How to Set-Up 1000 Books Program

In June of 2013, as part of our SLP registration,  we started our "1000 Books Before Kindergarten" program.  To get to the point where we had it ready for parents and children to participate,  we did the following:

1. Researched the philosophy behind and the benefits of "1000 Books". 

2. Looked at what other libraries across the state and the country were doing with it and the different procedures they were using to organize and monitor it.

3. Presented information about it to our library board and obtained unanimous approval to start the program. I wanted library board approval due to both the long term commitment and the financial commitment we would need to ensure its success. 

4. Decided on a format: yellow portfolios with prong fasteners,  which would include an explanation; literacy information from both ALA and Reading Rockets; and a reading log for 1000 titles, along with a strip of stickers in the front pocket of the portfolio. Ordered the portfolios and made photocopies.  Assembled the first 50 packets. 

5. Placed a request for the design and printing of a t-shirt transfer and a sticker for the portifolios with the PR person at our library system.  The design was to be cheerful and colorful depicting children and books without having to worry about a copyright infringement. 

6.  Purchased white t-shirts; plastic "Bee a Reader" book bags and various stickers with book and reading themes.

7. Publicized "1000 Books" with fliers and posters; newspaper articles; the library's website and later when it was created,  the library's Facebook page.

8. Put together a schedule of incentives for reaching different levels of the program,  such as 100 books, 500 books,  etc. 

9.  Ordered a small selection of board books and paperback picture book titles to use as awards. Devised sticky labels for the cover of each book indicating that it was presented to the child because of his/her accomplishments in our "1000 Books" program. 

10. A few days after we started our "1000 Books" program,  I learned about an early literacy mini-grant from the Department of Public Instruction,  which could be used to enhance our program.  I completed the grant application and months later,  received notice that we would be awarded one of the grants. 

11. I ordered more books and promotional items. 

12. After the program started, we contacted our library system and requested the design and printing of certificates of achievement for the children who finished the program and a triple fold brochure to help with the future promotion of "1000 Books".

13. During the summer,  I believe we registered 22 children for our "1000 Books" program.  When school started in the fall, I sent letters of explanation and invitation to the parents of the local early childhood students; the parents of the students in four-year-old kindergarten; and the parents of students at the local preschool.  I also tried to locate home-based child care providers to let them know about the program.  I also "talked it up" with the parents of the children who attended our toddler and preschool story times and with individual parents as I saw them in the library.  As of February 25, we now have 87 children registered. My goal is 100 children. 

14. My question after rereading the above: when does this program become passive? I've put a lot of time and energy into it!

15.  The answer: once the child is registered.  At that point, when a parent or child gives us the reading log, we hand them the next prize...or a selection of books from which the child can choose the one he or she wants.  We also offer lots of congratulations on a job well done!
         

What are the advantages for this type if programming? Once it's set up and organized,  staff time is minimal.  Some maintenance has to be on going: making sure there is an inventory of awards and continuing to promote the program will be necessary.  There could be an increase in circulation of children's books and perhaps,  an increase in toddler and preschool story time attendance. Good PR for the library will be another advantage,  along with strengthening the relationship between the library; local schools; and local child care providers,  both center based and home based. Increased knowledge of the library and the services it provides will benefit everyone. 
          

What are the disadvantages when doing this type of programming? In the case of a multi year program like "1000 Books", there needs to be a financial commitment so that children reaching "1000 Books" four years from now will receive the same recognition as those completing the program in 18 months.  There needs to be a time commitment made by the library that the staff will have the time necessary to actively promote the program, which could include annual letters to parents and visits to schools. Individual staff members will need to understand the importance of early literacy and feel comfortable in inviting parents and children to participate. While that is not necessarily a disadvantage,  it can be with staff not having the same beliefs as the department head or director. Everyone needs to be on board! 

Luci Bledsoe, Johnson Creek (WI) Public Library

DIY Program Power

Not everyone knows the many types of programs available to us to use with kids. There are active programs, passive programs and DIY programs. Today we look at some fun ideas for kid-powered programs!

