Published bi-weekly by Read to Me, a service of the Idaho Commission for Libraries
In this Issue:
Welcome
Hope you have something fun planned for this St. Patrick's Day weekend! We're skipping the next issue so we can take a little in-house Spring Break and we'll be back April 6th.
The Read to Me program has a limited supply of paperback books available to support public library outreach programs. If your library is planning a visit to a Head Start center, daycare or if you are doing special library tours for kindergarten or first grade classrooms, we may be able to provide some free books to give to children. Books have to go to publicly-funded libraries. Please contact Stephanie at the Idaho Commission for Libraries if you're interested.
Meet Kathryn Johns
Kathryn Johns is a library assistant at the Osburn Public Library. She has worked in the library field for the past 15 years, most of that time in a school library. She has been at Osburn Public for the past four months. Kathryn works with preschool age through elementary age children and was attracted to library work because of her love of children and books and the "number one importance of reading." Kathryn is responsible for storytime and summer reading. Her favorite part of the job is working with children.
Kathryn's favorite children's author is Jan Brett because she loves the illustrations in her books. As a child 
Kathryn read stories about horses and nurses. Currently she is reading novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Kathryn attended the Read to Me meeting in Boise in February. This was her first meeting and she said, "Being new to the library, I found the meeting very informative and helpful. I appreciate the information and hope to be able to put it to use."
When not working at the library, Kathryn--you guessed it--likes to read! Her favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate almond. She is proud of raising two successful children who love to read.
Library to Library
Mountain Home Public Library shared a great idea. They worked with their local Head Start children to make bookmarks that the library printed in color and distributed at the library. The kids who made them loved going to the library to see their bookmarks. Plus the bookmarks were sent to hundreds of homes in the community. Super idea!
Louise Nofziger at Buhl Public Library shared that the Junior Library Guild has a new bilingual book category.
Young Adult Corner
Buhl Teen Advisory Group Takes on Community Projects
A Buhl Public Library group of youngsters tagged a special group for community service. The Library TAG (Teen Advisory Group) collected baby blankets for the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Twin Falls throughout the month of January for a group community service project.
The group members also learned to make new blankets under the tutelage of Esi Dease, Carole Carlson, and the Buhl Omni Group of local quilters. The TAG members also collected over 30 blankets from library patrons and others in the community.
“Some of our projects have been fun,” TAG member Buddy McCabe said. “I like TAG because I can read as much as I want to read and we talk a lot about projects and our interests.”
“The TAG members make suggestions for additions to the library,” Library Director Cynthia Toppen said. “We hope to empower teens a bit – help them make decisions and be involved in the library and community.”
TAG member Stevie Highbarger (pictured above) likes the idea of being able to do things for others. The group will be serving meals at the community soup kitchen in April and may make more blankets in the future. They also help out with the El Dia de los Ninos parade by directing bike traffic and with other logistics.
The TAG group’s first project was to assist the Buhl Key Club collect toys for needy children at Christmas time. Dusty McCabe, a Filer High School senior, spearheaded the blanket drive as her senior class project.
Megan Slemp’s brother, Will, was one of the original TAG members so she joined. “I thought it would be a good way to meet new people,” Megan said.
The TAG members meet on Thursday evenings at the library from 7 to 9 p.m. They share information about books and talk about possible community projects. They make suggestions about things teens would like to do and have in the library.
Jennifer Hamilton (who is now the Library Director at the Wendell Public Library) helped get the original TAG group going when she worked at the Buhl Public Library. Toppen said that while some projects are easier than others, she is really happy with the way the group makes decisions and the work they do. "Some kids have never done projects like this and it's really neat for them to come up with ideas, make their own decisions, and then carry them out." She says it's all about making it fun. "We do different things from movies, books, games and community projects, but they are a very open group and like to pick and choose their projects and activities," she said.
[Special thanks to the staff at the Buhl Herald for permission to adapt this article and the group photo!]
