming our programs. We have Sensory Explorers - using the five senses in new ways; Fitness Explorers: using our bodies and getting in shape. The new kits will help us develop Science Explorers and Math Explorers. Summer Reading Club will bring Art Explorers and Drama Explorers. We explored the world and cultures via Passports to the World this past year. What was left? HISTORY! We'll do a monthly program on varying kinds of history!

As you can see, the possibilities can be endless once the kernal of an idea gets me going. I hope that many of you will be able to join us at this fall's PaLA Conference to get inspired at the wonderful selection of workshops and sessions we are offering this year. Please check out the schedule at http://pala.affiniscape.com/displayconvention.cfm?conventionnbr=5545 and I hope to see you all at our annual meeting too.

Let the ideas begin!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Family Place Libraries Save the Date!

Please mark September 24 and 25 for the 2008 State-wide Family Place program. We will begin around 1 on Wednesday afternoon and finish with lunch on Thursday. The tentative agenda is

Wednesday afternoon join Norm Maas, Director of the Norfolk, VA Library and one of his children's librarians. They will be talking about the Kids Zones they have created in their library branches and how Family Place has helped them leverage money and clout in the early childhood arena. This would be a good program for directors to attend. The second half of the afternoon will be a make and take program for parent programs and a time for sharing.

Thursday morning join Sally Anderson, Executive Director of the Vermont Center for the Book. She will be doing a three hour training on What's the Big Idea? kits for libraries and for take home. Each Family Place Library will have access to at least one of the full librarian kits (probably going to be distributed on a county basis). Each FP library that attends the program will receive one of at least 6 of the take home kits. For more information on this program visit http://bigidea.mothergooseprograms.org/ .

I will reimburse mileage for one vehicle and provide one double room per per FP library. Breakfast and lunch on Thursday will be provided. Dinner Wednesday night will be on your own. The program will be held at the Grantville Holiday Inn.

I plan to send registration forms out in July.


Susan Pannebaker Youth Services Advisor
Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market St. Harrisburg, PA 17126-1745
v: 717-214-4047 f: 717-787-2117
spannebake@state.pa.us

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Fundraising idea

Dear Youth Services Division Members,

In the past, people have asked about how they can be more involved in Youth Services Division. I also remember that we as a division have a hard time raising money for things like training and workshops – which is at the core of our division mission. So, I contemplated what we can all do together to solve these two issues and I came up with what I think is a really fun idea: a silent auction.

How you can be involved: think up something to donate, such as a “program in a box;” “a mini vacation in a bag;” or something, anything, that you think that will be useful or fun for a fellow librarian (remember those non-youth services folks too!). Imagination and creativity are the only limits. Package it up in a creative way that will entice someone to bid on your donation, write up a brief description and bring it with you to the PaLA Convention in November.

We will set up all of the donated items in the PaLA bookstore with bidding sheets. As folks peruse the store, they can write their bids on the sheets. At the end of the allotted time, we shall announce the winners and collect the bids – all for the Youth Services Division.

If you cannot attend the convention, but still wish to contribute, that’s great! Send items to: Denise Pulgino Stout, Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1001 Powell Street, Norristown PA 19401 and I will bring it to the convention for you.

Please email back to me if you are interested in participating in this fun project. We need your contact information and the approximate idea behind your donation. I know that many of you are incredibly creative and can come up with some cool ideas that others will be interested in bidding on. I also know that your generosity is endless and we youth services folks can gather together to help our organization do some great things if we come together – while having a little fun along the way!

If you are interested in helping to set up the auction, I can use your help. Just let me know via email and you’re volunteered.

Thanks a bunch for considering this idea and I look forward to hearing from folks and feedback it will garner.

Denise Pulgino Stout
Youth Services Division Chair 2008, PaLA

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Conference Proposals Please!

Calling Youth Services People! You are all doing fabulous things, so here's your venue to share what you do!

The Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) is currently accepting program proposals for the PaLA Annual Conference, to be held November 9 – 12, 2008 at the Valley Forge Convention Center/Scanticon Hotel in King of Prussia. The 2008 Conference Committee, led by Carrie Turner, Director, Cheltenham Township Library System, is hard at work planning another great conference, which will offer more than 50 sessions, exhibits, meal events, tours, receptions, and more!

The deadline for proposals is April 15, 2008. Proposals can be submitted online via:
Click Here to Submit

Thank you in advance to all that submit proposals, we appreciate your dedication to PaLA and to Pennsylvania’s libraries!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Priestley Forsyth Memorial Library

Some terrific things are happening at Priestley Forsyth Memorial Library:

We are getting ready to start a new TAG and make a new area for teens. We went to the workshop in the fall and won a really cool table which we have installed two laptops on. We're excited about it.

I have another resource I thought was important. I found a website that gives out free seeds ( well, almost free, you have to pay shpg./handling charges). It is called the America The Beautiful Fund and they will send packets of seeds with a request letter from your organization. We sent one last week so children could get a packet of seeds with their Up, Down, All Around book at our library events.

Just thought you might want to share with others and I thought this was a cool place to do it.
Kim King
Priestley Forsyth Memorial Library

Thursday, February 21, 2008

News from Susan Pannebaker

I wanted to thank everyone who contributed suggestions for future summer reading slogans and themes. I have forwarded them to the Collaborative. The Collaborative meets the end of April and I will let you know in May the slogan for 2010 and the theme for 2011.

I have a couple of other things I would like to share:

This spring there will be four workshops being held in the East on the Mother Goose on the Loose program by the creator of the book of the same title Betsy Diamont Cohen. The workshops will be held in libraries in York on April 28, State College on April 29, Wilkes-Barre on April 30 and Haverford on May 1. Registration forms will come out in early March. Only forty people will be able to attend each session due to limited space in the libraries. Part of the program will be Betsy doing a session of the program with a group of local preschoolers.