Kits! We are looking into little science type kits to be available in the Library this summer.  We are thinking of having a check-out type system...if a family wants the magnet kit, they bring the "Magnet Kit" card to the desk and we check it out to them to use in the Library and return when they are done.  We hope it works without too much staff time involved.

Crafts! I  put out crafts on top of our low picture book shelving. Crafts are generally a quiet activity. I used to put the crafts on a small cart with wheels. If things got to crazy, the cart could be wheeled away. Everything seemed to be fine. I took the wheels off and put puzzles and coloring sheets on it. The cart sits at the end of shelving unit.

Legos! Our Lego program is essentially DIY. One of our aides is "in charge" which basically means rolling out the Lego cart and setting up a few tables. She started with themes and will still "guide" them. "If you're stuck for ideas, today see if you can make a bridge with the least amount of Legos possible!" but most of them are self-directed. We display their creations in the department for a week (on a high high shelf!) until the next week when she takes them apart and they do it all over again. She just finished this week and had about 55 participants and remarked "It was chaos! It was awesome! It should be screaming and crying and pushing and not sharing, but those kids do an amazing job of working together!" 

Passports! Kids get a passport and moved along several country stations in the library, to see materials, books and crafts.  At each station they got a sticker from that country to put in their passport. Very fun!

Packets! TheCraft of the Month program is very basic and simple craft activity is available to patrons whenever we are open. Basically, we have the craft example behind our desk for patrons to see. We then take a form of ID (library card, state ID) and they get a craft packet which includes markers, scissors and a hole puncher. Patrons then take their craft and materials to our craft room to complete. We get many happy and satisfied participants who complete this DIY program. 

Idea Sources! Pinterest, Librarian's Guide to Passive Programming by Emily T. Wichman and DIY Programming and Book Displays: How to Stretch Your Programming without Stretching Your Budget and Staff by Amanda Struckmeyer and Svetha Hetzler

What DIY programs do you do!?!

Graphic courtesy of Pixabay

You Say Passive, I Say Fantastic

Lots more shares of passive or stealth programs in the class. Here are just a few!

Most of our passive programs are centered around our monthly theme and therefore change every month.  We seem to do a lot of "Find the..." hunts.  This month it is finding the bookworms (bookmarks sticking out of books) in the books that they have fallen in love with and write down their titles.  We let kids do it individually or in teams and then come up for a sticker.  There are a few other activities lying around that they can do (a puzzle, coloring sheets, brown paper laid over the tables for free-style drawing, some Duplo blocks with words on them that are supposed to be kind of like magnetic poetry).  We're also trying out a Winter Reading Program this year.  I like having passive programs in the library because it gives the kids something new to look forward to when then come and something to do while their parents look for books.  

Our first DIY/passive program was Wimpy Kid station I found thanks to one of the many, many, many blogs I follow: Future Librarian Superhero .  This was a huge success for us with about 65 kids participating. We did give away a copy of the book which I think increased the numbers.

I currently am doing a Love Your Library Month program that consists of a library bingo where the children pick up a sheet with 9 blocks on it asking them to check out an item from 9 different areas (ex: check out a DVD, check out a audiobook, a new book, etc) to get a black out and when they are done they can turn it in to be entered in a drawing for a prize. They can do this as many times as they like throughout the month of February. I also had a library trivia sheet they could do and turn in for another entry and a library scavenger hunt for different ages to get them to identify the different areas of the library. And I included a guess the # of heart marshmallows in the jar for another entry in the drawing and to win an extra prize. All of the papers are kept on a top of a low table with pencils and slips of paper and an entry box. I also include some books on love on the table to fit the theme.

We do an optional bingo board as part of our SLP. It has the traditional 25 squares with a free center square. Except for two of the remaining squares each square represents checking out a different genre or format or categories like "DVD based on a book". The remaining two squares are 1) donation for the food pantry or the humane society--we provide a wish list for the latter and 2) 10 pennies for our penny jar that sits at the circ desk.