Book Look
Amanda Pittman, Ada Community Library and Idaho's YRCA representative, sent these reminders for the PNLA Young Reader's Choice Awards:
2007 Young Reader's Choice Awards
Voting for the 2007 Young Reader's Choice Awards started on March 15th and will end on April 1. Only 4th to 12th graders residing in the Pacific Northwest, who have read three titles from the list of nominees are eligible to vote. Please vote electronically at http://www.pnla.org/yrca/Voting.htm. Winners will be announced mid April. For more information and a list of the 2007 nominees please visit the Pacific Northwest Library Association website at http://www.pnla.org/.
Here are some more favorite titles shared by librarians at the February Read to Me meeting.
Favorite books for elementary age
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Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel (K - 2nd gr)
Bad Kitty may be naughty, but her antics in this four-part alphabet book will delight young readers. When Bad Kitty's owners run out of cat food, she retalliates and then repents, going through the letters of the alphabet not once, but four times: naming the food she doesn't want to eat, her mischievous deeds, the food her owners bring her, and her actions to make ammends.
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Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin (PreK - 3rd gr)
This picture book provides a hysterical look at the daily doings of a small worm in a gigantic worm world.
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Down Girl and Sit by Lucy Nolan (1st - 3rd gr)
Down Girl and Sit are two dogs who are "smarter than squirrels." They know how to protect their masters from all the things that can go wrong in the neighborhood. But when Here Kitty Kitty moves in next door, their daily routines are turned topsy-turvy. Filled with humor and adventure, this illustrated chapter book takes a look at life in the backyard from the well-intentioned but misguided viewpoint of man’s best friend.
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Flotsum by David Wiesner (K - 4th gr)
In this wordless picture book, a bright, science minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share... and to keep. Winner of the 2007 Caldecott Medal.
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Ida B by Kathrine Hannigan (4th - 6th gr)
Fourth grader Ida B. Applewood lives an idyllic life surrounded by the natural world until reality strikes and her mother gets cancer. Ida's life is turned topsy turvy, but she is resilient. With the help of her parents and a loving teacher, Ida B triumps in her own unique way.
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If I had a Dragon/Si Yo Tuviera un Dragon by Tom and Amanda Ellery (PreK-2nd gr)
In this bilingual edition, a small boy who thinks a dragon would be more fun to play with than his baby brother gets more than he bargained for and provides a humorous look at sibling rivalry.
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Library Lil by Suzanne Williams (2nd - 4th gr)
Librarian Lil thinks she can tame the town from couch-potatodom with her dynamite storytimes and terrific books. Has she met her match when Bust-'em-up Bill rides into town on his motorcycle? Can Lili turn Bill into a bookworm? You'll want this for your storytime buckaroos.
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Library Lion by Michelle Knudson
Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, successfully enforces the library rules until the day a lion comes to the library. What will she do? The lion adapts beautifully to the library, and when something terrible happens, he comes to the rescue.
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Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DeCamillo (3rd - 6th gr)
Edward Tulane is a china rabbit, owned and adored by a girl named Abilene. One day he is lost, and thus begins a remarkable journey. He travels from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hobo camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, he learns that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
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Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamillo (2nd-7th gr)
In this Newbery Award-winning book (2004), a young mouse with big dreams gets out of the world of mice and into the world of people and rats. Through his adventures he learns about the wider world, but more importantly he learns about himself and finds that even a tiny mouse can be brave as a knight.
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Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka (3rd - 5th gr)
The Time Warp series features time-travel adventures sure to capture reluctant readers with its wacky brand of humor.
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The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg (K - 5th gr)
Widow Minna Shaw finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom left by a witch who fell into the widow's garden. The broom is magic -- it sweeps on its own and does other chores. Just when the widow thinks her life will be easier, her neighbors rise up in protest and try to get rid of the broom. This suspenseful, humorous story will sweep readers away.
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Upcoming Events
Attention Middle and High School Librarians!