For those of you who do not belong to the Association for Library Service to Children and don’t receive Children and Libraries you may want to go on POWER Library’s Professional Development Collection database and find the Winter 07 issue of the journal. This issue focuses entirely on children with special needs. The first article is a great bibliography by an education professor on books that show children with particular disabilities. It lists over 300 titles on everything from autism to ADD. The author feels it is very important that children be able to see themselves in books. To get to a specific issue click publications then type the title of the journal in the browse box. Click on the title when it appears and then click on 2007 to open that year and then click on winter and the entire issue will appear. This is a great way to read through current issues of not only Children and Libraries, but also Horn Book, School Library Journal and YALSA’s journal.

Susan
Susan Pannebaker
Youth Services Advisor Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market St. Harrisburg, PA 17126-1745
v: 717-214-4047
f: 717-787-2117
spannebake@state.pa.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Check out this blog

www.lackawannachildrenslibrary.blogspot.com

The folks at Lackawanna are really awesome and they are doing some terrific things - check them out! Any other blogs out there we should know about? Drop me a note and I'll post them up.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Hello Out There!

Hello Everyone in Youth Services Land! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, Denise Pulgino Stout, your new Youth Services Division chair. I have been in Youth Services for over 16 years, most of which I have been at Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library. Please feel free to contact me with any inspirations, ideas, comments at dpulginostout@mclinc.org or my home email bisbetica@hotmail.com . I want to do well by all of you and do our division proud - it's hard to follow an act like Ing's, but I shall strive to do my best.




Monday, November 26, 2007

Update!

It has been a long time since my last post and I have a lot to cover!

First of all, a million thank yous to the Conference Committee and all of the presenters at the 2007 Annual Conference. Speaking for myself, and after looking over the conference evaluations, it was an incredible success and an informative and entertaining time for all!

At the Youth Services Division Business meeting, I had stated that Mary Maxson will be unable to take on her position as Chair of the Youth Services Division of PaLA. At the meeting I had stated that I would stay on as Chair and work closely with Vice-Chair Denise Pulgino-Stout for 2008.

After reflecting on this wonderful organization, however, and talking with Denise, I realized that there is no way I would be able to do another term justice. Denise has agreed to take on the role as Chair for 2008, I will serve as Vice Chair and then, during election time, we will elect a new Chair and new Vice-Chair.

Many thanks to all of you who passed along the names of individuals for the Carolyn Field Committee and for possible candidiates for YSD officers next year. Many thanks also for the wonderful support you all have given as I have tried to serve this organization well. It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my library career, as I have had the opportunity to work with all of you, very gracious and gifted people.

This week I will be attending the PaLA Leadership Conference and look forward to seeing some of you and passing the torch to Denise!

This week I will post photos from the conference!

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

ing

Friday, October 05, 2007

Conference!

The Annual Conference is almost here!
Looking forward to seeing all of you!
Blessings,
ing

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Best Practices Award Application

Hopefully you all received this email from Paula Gilbert, PaLA PR Chair, encouraging you to apply for a Best Practices Award.

DOWNLOAD THE AWARD APPLICATION by following this LINK.

This e-mail brings you the application for this year’s Best Practices Award. Please share this with youth librarians in your library, system or District or those responsible for early childhood programming in your library. Encourage them to enter a program- this is the way we can share what we do and recognize the wealth of wonderful programs that exist throughout Pennsylvania. The deadline is not until November- but don’t wait- do it today! You can enter more than one if you like and don’t forget those great “One Book, Every Young Child” programs.

We hope to see you receiving an award at the Early Learning Forum next April.

Please call or e-mail me if you have any questions.

Thanks for participating!

Paula Gilbert
PaLA PR Chair

2008 PA ONE BOOK EVERY YOUNG CHILD

CLICK here to download the order forms for the 2008 PA ONE BOOK EVERY YOUNG CHILD, Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres.

THANK YOU!

To all who agreed to be moderators for the Youth Services sessions at the upcoming conference! Please email me if I have failed to send you moderator info, as I think I have emailed it to everyone, but my mind isn't what it used to be!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Conference is Coming!

Hello!

Thank you for the great response regarding Summer Reading Success! This article will be great-- thanks to all of you! There's still time so send me an email this weekend if you can--kalchthaleri@einetwork.net!

Also, thank you to all who have volunteered to help at the Conference this fall! I will be emailing you over the weekend to see if you are able to moderate Youth Services Division sessions! If you didn't get a chance to say you wanted to help out, there's still time, please let me know!

Also, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS TO

Denise M. Pulgino Stout who will be the Vice Chair/Chair Elect of the Youth Services Division for 2008

and to

Susan McClellan who will be the Sec/Treasurer!

Blessings,

ing ;)

Monday, August 20, 2007

2008 Pa ONe BOok

Heyllo!

THANK YOU for all of the wonderful summer reading stories, keep them coming!

I heard from our youth services guru here in Allegheny County that the PA One Book for 2008 is Up Down and Around by Katherine Ayres!

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Call for Stories!

Send me your stuff!
All about Summer Reading!
Pictures, stories, quotes, whatever!
I'll do an article,
now's your chance to toot your own horn!
Email me, please!
kalchthaleri@einetwork.net

Blessings,
ing ;)

Pennsylvania Authors

Recently I was asked if there is a list of PA authors out there somewhere...the latest one that can be found is from 2000. Anyone have an ideas? Sources? Should I start to compile a list here? Perhaps the current and future CWF Chairs can help out by sending me what they know?
If anyone has any info- please comment on here or email me! kalchthaleri@einetwork.net Thank you so much!
Blessings,
ing ;)