I started a simple activity called the Guesstimation Station. Kids guess how many items are inside a Ball jar placed on a display. They write their estimates, names, phone numbers, and place them in the box. The child with the closest guess wins a book or prize from the hodgepodge of extra SRP stuff we have. I switch out the items monthly. Here's a quick blog post about it if you want a visual.   It's really easy, and I get over 100 kids each month putting in a guess! I didn't know how many would participate, so I was pleasantly surprised the first time I opened the box! The only drawback I have encountered is duplicate entries, which I only count as one participant for statistics purposes.

I started a Pete the Cat reading program which runs through the month. I used the small display case in the lobby to promote the program.  There is also a guessing game. How many buttons are in the jar?  When children sign-up, they receive a reading record and a bookmark.  Upon completion, each child receives a certificate and a pair of shoelaces. I had read somewhere that children today are having a hard time learning how to tie shoes.  So, if a child can show staff that he/she can tie his/her shoes, they also receive a piece of chocolate candy.  We have many children proudly showing us how he/she can now tie their shoes.

A passive program we have had is a “How Many/ Who Do You Recognize?” display (example). We numbered the shadowed characters, made a worksheet, and asked the interested children to complete it. They returned their worksheet to our desk. We picked the most accurate guesses and the winner receiver a bag filled with past reading program prizes (it was a great opportunity to clear out our older stock). Like mentioned above, a disadvantage was checking on the display to make sure pencils and worksheets were available in an orderly fashion.

Stop by my Pinterest Board for more stealthy ideas.

What cool passive or stealth programs are you doing?

What's Great About Passive Programming?

In our class we looked at different types of programs: passive (stealth) programs, DIY programs and active programs. The class discussed some of the positives they see with programs other than active programs.

• Having a mix of programs allows you to provide something that appeals to more people.  Those people who don't bring kids to programs or storytimes but do come in every Saturday morning to check out books have a chance to participate in some type of program (probably passive) without interrupting their routine.  Also, having low maintenance programs like passive and DIY programs can take the pressure off to have more active programs.  If someone asks why you're not having a big active program all the time, you can point to smaller programs that kids can participate in at their own convenience and maybe keep them coming in for more than just a 45 minute program.
• In this same vein, I think passive programs can be a better fit for older children. Although young children at our library love all the programming we provide (or their parents do), we have more trouble reaching older elementary school children. Passive programs seem like a good fit for this group since it allows them to have more agency and they don't have to worry about bringing a friend to every program.
• Passive programs work well for busy families that can not always make to the library to planned programming at a certain time.  They can stop by when it is convenient for them, pick up some books and participate in whatever passive program that is happening while they are there.  I think that active and planned programming is great for families that might be looking social interaction.  It is great with preschoolers and elementary aged children.  It's great for the kids and the parents to interact with each other, plus we can use that time to share our book collection.  Pitfalls for passive programs included keeping the project contained, keeping staff updated on what the program is, and depending on how long the program goes- helping staff remember to encourage patrons to participate.  Pitfalls for active and planned programs would definitely be time constraints for families.  They have so many activities after school and in the evenings.
• I am a full-time librarian and my work desk is the public desk in the children's room. When I'm not doing storytimes, I'm at the desk observing and always asking myself how I could make my department better for every single kid that walks in the door. That being said, I am a firm believer in meeting kids where they are. Some children LOVE a crazy storytime with 20 kids running around (with 20 adults in a 43-capacity room!). Some kids would rather go to the dentist (no offense, dentists!) than participate in a jam-packed, fast moving program. With the different types of programs, we as librarians can meet kids where they are and indulge their unique personalities and interests. If we only did one type of program, a huge chunk of kids would never get the experience of being themselves at the library. I do many DIY programs that are 90% self directed (the 10% being a sign that says "Hey, this is cool! Do it!"). This catches the kids who are not able to attend formal active programs, or kids that have half an hour to hang out while their caregivers print something in the computer lab. I think we as librarians can do ALL OF THE THINGS with a good mixture of programming. :)
• I actually think a mix of active and passive programs are virtually essential for a library to embrace in order to remain financially viable. We started exploring passive programming because we had to. We don't have enough staff to execute traditional "active" programming for all ages on a consistent basis.  But that's not the only reason to do it. Technology has been a game-changer for this generation. Kids are more independent and self-directed. Our culture has fundamentally changed as a result of the internet. I think it's our responsibility to not only help them navigate that world, but to offer relevant programming for a variety of interests. There used to be a more collective experience around "cultural" events: the country stayed home on Thursday nights to watch the Cosby Show or you anxiously listened to hours of the radio to hear that one song you loved. That's not the case anymore. Passive/DIY programming allows libraries to widen the scope of interests. And it allows libraries the chance to quickly adjust to trends. Active programming takes advanced planning and by the time an event comes around, kids may have moved on. I also think it's a really sneaky way to redirect kids to books. I am not a the-library-is-for-reading-books-and-only-reading-books type of person, but I do believe one of the greatest thing I can do for a child is get them to see that reading is FUN. If kids choose reading as a leisure activity, they win life forever. Passive and DIY book-based programming can excite kids and remind them how fun reading is. 
• Passive activities give that shy young reader who is uncomfortable in group activities a chance to participate, entertain children while their parents are using library computers, and introduce “new” books to children and parents.
• Having a mix of programs allows you to provide something that appeals to more people.  Those people who don't bring kids to programs or storytimes but do come in every Saturday morning to check out books have a chance to participate in some type of program (probably passive) without interrupting their routine.  Also, having low maintenance programs like passive and DIY programs can take the pressure off to have more active programs.  If someone asks why you're not having a big active program all the time, you can point to smaller programs that kids can participate in at their own convenience and maybe keep them coming in for more than just a 45 minute program.