LiLI Dazzles! School librarians are invited to a special event presenting the new and expanded LiLI. Enjoy mocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Win valuable prizes for your school. Network with friends and colleagues. Learn how LiLI can make you (and your students) stars!
RSVP today at http://libraries.idaho.gov/event
Dates & Locations:
Monday, March 19 from 4 to 7 p.m.
RedLion Templin’s, 414 E. First Ave., Post Falls, ID
Tuesday, March 20 from 4 to 7 p.m.
University Inn/ Best Western, 1516 Pullman Rd., Moscow, ID
Wednesday, March 21 from 4 to 7 p.m.
RedLion Hotel, 621 21st St., Lewiston, ID
Monday, April 2 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Red Lion Pocatello, 1555 Pocatello Creek Rd., Pocatello, ID
Tuesday, April 3 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Best America Suites, 1377 Blue Lakes Boulevard North, Twin Falls, ID
Thursday, April 5 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Louie's Pizza & Italian Restaurant, 2500 E. Fairview Ave., Meridian, ID
2007 National Volunteer Week is April 15-21, 2007
Sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, National Volunteer Week is about thanking one of America's most valuable assets – our volunteers – and calling the public's attention to all that they do to improve our communities. The 2007 theme is "Inspire By Example." A National Volunteer Week toolkit and more information is available at www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/.
Summer Reading News
Summer reading materials are coming. ICFL expects the delivery from Upstart to arrive next week. As soon as the boxes are unloaded and contents counted, we will mail materials to libraries. Here is what to expect:
Every public library will receive two "Get a Clue" posters and a rubber stamp by the end of March.
For public libraries who applied to the Bright Futures Summer Reading Outreach Incentive Program, we are still reading through the 80+ applications and will be contacting libraries who are missing support letters, etc. We expect to begin mailing out specific incentives to these libraries by the end of the month in a separate mailing.
Books for Underserved Children, Read for your Library, and Steering Committee incentive programs will be mailed later in April or early May.
Every public library who turned in their 2006 summer reading statistics is eligible to sign up for the Fred Meyer Foundation "Books for Summer Readers" free give away books. Just go to the summer reading website and apply online by May 1. These books will be mailed later in May.
New resources for Trustee Mini Workshop
An important way to gain support for your summer reading program may be one that's overlooked. Do your library trustees know about the great things your library does in the summer and how important summer reading programs are for keeping kids reading skills sharp? Do they know how many families visit the library and how much circulation increases?
ICFL Library Consultant Anne Abrams has put together some great new resources for a Trustee Mini Workshop to use at a board meeting this spring. They include a sample agenda, a seven-minute summer reading DVD to download, links to the IRI (Idaho Reading Indicator) scores for schools in your community, and a worksheet to show just how much community suport your summer reading has.
School Zone
Tips on Selecting Materials for School-aged Children
Nearly a decade ago, Nell Colburn, Children’s Collection Manager in Hyattsville Maryland laid out 10 tips to building an outstanding children’s collection in an issue of School Library Journal. These tips still hold true today. Below are her tips and suggestions for putting them into practice:
1) Start each year with a systematic spending plan
Divide your general funds into categories: new books, replacement materials, AV, software, etc. Divide those amounts by 12 to give a monthly spending target amount in each category. This provides an easy way to monitor your budget and ensure you are adding materials to your collection effectively. Reserve a set amount for special project(s) identified during long range or annual planning.
2) Know circulation figures and make them work for you
Divide your budget based upon circulation statistics or regular reference demands. For example, you see heavy 900s (history/geography) circulation but light 300s (sociology) or notice picture books circulate twice as much as juvenile fiction, adjust your budget and accession (adding to collection) focus to meet those needs.
3) Make replacement purchases a priority
It is commonly suggested that 25 percent of your book budget should go toward duplicate/replacement orders. Many libraries create a systematic replacement plan over a five-year period which works something like this: In year one collection study focuses on 000-200 and easy readers. In year two it is 300-400 and juvenile fiction. Year three covers 500-600 and picture books. Year four is 700-800 and video/audio. Year five looks at 900 and software/ miscellaneous.
