Day in the Life

Are you interested in what a day in the life of a library worker looks like outside ALD? Check out this wiki with links to almost 100 different posts.

Bobbi Newman started this idea last year with a post on her blog about her weekly routine. This year staff from all over the country recorded what they did on Monday, July 27.

What do you think? Any surprises?

So Librarians Don't Read?

Over at Read Roger, there was a short conversation about his post She Has A Really Good Point and the School Library Journal Battle of the Books. I'm going to come back to the Battle of the Books idea soon, because we have plans to do a similar online promotion ourselves this summer, but for right now I wanted to quote an anonymous comment:

I also agree with Wolfson that there is something not-right in the world of kids' books. I wish there were a one-stop shop on the web for finding out about a wider range of books. I am speaking as a writer, but also as a reader and as the parent of readers. I find most of the librarians I know to be well-meaning, but useless. They only know about the very most highlighted books of the recent day. They seem tremendously burdened by other aspects of their jobs and they never seem to have read anything.

What do you think? Do you find most of the library staff you know to be useless at reader's advisory? There's no doubt we all can sometimes feel "burdened" by our many job duties. Do you feel that YOU are a pretty well-read library staff member? Can you lead patrons to more than the "most highlighted books of the recent day"?

How do you do this? Do you read books? Do you read reviews? Do you read Scoop's page on Tales' Treehouse?

New Class! Short Notice!

Lori Romero and I are excited to announce a new storytime workshop at ALD! This new class is designed as "continuing education" for storytime providers. Please help us spread the word!

Each class will be organized as follows:
· A 45-minute training session on one aspect of storytime (some initial ideas are: puppetry tips; choosing age-appropriate books; managing personal storytime files and resources; storytime management tips; baby sign language; Spanish language tips)
· A 10-minute break
· A 5-minute book talk of new picture books ideal for storytime
· A 30-minute “storytime swap” during which staff share ideas, best practices, books, resources, activities, songs, rhymes, and so forth with each other

Since the content of the class will change from session to session, you may repeat the class, at the permission of your supervisors, as often as your time, schedules, and interest allow.

The first session is scheduled for Friday, January 30, at Castlewood, from 8-9:30 am. The training session will be on tips for using and manipulating Microsoft Word clip art images to create your own storytime flannels. You will also be invited to bring a story, song, flannel, or other activity that you enjoy using, to share with your colleagues.

If you can't make this session, watch for future sessions in April and August. We are planning on holding this class three times each year.

Colorado Libraries

Another good blog to keep an eye on--no matter what Interest Group you're in!--is the Colorado Libraries blog from the Colorado State Library and CLiC.

As you might expect, the blog covers a lot of ground, from academic libraries to public libraries, from the Front Range to the Western Slope. If you read it all, you'll get a good idea of what's going on and what people are talking about all over the state. You can subscribe via RSS or have new posts sent to your email.

Or you can just choose a category, such as Children's Services, and just get those updates sent to your reader.

(Don't use a reader? Check out Andrew's recent post on the Professional Development blog about tips for using Google Reader. Don't know what RSS or a reader is? I'm happy to help you set up your own reader.)

January Trainings

The January Training Calendar is now available on StaffNet. Classes of interest to the Youth Service Interest Group might be Children's Databases (Part 1 and 2), and Merchandising.

Matilda Needs Help

We have a cool opportunity!

donna geesaman has asked a few of the former Youth ASTs to help her gather resources for a few new Book Club Kits. I volunteered for Matilda, by Roald Dahl, and I would love for you to pitch in. Why?

Because I think this is a great chance for those of us who are unfamiliar with the kits (I'm one of them!) to...

• learn what resources come with a kit when you order one


• practice doing research to support a book club without having to prep an entire program yourself


• have some fun brainstorming activities and crafts you might like to see in the book club kits

Resources to include in the kits should include, but are not limited to:

• author information [Allison is working on this!]


• reviews of the book


• list of read-alike books [Jill Corrente is working on this!]


• list of other books by the same author


• discussion questions [Karen H is working on this!]


• background information on the setting or characters


• any historical information that will help the presenter place the book in time


• activities (classroom, games, crafts, snacks) [Elisabeth and Lori Noreen are working on this--but several other people can, too!]

Please volunteer to research and provide one or more of these resources for the book Matilda, by Roald Dahl. Our deadline for sending the materials to donna is December 31.

I would also welcome discussion about book clubs in general, so if you have any questions or comments, please let us know!

Get Ready, Get Set...

Fresh from the CAL Conference, I have been thinking a lot about professional development. Here's a question for you!

What was the non-library experience that best prepared you for working in a library? It could be anything: growing up in a reading family, working for non-profits in college, or working retail at the mall. It might not be an obvious connection--that's ok! For instance, when I applied to work at the Tattered Cover (a million years ago), one question they asked was if you ever had experience in food service. They had found that folks who had been successful as waiters and waitresses knew a lot of the basics about customer service.

Tell us what your experience was and why it has been so helpful to you now.

Thanks!