6 by 6 Early Literacy Stations

In talking about passive and DIY programming in class, Melendra Sanders from NCKLS in Kansas shared the perfect preschool stations.

I created early literacy stations focused on a specific book. These stations are out in the children's area of the library for 2 months at a time.

For the stations, I would come up with activities that related to at least 5 of the 6 early literacy skills from Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR), although in Kansas it has been rebranded as 6 by 6 which is how we "label" all the activities. Each station has an introduction that explains what the 6 early literacy skills are and how they help children be ready to learn to read when they start school. There is also a description and the materials needed for each activity. The activity descriptions contain information about the individual early literacy skill the activity promotes and simple directions for how to do the activity.

The stations contain a mix of items, such as toys, games, and writing/coloring tools. There are also containers for each activity's materials, so that all the things have a "home" and can be cleaned up or moved easily.

Often stations are planned to coordinate with active programming. For example, Kansas has a Kansas Reads to Preschoolers (KRP) week, and the 6 by 6 station that overlaps with that week always focuses on the KRP book.  

 

This promotes the use of station materials in active programs too. The year the KRP books was Lola Loves Stories, I created a felt board for the 6 by 6 station that had different hats Lola could wear related to specific books she may have read. The kids loved it at the station, and all the storytime librarians used it in one form or another for their storytimes that week.

Here is a sample station for the book Bear in the Air:

6X6: Tell Stories about Everything

Recounting what happened in a book helps your child learn to follow, understand, and tell a story. Knowing how stories work helps a child learn to read because it gives him a better understanding of what he is reading.

Retell the Tale:   Using the map from the end of the book, help your child retell the story by finding the important scenes or characters on the tables.

6X6: Take Time to Rhyme

Rhymes, because they emphasize the individual sounds that make up words, are a great way to help children hear those smaller. Being able to isolate those small sounds helps children when they are learning to read.

Find the Rhyming Words: Find the rhyming words on the sea shell halves and match them to make whole sea shells.

6X6: Talk, Talk, Talk

The more you talk to your child about the everyday events of the day, the large his/her vocabulary will be. Children with large speaking vocabularies learn to read more easily because it is easier to sound out a word that they already know.

Make Lemonade:  Use the lemonade recipe and props help your child make lemonade. Talk about how each ingredient would taste, look, and feel.

6X6: Noticing Print All Around

Helping your child notice the words in the book and how they go along with the illustrations allows her/him to better understand that the print is what you are reading.

Hanging the Laundry:  Match the shirt illustrations and short words to hang them on the laundry line.

6X6:  Look for Letters Everywhere

Noticing different shapes is a first step in recognizing the difference between letters. Sorting activities are great for this skill.