4) Go for more copies, fewer titles
Focus on having more copies of a title that kids want to read such as Harry Potter, Holes, “Young Reader’s Choice” nominees/winners or “Newbery Award” winners, rather than having one copy of every fiction book that comes out. It is very important to add new and unique titles that will expand the world of your readers, but pick and choose carefully and promote new titles.
5) Allocate funds to buy popular series paperbacks
Series titles will drive your fiction statistics. They are extremely popular, are excellent for reluctant readers, and serve well the goal of getting kids to make reading a regular habit. Do not avoid series books because you’ve heard they lack literary merit. Neither should you pander to series readers alone by focusing exclusively on them. Ensure you have a balanced, healthy fiction collection, and seize the opportunity to put a stand-alone fiction title in the hands of a series reader.
6) Buy most fiction in paperback
Paperbacks are cheaper and offer good discount opportunities. They have attractive covers, are lighter for backpacks, and are preferred by kids in grades five and up. One strategy is to buy the first copy in hardcover but additional copies in paperback.
7) Seek out materials on basic skills
Whether you are in a school or public library you will see regular demand for basic math, grammar, and phonics books. Ensure you have sufficient copies to meet those needs. Try to offer different publishers’ presentation angles to fit teaching strategy with learning style.
8) Take advantage of vendor services
Collection development services are now commonly offered by vendors. Vendors can access your holdings and print regular lists of new books that fit your needs. They can also set up automatic or standing orders for series paperbacks or new titles. You can use some or all of these to aid you in the acquisition process.
9) Get the most for your money
Shop around, seek out the best discounts, and fill rates (how many items you order actually come in). Get the best deals you can.
10) Weed regularly and systematically
Spot-weed regularly for condition and replace as needed. Look for tattered or dirty books and either discard or mark for replacement before discarding. Also set up a systematic weeding schedule similar to the one discussed earlier under replacements. In this way you are sure that at least every five years your entire collection has been carefully looked at and freshened.
Reprinted from the Idaho State Library SABLE e-course. Special thanks to Ada Community Director Mary DeWalt who authored the e-course. If you have other suggestions or suggestions for selecting materials for school-age children, please send them to send your ideas to Stephanie (please put Scoop in the subject line).
Know the Numbers
Visits at Idaho public libraries increased 23.1 percent from 2001 through 2005 with circulation of materials growing 17.3 percent during that same time period. (http://libraries.idaho.gov/files/default/Statewide5YearSummaryFY05.xls) These figures do not include the number of citizens who accessed libraries via the Web.
A Closer Look at the Read to Me Star Program - Part II
In our last issue, we explained Read to Me Stars, a program which recognizes early literacy outreach services in Idaho public libraries. Read to Me Star libraries must demonstrate best practices in five areas: outreach services, collaboration and partnerships, in library services, collection, and professional development.
In this issue we are profiling our newest Read to Me Star library--Lewiston City Library. Director Dawn Whitman and Youth Services librarian Heather Stout shared this information in their application:
Outreach Services
The Lewiston Library provides storytime for day cares, Head Start and others. They provide a deposit collection for the Juvenile Detention Center and do a RIF book give away at the YWCA Homeless Shelter. They network in the community by presenting at the Teen Parent Conference and provide a booth at the Nezperce County Fair.
Collaboration / Partnerships
The library is a member of the Lewis-Clark Coalition for Families & Youth. They also partner with their school district for summer reading and with the YWCA.
In Library Services
Library programs include a preschool storytime, family programs, summer reading programs targeting underserved children, and a bi-monthly program for children and families with special needs. The picture at the right shows youth services librarian Heather Stout at their very successful Curious George event during Idaho Family Reading Week.
Collection resources for birth to age eight
The library has age-appropriate materials, including board books, bilingual materials, CDs, and audiobooks. They have applied for and receive grant funds to expand these materials. They also provide deposit collections to community partners and they circulate story kits.
