Lamppost
Going Rogue
“Exploration is really the Essence of the Human Spirit.” —Frank Borman ’Tis the season for fall themes such as pumpkins, leaves, and turkeys. As I was planning programs for October and November, I decided it was time to go rogue and think of new themes. I started searching terms such as “funny fall celebrations” and “unusual holidays.” From
Dogman© Unleashed
Encourage kids to be creative without worrying about being perfect. —Dav Pilkey At the start of the fall program season, I asked our youngest patrons what programs they would like the library to offer. I heard a child yell out, “DOGMAN”! I smiled and I told him that was a great idea. Dogman© is a graphic novel series written and illustrated by
Summer Reading Kick-off
For the past four years, my library has provided our community with a summer reading carnival to kickstart our summer reading program. For the first two years, we had a few bounce houses and cotton candy and 400 patrons attended. To plan our past carnival, I brainstormed ideas on how to continue by providing a carnival with more than
Fresh Air: Taking Storytime Outdoors
“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had no childhood in it.” —George Eliot In the state of Iowa, where I live, the change from winter to spring is like an on and off switch. Yet, at the end of another vortex, Spring has finally come to Iowa. Spring is a perfect time
Joining Forces
Creating a Library Exchange Network Last year, I had the distinct honor to attend a professional development opportunity at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). As part of the training, we were given a chance to see some of the projects students and professors are working on in fields such as education, fashion, and healthcare. I was surprised to learn from
Paws and Read
Celebrating Our Furry Friends with a Pet Reading Program “Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” —George Elliott In October 2011, I was in a state of transition. I had just returned from interning at the Library of Congress to a full-time job as head of a children’s department. I was excited about this new adventure but,
Puppet Mania
Using Puppets to Enhance the Storytime Experience “Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me. ” ― Fred Rogers I recently watched Won’t You Be My Neighbor, the new documentary on the life and career of Fred Rogers … Mister Rogers. At the conclusion of the documentary, I reflected on how he
Winter Extravaganza
The first snowfall is like being transported inside a snow globe. The landscape transforms with a fresh sprinkle of snow on everything from the trees to houses. “Crunch, crunch” can be heard from the boots of families making their way outside to experience the first snow of the season. Snow is an experience where families can engage
Gobble up a Good Time
It is amazing how quickly department stores move all of the Halloween items out and bring out Christmas lights, wrapping paper, religious items, different sized Santa Clauses and ornaments. Oh, and who can forget about the start of Christmas music at the beginning of November? I love Christmas, but for the longest time, I’ve been confused