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.)

Bingo!

The RA challenge has been a great way for me to plow into children's material while I readjust from teens.
I finished one vertical and one diagonal row and am working on some others. Some highlights:

E/J Biography: Abe's Honest Words - beautiful illustrations from Kadir Nelson, out in anticipation of Lincoln's 200th birthday
New J Fiction: Leanin' Dog
– set in Colorado and with a Colorado author

ER series: Sam at the Seaside and others – who doesn't love a cute puppy who gets in trouble

Children's Poetry - Where Fairies Dance - not really children's poetry but famous authors (Blake, Shakespeare) who have written about fairies - gorgeous illustrations, for older fairy fans

The Hipster Librarian's Guide to Teen Craft Projects

The Hipster Librarian's Guide to Teen Craft Projects by Tina Coleman and Peggie Llanes is a new ALA book.
"It's not your grandmother's crafting projects! Instead, you and your teen patrons can engage in the hottest new DIY way of life, recycling everything from discarded books to Altoids® tins. The authors' focus on recycled no-cost and low-cost materials addresses most libraries' budget constraints. These craft sessions offer a unique way for teens to claim their identities and gain confidence—at the library!"- from the ALA store

We have a Book Club here at Smoky and this months pick was a YA book called "Elsewhere". We use books from many genres, but I am particularly excited to include YA books in our selections. It is nice to be able to choose from the book club kits for a YA selection!

Good Storytime Resource

I ordered and received a new storytime resource that I'm happy to share! It's called More Family Storytimes by Rob Reid, and has titles/ activities for 24 creative themes like "What'cha Gonna Wear," "Mouthsounds," and "Uh-Oh Accidents!" Let me know if you'd like to use it, and I'll send it your way. Thanks- Lori

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.

December: Vocabulary

This month's early literacy skill is Vocabulary!

What is it?

Vocabulary is knowing the names of things.

Why is it important?

Because the more words kids know, the easier it is for them to read. It's a lot easier to sound out a word that they already know than one that is new. Plus, the more meanings of words kids know, the easier it is to make sense of what they read.

What does Vocabulary look like in storytime?

• Reading picture books is a great way to increase children's vocabularies, because picture books have more rare words than does casual conversation.


• Talk with the children before and after storytime. The more words children hear, the more words they learn.


• After a story, go back to a page with an unfamiliar word or phrase and talk about it some more.


• Choose books with rich language. Think of all the synonyms and "sleep" words there are in the simple story "The Napping House."


• Songs like "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" and "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" all introduce great vocabulary words.


• Read non-fiction as well as fiction in your storytimes!


• Talk about the emotions of the characters in the story.

What do you like to do to enhance Vocabulary in your storytimes? What Vocabulary tips do you give to the parents during storytime?