September Craft Planning

Back to School #1:Backpack Buddies

OR

 Back to School #2:Bookmarks

 For Native American Day: Dream Catchers

Fall Something Special: Bling the Leaves

We did these last year and the kids seemed to like decorating them.

All I need is probably at least one more Fall crafts

Summer Reading in a Nut

Not a shell, because then it would be neat and easy, compact and would crack quietly instead of with a bang. No, summer reading is just a nut, just nuts, as in, crazy with a bang.

It has been 6 weeks. I have come home from work twitching if my husband says my name because I have already heard it approximately 5000 times. They want headphones, and snack and a computer, sometimes a book. They run around, they tattletale, they talk about someones cousin's aunt's mother's father. It is exhausting. Worse part is, even though summer reading is over, summer is not. There are still like weeks left. It's like forever.

I feel like I have had a successful program though, which almost makes it worth it. I had almost 60 kids sign up and almost 30 participate. Those are fantastic numbers compared to last year where I had the same amount sign up but only 10 actually participate. I call that an improvement. And except for some confusion with supply money, prize orders and lost (then found) gift certificates for party food, everything, like it's supposed to, works out in some weird way.

I have found that my days are more about people management than book management. I have lost my temper, I have snapped, I have told the kids to go do something with their lives other than stalk me. Yet they still come back to my desk and stand idly playing with anything they can see. It drives me crazy. I feel like the mean librarian, all the time, because I managing them. I am going through a case of the overpaid babysitter syndrome.

It's been a long day, long week, long summer. I am looking forward to the start of the new school year. And not only for the quiet time, but the start of the new craft season! Look forward to more postings.

Spring Crafts

Scrap paper flowers.

My ladybug.  

Ladybug!

Only I made this flower, no one else thought it looked like a flower!

My tree :-)

I am not as interesting as a computer game

I had a conversation recently where a man said to me that he thinks that a perfect library would be super quiet and have rows and rows of book. A sanctuary of  knowledge. 

As I am writing this, to me left there are teenagers gossiping and behind them a child being tutored (and not liking it). To my right, a brother and sister are arguing and two boys playing a Michael Jackson dance game on the Wii. They eat snack, play Mancala, games on the computer, color and do crafts. Oh, and once in a while they read.That is pretty normal week for my library.

Once a month there is a program here that children love. Therapy dogs come in and the children are able to sit with them and read. It is my only story time program a month. Usually, I am pretty grateful for that. I am a timid public speaker, and honestly, I fear the unknown. I have never had to do story time, so is scares the crap out of me.

It was talking about Summer Reading that started this. I am so worried about booking performers and events. I forget that the whole point of Summer Reading is to instill the love of reading outside of school. All I can think about is the amount of children that will be here every day. So here is my point, my weekly obsession, the problem I have to fix. By definition of my job I am supposed to spread the love of reading. How am I supposed to do that when these kids are more interested in stupid games on the computer than, well, me?

Craft Summary

Week of 2/1 We made groundhogs. We had about 2 kids so here are pictures of mine:

The one on the right is a pop-up groundhog, the left is a statue (of sorts). Both were toilet paper roll crafts, which we have plenty of.

Week of 2/8

We made collage Valentines. And since they all took them home, I am pictureless. But I have to tell you it was a pretty fantastic craft because I got to write a love notes for a 7 year old. (He dictated, I wrote).

 Later that week we made Duck Tape Roses with about 5 kids. It was hard for them, but we had 2 of us teaching, so it worked.

Week of 2/15
We had a African American History Month theme going on so we made paper quilts. I found the work sheets on Crayola.com.

Craft Planning (2)

This week: Mardi Gras Masks!

I think I am going to cut the templates out of cardboard. We still have plenty of bling, glitter, feathers and other fun stuff.

Also, to continue the African American History Month activities, I found this star finder. They have one for every month of the year and they fold up like a old school fortune teller. I thought it would be a good a DIY craft (as in I don't have to do it for you or manage you while you're doing it) for the African American Read-In that we're having Friday.

Next week, since Craft Day falls on Leap Day, I think I am going to make scrap bags and have a crazy-invent-your-own-craft-day.

I have already found my St. Patricks Day Craft...

I think it's a little young, but I have decided it was cute, so hopefully they won't make fun of me. Or ask how I celebrate St. Patricks Day.

Olympic Program Brainstorming

I want to have a library Olympics.

I was reading the news, and all of a sudden I remembered the Olympics were this summer, how cool would it be to have a week long, or day long competition? It would be an awesome competition that I think the kids here would really get into. Here is some info on the Olympics, there a list of sports on that page somewhere... I am thinking at the least we could have Table Tennis, Basketball (court right across the street, maybe something simple like a H.O.R.S.E. competition) Archery (Foam darts instead of sharp arrows), Gymnastics, or maybe a dance competition? YES!

Notes on Weeding

I was at work yesterday putting some board books in the book sale. I have been weeding the Children's collection... I started with the picture books, then the non fiction and I got rid of so many books. I was amazed at the titles that stayed, but more so, the titles that left.

First, what I noticed yesterday at work. Under the table, in a box, hidden away was a book I have a clear memory reading: Anastasia's Chosen Career. I got this little smile on my face when I saw the book, and I remember wanting to be a bookstore owner just like Anastasia, I remember finding the book at the library, and other authors on the shelf because I found Lois Lowry. There was a simplicity to my life then, reading, maybe some television now and then, playing outside and with friends. My world was small. I look at the kids now and wonder if their world is too big now. They have access to anything on the internet, and they find it with automatic spell correct. I wish I could share the dreams I found in books with them, but what if they are still small?

Second thing I noticed is about the titles that left. My library is situated in an African American neighborhood, so we try and fill the collections written by African American authors or for the population. While weeding the picture book collection I found that those were the books with the lowest amount of circulation. Some, I understood. They were old, the pictures were outdated, and well, some of the illustrations were just, bad. How many oil painting children's books can there be!?!? But on the other hand, it made me sad, because these are the books they thought they wanted. Ooops, librarian failure #1. Lesson learned: ask more, assume less.

So I think I have found my focus

I have decided to put my addiction to craftiness to good use. I will share my library crafts with the blog world! I  have a few sites that I go to on  a regular basis, but find it difficult to find crafts I can actually do in my library. There are too many supplies needed, or it feels like the child would have already done this in school, or, sometimes, they are just plain boring/ugly/stupid.

Jan 4: Paper Plate Penguins

 And then I found these cool stencils:

Jan11:  We made collages.This one is mine. It's hanging on my desk :-)

This week I am thinking more snowflakes. We got hit with a pretty big storm over the weekend. I printed out patterns from here and here. Pictures to follow next week!

2012 Challenges

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