Sort the Shapes:  Help your child place each shape through the correct hold in the bucket. While you’re at it, talk to them about the upper and lower case letters on each shape.

 

6X6:  Look for Letters Everywhere

Learning the letters of the alphabet is more than just singing the ABC song. Children need to recognize that letters are different from each other, that even the same letter can look different as upper and lowercase.

Match the Letters: Help your child put the upper case letters in alphabetical order. Then help him match the lower case letter to the upper case letter.

Advantages:
The patrons love the activities; we have families play with them for hours at a time.
Parents and children are exposed to new books.
Staff get more storytime resources for current and future use.
The program both promotes the early literacy skills and exposes parents to the rationales behind some of the things librarians do that are educational without us having to constantly "talk up" our role in early literacy.
The stations are portable and storable for reuse in the future.

Disadvantages:
They do take planning and effort on a regular basis.
They have to be cleaned up regularly.
Sometimes pieces go missing or get damaged.
Depending on how much staff wants to repurpose items, they could be expensive.

I Need a Die-Cut Machine -Creative Funding

For years, we wanted a die cut machine and dies for the library,  but there was never enough money in the budget.  In 2001, we learned about a printer cartridge recycling program called Funding Factory. 

We advertised throughout the community and since then, have sent in hundreds of used cartridges and in recent years, have sent in old cell phones, laptops, and other devices.  The program is free: FF provides the cartons and mailing labels and when UPS makes a delivery to the library, we can give them a packed carton of cartridges and they ship it free to us.

We earn points for each item we recycle and send and redeem the points for cash. We used the cash to purchase a die cut machine and dies, including an alphabet set and update our selection of dies on a yearly basis using these funds.

This ongoing project has kept  pounds and pounds of technology waste out of the landfill; it has provided a public service to help our residents properly dispose of such waste; we have a die cut machine and dies to use for library bulletin boards and programming; and we offer the use of the die cut machine and dies to the public. It is a "win-win" for everyone!

Luci Bledsoe/Johnson Creek Public Library

Parent University = Powerful Partnerships

A small comment on the discussion boards intrigued the class, so we asked Kelly Allen of Oregon WI to share her experience of this cool way to collaborate!

The school district was planning its first Parent University in 2012. I managed to get the library involved by chance. A local doctor was looking for outreach opportunities and approached me about hosting parenting classes at the Library. I was intrigued but decided to check with my school contact to see what parent education the schools were doing to avoid duplication. That is when I learned about Parent University and how the district would love the library and local doctor’s clinic to help plan it. Now in its second year, we added more school districts, libraries, and healthcare groups to provide experts and to help promote.

The name “Parent University” is not copyrighted or trademarked. You do not need to purchase a kit from a vendor. Many school districts use some variation on the name but structure their program to suit their needs. It reminds me of the summer reading program. Lots of different names and set ups but all have the same purpose. Summer reading is promoting literacy and library use. Parent University is educating parents about important topics and connecting them to local resources.

Parent University in Oregon, WI is a mini-conference for parents of preschool to high school age children. The event is free and open to anyone, even those outside of the district. It is held on a Saturday morning (8:30- Noon) in March when winter sports are ending and spring ones are starting. We host the event at the local intermediate school and use several classrooms for the workshops, the lunchroom for registration and breakfast, and the art room for childcare.

The conference is divided into three sessions that are each an hour long and have 4-6 workshops. Each session has a mix of topics concerning preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school children. Topics include literacy, financial aid, bullying, puberty, sports injuries, mental health, and drug abuse. The workshops are led by an expert in that field (doctors - puberty, librarians - literacy, bullying- guidance counselors). The experts are pulled from the sponsoring school districts, libraries, healthcare organizations, and other community agencies.

We do a few things to encourage parents to attend. We provide a free continental breakfast.Free childcare is provided if you pre register. National Honor Society students help with the child care. Each sponsor provides a door prize. Parents receive a drawing slip for every workshop they attend.

The partnership between the school district, library, and other community agencies is working well for everyone. The event has allowed many of us to create connections with other community groups and now we are working together on projects outside of Parent University.