Why Dream Big Read Is a Great Theme!

This year's theme for the Collaborative Summer Library Program Dream Big Read is a fantastic theme for children. Every sumer program has one goal which is to encourage youngsters to read. This year's theme fulfills that goal in several different ways. It can be viewed as universal, personal, magical, musical, inspirational, attainable, and remarkable. For each of these descriptive adjective there are ways to help children discover a passion for reading and their dreams. Dream Big is a universal message. It appeals to every child, young, old, rich or poor. Children are natural dreamers. They see the possibilities of fantastic tales and accepts them without question. Not only that, they see the value in dreaming. Every child around the world has dreams and it is something that makes us unique and yet similar as humans. To introduce this year's theme, provide bookmarks that remind patrons that dreaming is a pastime in every country. At the same time that dreams are universal, they are also very personal. For each child dreaming is easy but each dream is different. One way that libraries can tap into this natural gift of dreaming is to encourage children to share their dreams at the library. Bulletin boards are a natural place to display these dreams. In bold letters in the middle of the blue board place the words, "I dream of ...." On 3x5 cards, invite children with help from parents to write down what dreams they have. Remind children that no dream is too big or too small. Dreams come in all sizes. Dreams can be magical. They invite every child to look upon a star and make a wish for a dream to come true. That is exactly what Disney taps into every time they produce a movie. Cars that talk. Toys that come to life. Fairies that flutter around Never Never Land. These are all examples of magical worlds that take the child to places where dreams become reality. For a family story time hour librarians can choose books and crafts that embrace this magic. Begin and end the story time with the catchy little verse, "Starlight, Star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might have this dream I dream tonight." There are many songs, perhaps too many to count, that speak about dreams. One activity that is quick, easy and cost effective is a quiz that families can take to challenge their memories. This can be one on the website or as handouts at the reference desk. Find ten to fifteen popular songs about dreams. For each of these songs write down one line which contains the word "dream". Challenge your patrons to write down the name of the song in which this line is song. For example, a librarian could use this line, "Merrily, merrily, life is but a dream." Everyone should know that this line is from the classic children's rhyme, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." For every quiz that is filled out a child could win a sticker, bookmark, or candy. Lives of famous people often inspire readers to dream big. For older children, challenge them to read one biography of someone who had big dreams and made them come through hard work, never giving up and believing in their dreams. It is without a doubt that every librarians knows of at least one child that comes into the library wanting to know more about their favorite sports figure. They dream of one day becoming like their heroes and playing professional sports. In other words, inspire young patrons to find out how to make their dreams a reality. Reading how others have achieved their goals is not only inspirational but makes the dream attainable. Speaking of attainable, one craft that is easy to do with children as young as six to teens is making a dream catcher. Native Americans have long had the traditions of ensnaring bad dreams in the net so that they disappear at the light of day. While good dreams pass through the net allowing for a peaceful night for the dreamer. Dreams can be memorable and might even fall into the category of remarkable. Where else but in fiction can elephants fly, robots take over the world or flights beyond the galaxy are made possible. In works of fiction there is the ability of making the impossible become a reality. For example, readers have loved Jules Verne's and H.G. Wells' tales of science fiction that in their day seemed impossible. Time machines, submarines and other mechanical devices conjured up in the mind take readers to a place and time where everything is possible. It is remarkable what the mind can dream and achieve. Granted the time machine has not become a reality yet, but as long as there are dreamers the possibility of creating one that works still exists. This year's theme is full of possibilities. It's tempting to sit back and dream of all the wonderful activities that are possible. However, time is of the essence. Mow it's time for librarians to stop dreaming about their programs and get to work on showcasing the library as a place where dreams come to life!

Dare Patrons To Go Between The Covers

It is kind of ironic that the big news in adult fiction is censoring "Fifty Shades of Gray" when this year's Adult Summer Reading program's theme is "Between The Covers". Sometimes fate just happens to makes the statement that everyone thinking but dares not say out loud. So the book has smoking, sex, dirty words and a many things that may offend sensible people. The first question that should pop into a librarian's mind is, "Are we reading this book to children during story time?" Of course not! Hop on Pop is much more fun to read! Seriously, there seems to be an attempt to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Between the Covers theme presents the perfect opportunity to explore titles that have been "forbidden" or "shocking". It may be a surprise to some that Uncle Tom's Cabin was considered a novel of ill repute. Some others titles that are in good company with Stowe's tome are Gone with the Wind, Ulysses, Doctor Zhivago, and Alice in Wonderland. Yes, dear old Alice caused quite a stir in her day and yet here now Carroll's work is known as a classic. Will Fifty Shades of Gray follow suit ast a classic? Who knows, but the media attention about the book is helping it get noticed. A unique summer reading program for adults could include "scandalous" titles as a suggested reading list along with a book talk. Of course, that's the tried and true idea. However, with a little bit of networking and planning a spark of excitement can make an evening program memorable. For example, contacting a college/university English to speak on the history of banned books could is a wonderful opportunity for the colleges and public libraries work together. Another possibility is a costume party. Some libraries have held fundraisers inviting their guests to dress up as their favorite characters from a banned book. It makes for an interesting party night and the money raised for the library is an added bonus. Last but certainly not least, libraries can hold a "dare" program through their website. The object of creating a "I dare you to ..." webpage is to encourage readers to read a book that they may not have picked up on their own. Once the readers have read the book that the librarian (or another patron) has dared them to read, they can then leave a comment on the I Dare page to give their opinion of the book. It can be something as simple as, " I dared to read Fifty Shades of Gray and I'm shocked that I actually liked it." This could bring traffic to the library's website, which could lead to patrons exploring what other events are planned at the library. It's going to be an interesting summer of reading for adults. Who knows what lies between the covers? The reader who dares to look between the covers will not only know what lies there but will be able to make an informed "opinion" about a literary work instead of listening to a second hand account. After all, that is what censorship is about. Listening to one's person's opinion about a piece of work and not bothering to find out for yourself if the opinion is shared or shattered. Be brave! Go boldly between the covers! When you are done with one "adventure", local libraries will be waiting to help you find the next one.

DREAM BIG READ ALL SUMMER LONG

This year's Collaborative Summer Library Program theme is Dream Big. Which is very appropriate for libraries all across the country. Seriously, if there were ever a time that libraries needed to dream big, it is now. Too many libraries are experiencing budget cuts, staff layoffs and less hours. