CEO Newsletter, 3/4/11

Children’s Event Organizer

Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 355, March 4, 2011
http://www.lakeshores.lib.wi.us/site/childrensya
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
New LLS Website
Michael Sullivan Workshop in Franklin
What’s in Your Story Hour Closet?
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......


RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Matched by Ally Condie
http://tinyurl.com/4r452mo

Welcome to the future: everything is done precisely and perfectly. Our story opens with 17 year old Cassia attending her Match banquet, where she will meet her future husband. This is the day she has been waiting for her whole life, and when her Match turns out to be childhood friend Xander, it's like a dream come true. But when Cassia loads Xander's data chip into her reader later, another face pops up and she is confused. Why has Ky been added her to this file? Is it really an honest mistake? As events unfold (the Official assigned to her assures it is a mistake), Cassia finds herself learning more about the boy who has been a mystery and falling in love. As this happens, Cassia begins to wonder if the Society actually knows what's best and has everything figured out like they say they have.

This futuristic story has several typical elements: the teenager who questions the system, forbidden romance and the potential future of society. What makes this book stand out is characterization and the backstory that's woven throughout each element of the Society. And it does make you think as you read: should some things be calculated and assigned, like your job and your mate? Is life truly better when a governmental agency is controlling everything? Cassia admits that she's not sure which is better: having everything figured out for you or the element of choice, which I found refreshing. Secondary characters also are developed, as well as setting (fun book club project: develop the complete history of the Provinces). The ending is hopeful, yet leaves an element of mystery, which I also found refreshing. Fans of The Hunger Games, the Uglies trilogy and The Giver will gobble this book up. There even is an element of Fahrenheit 451 to this tale, so hand it to adults as well as teens.


ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Agropolis Museum: Food and Agricultures of the World
http://www.museum.agropolis.fr/english/index.html

This website for the Agropolis museum in France is about food and how humans have produced it over the centuries. The exhibits offer a fresh way of looking at food and the role it plays in society. Visitors should not miss the fascinating and moving virtual exhibit "The Banquet de l'Humanite (The dining table of the world)", which explains the ongoing struggle for food worldwide. The exhibit, which is a sculpture at the physical museum, is pictured on the site, and it features clay figures seated around a table representing the world. Visitors will read that the figures represent countries with low, medium, and high rates of food production, and food information on each country can be linked to in the text below the sculpture. Additionally, there are two clay figures that aren't even seated at the table, and they are called the "Excluded Ones". They represent the "new poor people in a society of mass consumption." They are often unemployed, homeless or poor city dwellers. The "World's Food" virtual exhibit offers basics about food and human nutritional needs. Visitors should be sure to click on the colorful boxes at the top of the page, to see images of similar types of food, but in different cultures. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/25/11)


National Geographic Video: Animals, Travel, Kids
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/

The "Video" section of the wonderful National Geographic website has so much to offer visitors. Many of the videos are just several minutes long, such as the two minute and twelve second video taken of an Australian sea lion attacking and eating an octopus, with a "Crittercam" that is attached to the sea lion. The videos are divided into six categories, including "Adventure", "Animals", "Environment", "Kids", "Movies", and "Music Videos". Within each of the categories, there are at least half a dozen subcategories, so visitors have a constant supply of videos, with new videos added frequently. The homepage of the Video section has "Featured Videos", and presently includes a very timely four minute segment entitled "Egypt Antiquities Damaged, At Risk During Unrest" about the damage that looters had done to artifacts at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The "Movies" category contains mainly clips or previews from films, and visitors should check out the four clips from the movie "God Grew Tired of Us", about former child soldiers of Africa. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 3/4/11)


NEW LLS WEBSITE

Steve Ohs has been working for the past few months on the new LLS webiste and it is now up and online at www.lakeshores.lib.wi.us. The children’s and young adults page has been reorganized with new content and the RSS feed from the blog is incorporated into the page as well. I will be adding new content as time allows. Steve has done a GREAT job on the new website!


MICHAEL SULLIVAN WORKSHOP IN FRANKLIN

Milwaukee County Federated Library System and their youth services committee are sponsoring a workshop presented by Michael Sullivan, distinguished teacher, librarian and author of numerous titles on connecting boys with books. You can read more about Michael and his mission at http://talestoldtall.com/index.html.

He will be at Franklin Public Library on August 3, 2011 and will be presenting 2 different programs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon – Connecting Boys with Books and Why Boys Lit Gets a Bad Rap. This is an excellent opportunity to learn how to help bring boys into the library and get them excited about books!


WHAT’S IN YOUR STORY HOUR CLOSET?
(contributed by Luci Bledsoe, Johnson Creek Public Library)

What supplies do you keep on hand for your story hours? Do you have favorite items that you believe are necessary for your story hour programming? I know we all have (or try to have) construction paper; glue; crayons; scissors (best time to purchase the last three items is when school supplies appear in the stores at the end of July); wiggle eyes; fun foam; felt and poster board, but the following suggestions are either very inexpensive or can be donated by your library customers and story hour parents. Send an email to Rhonda, explaining what it is and suggesting possible uses and she will share your ideas in a future issue of the CEO.

What do we have in our closet at Johnson Creek PL?

• Cotton balls (the white ones are perfect for snowmen; if you can find the colored ones, they are great for decorating paper Easter eggs or making spring pictures)
• Brown paper lunch bags (paper bag puppets)
• White paper lunch bags (perfect for Valentine bags; gift bags for making a Mother’s or Father’s Day gift)
• Advertising Magnets (cut them with scissors; put a dab of glue on the printed side and attach to the craft project for a memorable refrigerator magnet (thanks to Nancy B at West Bend for this idea!)
• Old or damaged compact discs or CD-ROMS (used to make CD-ROM fish or birds; hanging mobiles—use 2 discs for a project and glue the printed sides together)
• Empty cereal boxes (have a volunteer or staff member cut them and save the fronts and backs. We use them for patterns (for our Valentine Story Hour, we cut out half hearts and showed the children how to fold paper; trace the half heart; and cut on the traced line). Although we have our die cut machine, we still need to make or cut an original pattern for tracing. *Extra bonus—if there is a promotional item available such as a small toy, send for a free toy for a SLP prize!)
• Stickers (magazines and other companies will send stickers as a small gift—they go into our sticker box and are used for a variety of crafts)
• Paper towel tubes (we do not use toilet paper tubes for obvious reasons! We have used cut down paper towel tubes for making small turkeys; groundhogs, binoculars, etc.
• Yarn (don’t buy it, just put up a list of what you need and your customers will donate! We use scrap yarn for holiday crafts; paper dolls; gift bags, etc.)
• Ribbons (again we use donated scrap ribbon for holiday crafts; lacing paper plates together, etc.)
• Gift bows (use as a color matching activity)
• Cheap white envelopes (hold game pieces when we make paper dominoes or play Color and Shape Bingo)
• Reinforcement labels for hole-punched paper (we use both white and colored. The white ones are used to reinforce punched holes for adding a bow to a paper bunny or cat)
• Inexpensive paper punch (if you make a paper bunny, punch 2 holes on the neck; add a ribbon for a bow, and it is one classy bunny!)
• Cheap paper plates, both large and small (lace a whole plate and ½ plate together; fill with paper flowers and small candies for a Mother’s Day gift or May Day gift; we also use them for small trays if we work with glitter or paint; also can be used for masks)
• Paper cups (planting a seedling or bean or radish seeds)
• Craft sticks (ask your local doctor’s office to see if they will donate tongue depressors, use for paper plate puppets)
• Powdered detergent measuring cups (fill with dirt, add a small seedling; glue buttons on sides for wheels, and you have a small wheelbarrow for a gift)
• Scoopable kitty litter jug lids (I used to use milk bottle caps, but they are potentially dangerous due to their size. I use kitty litter bottle caps for counting; matching colors; shape recognition, graphing, etc.)
• Brass paper fasteners (allows the head/arms/or legs of a paper animal to move)


DATES TO REMEMBER

March 7 CSLP board of directors meeting
March 7 Library Alliance meeting, Madison
March 8 Mardi Gras
March 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 22 Rob Reid workshop, Hustisford
March 26 Riverport Chorus performance, Wilmot
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
April 10-16 National Library Week
May 4-6 WAPL Conference, Madison
May 2-8 National Children’s Book Week
May 10-11 National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 20 First day of Storywagon
June 22-29 ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans
August 3 Michael Sullivan workshop, Franklin
October 16-22 Teen Read Week
November 1-4 WLA Annual Conference, Milwaukee


WEBSITE FAVES

Preservation Nation
http://www.preservationnation.org/

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a lively, colorful website called PreservationNation.org. One look at the "History" section of the "About Us" tab and visitors will appreciate the work that the Trust has accomplished by getting more and more types of sites deemed historically valuable. Visitors can check out some of these designated sites in the History section of About Us: "Rural Heritage", "Main Streets", "Historic Hotels of America", "Historic Artists' Homes and Studios", "Historic Houses of Worship", and "African American Historic Places". The "Resources" tab allows visitors to peruse historic properties for sale, with search functions for price, property type, location and even number of bathrooms. The "Issues" tab alerts visitors to the historic preservation issues that affect them. Some that are listed include "Teardowns", "Chain Drugstores", and "Community Revitalization". Visitors shouldn't miss the "Travel & Sites" tab to learn about Gozaic, the travel planning resource for the cultural and heritage traveler. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/11/11)


Children's Library
http://www.archive.org/details/iacl

Drawing on materials from the New York Public Library, the National Yiddish Book Center, and the University of California Libraries, the Internet Archive has created this trove of digitized children's books. Currently, there are over 2,700 books available here and they include works like "Infant's cabinet of birds & beasts" from 1820 and "What the Moon Saw: And Other Tales" from 1866. On the left side of the page, visitors can take a look at the "Spotlight Item" and there is a tag cloud available here as well. Those persons looking for the most popular items can view the "Most Downloaded Items Last Week". Not surprisingly, some of these items include "Pinocchio" and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Visitors are also welcome to receive updates from their forum here, and they can also chime in with their own questions. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/11/11)


Child Trends
http://childtrends.org/

Child Trends is a non-profit, non-partisan research center, and is the "nation's only independent research and policy center focused exclusively on improving outcomes for children." Child Trends has twelve areas of research, listed across the top of any page. Some of the topics include "Child Poverty," "Fatherhood & Parenting," "Youth Development," and "Health." In each section, the research focus on that topic is explained in a brief introduction, followed by resources that include research briefs, executive summaries and full reports, fact sheets, and a publications archive of materials over three years old. A feature that visitors shouldn't miss is "What Works/LINKS," which can be accessed via the left side menu. The data in this section is about "programs that work -or don't- to enhance children's development". There are effectiveness charts, "Lifecourse Interventions that Work," and a continually updated database on programs that work (or don't). Visitors who are "Program Providers" in policy, education, or the media will find the "Information for..." heading on the left side of the homepage useful for fulfilling their specific needs. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/18/11)


The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition Collection
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/columbianexpo/

In 1893, the city of Chicago was the host of the World's Columbian Exposition. It was a seminal cultural moment in American history, as many new inventions and ideas were discussed and introduced there. After the Exposition closed, the Field Museum was opened in 1894 to house many of the items from this tremendous undertaking. Today, the Field Museum has created this digital collection which features images and data on thousands of items. First-time visitors may wish to start with the "History of the Collection." Here, they can read about how the Exposition came into being and the incorporation of modern anthropological techniques and methods. Moving on, there are "Photo Highlights" organized by region of the world. In this section, visitors will find Inuit boots, Mayan pottery, and spindle shafts from Peru. Museologists and others working in the field will want to look over "Bird's Eye View of The Fair." This area contains a wonderful selection of photographs that document how the artifacts from the collection were displayed at the Exposition. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/18/11)


American Sign Museum
http://www.signmuseum.net/

The American Sign Museum is the only public collection of its kind, and it is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its fun, colorful website just may bring back memories for some visitors. Users should definitely watch the video tour of the museum with the founder, Tod Swormstedt. The link can be found near the top of the homepage, and is entitled "Take a Video Tour." The founder explains his goals in opening the museum, which are to show "the history of the sign industry and its significant contribution to commerce and the American landscape." He also goes on to reference the urban renewal program from the 1960s called SOS, which meant Scrap Our Signs, as a source of many of the museum's holdings. The excellent "Exhibits" link on the left hand menu contains a link to the museum's permanent collection and visitors will find it is divided into eight categories, including "Painted/Non-illuminated Signs," "Plastic Signs," and "Neon Signs and Displays: The Glory Days." The Exhibits link also offers to visitors half a dozen sections of signs that can be seen from the road (On the Road), while walking around (Walking Tours), or from an armchair (Sign History). (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/18/11)


Tulane Special Collections: Carnival Exhibit
http://specialcollections.tulane.edu/Carnival.html

From 1870 to 1930, the world of the New Orleans Carnival was a colorful and opulent cornucopia of fantastic processions and amazing tableau balls. This appropriately colorful and remarkable digital collection from Tulane University's Special Collections department presents a selection of the ball invitations, dance cards, admit cards, exotic costumes, and elaborate floats that drew on a range of themes from history. The materials here are drawn from the extensive Carnival collection preserved by the Tulane Manuscripts Department, and they are divided into three sections, including "Costume Designs" and "Invitations". The "Invitations" area is a good place to start, and it includes materials from the Mistick Krewe of Comus. The float designs are just as remarkable and they bring together mythical birds, elaborate flower arrangements, as well as temples, tombs, palaces, and pleasure gardens. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 3/4/11)


AND FINALLY………

NCAA brackets are announced March 14. Let March basketball Madness commence.