HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 31, 1996TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
M. Rebecca Loader, Library Director
Marsha Tubbs, Children's Librarian
July 31, 1996
July 1996 Operational Report
PROGRAMS: The Tuesday Programming has been very successful. Attendance totals follow the program title: Gary
Vice, Juggler (138), MN Zoomobile (231), Kit & Kaboodle (134), Rick Ponzio, storyteller (98), and Bobo the clown (169).
Audience response has been very positive regarding all programs. The effectiveness of this type of library programming
can be seen in the increase of library usage during both the summer programs and the Family Night Programs held during
the 1997 fiscal year. Our thanks to those organizations and individuals who have donated funds to continue the tradition.
FUNTIME: We had 49 registrations for our Thursday Summer Storytime and Craft session. Attendance has averaged
24-28. Pi~clie pie by Margie Palatini was a HUGE hit. This month: a parody collection of the Three little pigs, Old
MacDonald's farm, Wizard of Oz, and a couple of Grimm's fairy tales. In the stoW PiClclie pie, the pigs hide from the witch
in chicken costumes. For a Funtime craft the children made chicken heads to wear. They certainly were a lovely flock
of chicken porkers as they posed for pictures after the program.
SUMMER READING CLUB: We have 681 children registered in the Summer Reading Club. Thanks to Anoka County
Parks and Recreation, everyone who has read 15 books has received a pass to the wave pool. Thanks to the Minneapolis
Public Library. The weekly prize drawings here at the library have created a major draw for these program and continue
to bring in late registrations. With he help of the our new volunteer, Kelly and I have managed to provide an excellent level
of service to the public despite the staff shortage of this summer. I firmly believe this would not have been possible without
the aid of these volunteers.
VOLUNTEER PROJECT: We have been utilizing 9 teen volunteers in the Children's Department this summer. Their
worked schedules consisted of 2 - 3 hour shifts, Monday - Thursday. During their shift, they have been registering children
for the Summer Reading Club, distributing prizes, tallying reading record sheet, washing board books and J Fiction,
removing covers from easies (prepping for page mending project), assisting in taping puppet plays for future use, labeling
easies for particular categories ie holiday, Easter, ABC, counting, etc., aiding in establishing a new easy reader collecting,
and crow control at the various programs. They have been a most enjoyable group.
Their infectious enthusiasm coupled with boundless energy, has given me quite a challenge over the last two
months. Keeping them active and interested int he day-to-day library activities has taken a lot of my time and energy.
I believe it has been worth the effort, however, as we have accomplished much this summer and many of these teen have
expressed an interest in continuing as volunteer in the future.
COLLECTION: Anoka County Library established a separate section called easy readers sometime last year. We began
a similar section this summer. Generally I do not believe in separating books by subject/genre type etc. but I have made
two exceptions in the Children's Department the EJ Fiction section (easy junior fiction or beginning chapter books) and
the new easy readers. I made these exceptions because children are in a learning process when it comes to reading I
felt it was necessary to provide them easy access to materials at their reading level.
The EJ Fiction collection consists of beginning chapter books for the transition phase of grade 2-3; when picture
books are of little interest but BIG chapter books appear to be too much to tackle.
The Easy Readers section consists of those books specifically written as "READERS" and designed to teach
reading to children at the K-2 level. We get many requests from parents, teachers, and classes for this type of material.
My hope is that separating these two sections will promote the usage of the entire collection over time and help to present
the "loss" of future readers.
WEEDING: With the help from the volunteers, I have complete weeding the boardbooks and the Easy Readers. Nearly
all boardbooks and readers have been washed and/or recovered and repaired. The pages have been mending frantically.
Replacements have been ordered for worn out copies.
MENDING PROJECTS: We are nearing the end of the easy mending project. If the pages and volunteers continue to
move along at their present clip, we should have this project complete before September.
Overall, the collection is "looking good". There are a few non-fiction sections remaining that will require additional
new materials, but we are finding that we can fill most subject request in-house at this time.
DONATIONS: Immaculate Conception gave the library a sizeable donation for additional books/materials. I spent some
portion of this last month spending these funds for new reference materials in the area of biographies, literature, and world
government; replacement cassettes for worn out filmstrip record albums.
COMING IN AUGUST: Tuesday Programs end YA inventory continues
Planning/preparation for fall ICS class visits
'Begin Caldecott Honor booklists/labeling