Are You Quite Polite?

Today was my last day at the library. Laura and her daughter, Michelle, surprised me this morning with brownies and a stuffed bunny. I went to the Monrovia branch to do some puppet shows ("Little Late Riding Hood" and "Little Blue Riding Hood) and spent the day seeing how things work at a branch library. I had a good time and Lori was very kind to me and I wish I had more time to spend at the other branches.

When I came back to Main, I had bags full of goodies from the staff, including an awesome card they made me. I managed not to burst into tears but it was difficult. I really had a great time this summer and will miss everyone terribly!

What's the Time Grandma Wolf?

Second to last day at the library. Spent the morning in children's and the afternoon in the main part of the library.

Let's just say that while kids can be hilarious, you get your more interesting patrons in the form of adults.

Clarence the Copy Cat

Last three days at the library began today. Janice asked me this morning, "Is there anything that you haven't got to do with this experience that you would like to do?" Well...I haven't worked upstairs at the main circulation desk....

So I spent the first half of the day upstairs! Everyone there was very friendly and more than happy to help me. There are a lot of similarities between the children's desk and the main desk but the biggest difference are the VHS and DVD's. We don't have them downstairs to contend with so I got to experience this joy first hand. It wasn't really that bad, just something new I needed to learn.

I'm gonna miss everyone!!!!

Cat and Mouse: A Delicious Tale

Today was the last day I did a Summer Reading Program at one of the branches. I wasn't an emotional basket-case like I thought I would be but I am sad. I'm going to miss those kids! Janice and I were talking yesterday and I really lucked out this summer. I've only had the one "issue" with a parent and none of the kids at my programs were terrors. I did have some that were a bit rambunctious but the parents were there to remove them once trouble popped up.

I know I've mentioned it before but I was continually surprised by how many parents stayed for the programs and helped out. Now it's become so commonplace that I become shocked when a parent isn't helping out! Overall, this summer has been an awesome experience. Three more days to go!

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More

Last full week of the internship and my last week going out to the branches! I haven't been as sad as I thought I would have but I nearly lost it yesterday when Ms. Laura actually told the kids it would be the last time they would see me....

This week I've been doing a puppet show with one of the other librarians (it depends on the day as to who it is), "The Three Little Fishes and the Big, Bad Shark," and then we've made paper bag puppets. Oh, and the kids get treats! Kool-Aid, chips, and M&M's! The parents must really love us....

Article Alert!

Schimmel, Judith. "Programs That Open Doors." School Library Journal 39 (1993): 36-39. EBSCOhost.

• What about programming for children with special needs? What do you do to get these children involved when mainstream programs aren't an option? Schimmel discusses how her library was able to create programs for special needs children and their parents.
  
• We have special needs children who come to the library but there are no programs specific to their needs. I wonder if these programs were to be offered if these children and their parents would attend and if it could possibly bring new patrons to the library.
  

"Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act." American Library Association. 10 Mar. 2009. 8 July 2009 .

• This article is a brief overview of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and how books are typically excluded from this act. However, if the library knows of a book containing high amounts of lead, they should dispose of it.

• Wow, who knew librarians had to worry about such things at lead in books?!
  

Galimoto

EEK!!! As of today there are only two weeks left of my internship and this blog and my articles are horribly behind!!!

In other news, this week is "Build It!" and I think it has gone quite well. Basically, I give the kids a bunch of "stuff"-cardboard, cardboard tubes, straws, yarn, Cool Whip tubs, etc.- and glue and let them go to town. They really seem to enjoy it. Some have made abstract art while some have made crowns, masks, and one of my guys made a telescope. Everyone left happy which is all that matters to me. Would be nice if we could get them to help clean up though....

I actually didn't do the "Build It!" program today. Miss Laura went to the Monrovia branch for the program and I stayed at Main to help Jennifer with one of the teen programs. It was quite cool actually. The kids (we had four) brought in a t-shirt and place stencils, puzzle pieces, etc. on the shirt to form a desired pattern and Jennifer sprayed the shirts with a bleach mixture. The bleach faded the shirts except for where the objects were placed leaving some really cool designs. Two girls brought brown shirts but one shirt become purple when the bleach faded while the other turned orange. I rinsed the shirts out for the kids and bagged them so they could take them home. I even got to bleach my own shirt to keep!

Sigh...I'm really gonna miss seeing my kids and my coworkers....

Skippyjon Jones

Ok, so it's time perhaps reevaluate my programming. I can't just coast by anymore, I suppose. My big issue: how do you get the kids interested when they clearly aren't? I'm not going to force the poor things to do something they don't want to but I don't want them to be bored out of their minds either. I also need to watch my time. I forget that many of these parents are driving close to half an hour to bring their kids to programs so it needs to be well worth everyone's time.

Next week will be much better. It's "Build It!" where I'm gonna gives the kids tons of stuff (cardboard, aluminum foil, beads, paper, etc.) and they are going to build whatever they want! I've made a few things to give them some ideas but I think they'll come up with some awesome stuff on their own.

Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp

Wow, after two programs where no one showed up, I had 30 today for the Dance Party! Very entertaining. I think everyone had a good time but the craft took awhile to make. There were two options, a hat made from newspaper or a hula skirt from newspaper, and the skirt was a pain in the neck. They also didn't hold up very well.... Oh well, we had fun dancing to the "Lucy & Linus" theme from Charlie Brown!

Have spent a lot of time shelving over the past week. Not my favorite but not terrible...until it's time for the nonfiction. If you are ever looking for a form of cruel and unusual punishment, send them to shelf books in the children's nonfiction. Not only are you shelving but you're rearranging everything as well!