After that wonderful start to the day I headed to a session
about library spaces for little ones. It
was really a great session. We need
self-check in our Youth area. We need to
get rid of our Book Nook mat (that’s why we have jumpers all the time), we need
to add a rice table (yup…you read right) and we need to read up on Family PlaceLibraries. I keep hearing about them everywhere!
Why get rid of the Book Nook, you ask? Well, it's all about what message we are sending our patrons. If we have a nice soft area that is surrounded by things to climb on, what do you think will happen? You're right! Chidlren will jump! Librarians will be annoyed! So, Suzanne's recommendation for the day is: get rid of book nook. However, play is very important (learn about SPICE!). Very important. So important, that instead of calling crafts crafts, let's call it playing-with-paper-and-stickers instead. This will also take away the whole let's-make-a-craft-that-looks-just-like-the-teacher's-craft attitude. We are all set for good play-spaces...we've already got the train table and the puzzles. But we can also teach through the space. Tell parents it's good to play with their kids through placards placed around the area. The Parent / Teacher area should be closer to the play areas.
Some other ideas from this program:
- no shelving over 66 inches (we do pretty good with this in our lower level areas but not in our upper level areas...space issues)
- tackable surfaces that look good when nothing is on them (we neeeeeeeed more surfaces like this)
- stroller parking or cubbies for patron stuff...maybe in our RR hallway?
- magnetic poetry / magnetic PAINT! Wow!
- white board paint
- we really need to change our mini-lab into a Create Space with video equipment, a green wall, editing software, the whole nine yards. We have the space! Let's write an LSTA grant and do it!
- young people learn what they discover themselves
- parents and caregivers like to learn informally
- when I do my ECRR parent training (coming up!) I should open with a social time for them to network
- Oh! Let's get more toys and put them on the bottom shelves of the R2R area!
- Weed! Weed! Weed! In almost every session I went to I heard about weeding!
- Don't make areas too young (worried about our mural by the train table)...have things for kids and adults as well
- And here's a good quote: The more complex the toy, the simpler the learning and teh simpler the toy, the more complex the learning. We want complex learning! Yay simple toys!
- Here's another "know your community idea..." Go through your community and look for PUBLIC spaces that really ARE for both kids and parents...how many do we have? Um...us...the park, McDonald's and that's about it. So we have to make our space awesome!
- Encourage lingering...we want them comfortable in our building.
Then I attended an AMAZING session about using apps in your library and ways to share them with your patrons. It was great and amazing and warrents its own post, so look ahead or behind and you will find it!
I had a quick lunch and grabbed up lots of free books in the exhibitor hall then it was onto a speaker event with Sherman Alexie, the author of Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. He was hilarious!
Then I went to an AMAZING session about reorganizing your
Picture Book collections based on topic.
I know…crazy and a lot of work but so much easier for our patrons, who
are, after all, why we are here.
The Newbery / Caldecott banquet was incredible. I met some more wonderful librarians, this
time from Arizona and got to hang out with Renee, a librarian from Chicago who
sat with me during Chris Colfer the day before.
Amazing day. Lots
more later! I promise!
Sherman Alexie!!!!
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