Professional Development
The Lewiston Library has at least one staff with an MLS degree, and staff have attended regional and statewide early literacy training. The library also provides early literacy training for parents and caregivers and have a staff member who is certified as an Idaho Stars Trainer (for childcare providers).
Nicole Crowell, Children’s Advocate from the Lewiston YWCA, who works collaboratively with the library had this to say,"“Through working with at-risk youth, I see first hand the effects early literacy experiences have on at-risk children. The Lewiston City Library has continually made time to come to the YWCA to work with our children. The children look forward to their visits and I believe it has instilled a love of reading in many of our kids.”
Again, congratulations to the director, staff and trustees of the Lewiston City Library for their outstanding achievement.
Tips & Tools
New Books
Literature Circles Through Technology, by Terence Cavanaugh, Linworth Books, 2006. [ICFL 374 CAVANAU].
This educator’s guide is a combination reference, strategy guide, and tutorial for enhancing literature circles with technology, from the use of eBooks as the reading source to implementing a successful literature circle in an interactive online environment. It also provides background information about the literature circle along with technology integration strategies, instructions, ideas, and student worksheets in all content areas.
Web-based Education: A Guide for Libraries, 2nd ed., by Susan Sharpless Smith, American Association, 2006. [ICFL 025.56 SMITH].
Expanding her popular and practice how-to Web guide for the public, academic, school, and special libraries, technology maven Smith has thoroughly updated the discussion to cover new tools and trends, including the latest browsers, access methods, hardware, and software. She also supplies tips to secure project funding and provides strategic information for different library types including K-12, public, academic, and corporate libraries.
NextGen Librarian’s Survival Guide, by Rachel Singer Gordon, Information Today, 2006. [ICFL 020 GORDON].
Here is a unique source for next generation librarians, addressing the specific needs of GenXers and Millennials as they work to define themselves as information professionals and to make their mark on a rapidly changing field. The focus throughout is on how NextGens can move their careers forward and positively impact the profession. The author provides timely advice along with tips, comments, and insights on issues ranging from images and stereotypes, to surviving library school and entry level positions, to working with older colleagues.
Meeting the needs of kids who have trouble reading
They’re in your community. Have you seen them?
- Visually impaired or blind
- Unable to hold a book or turn pages due to a physical disability
- Unable to read due to an organic dysfunction such as brain injury or cerebral palsy. Dyslexia is categorized as an organic dysfunction in some children
Special Formats for Special Needs
- Large Type books
- Audio books
- Braille books
Ways to Meet Their Needs
Kids Zone contains:
- Books for preschool through grade 8
- Audio, Braille, and print/Braille formats
- Complete title information including annotation and grade level
- Book number for easy ordering
- Lists of award winning books available through the Talking Book Service
- Order requested titles free online at: http://www.klas.com/idbph
- Maintain a rotating collection of audio books from the Talking Book Service at your library
Contact Sue Walker at the Idaho Commission for Libraries for more information: sue.walker@libraries.idaho.gov or 1.800.458.3271
News Beyond Idaho
New books make a difference
Want to encourage students to read? Provide them with new books. From 1997 to 2001, the Indiana General Assembly provided funding for school library books, and school districts matched that funding. As a result, the number of books purchased per student per year climbed from .81 to 1.24. Meanwhile, books circulated per student per year climbed from 33.8 to 43.1, according to a report in NetWords, a publication of the Middle Grades Reading Network at the University of Evansville in Indiana.
With the loss of special funding for new books, the average number of books purchased per student dropped to .88 per student in 2006, and the number of books circulated per student dropped to 32.7. For further information, read the Indiana University Center for Evaluation and Education Policy's 2006 Trend Analysis for Indiana K-12 Library Services Since the School Library Printed Materials Grant. The report is available online at http://mgrn.evansville.edu/Library%20Report%202006.pdf.
Talk Back: We welcome your feedback on anything in The Scoop. Just e-mail Peggy or Stephanie and we'll print your comments in The Scoop.
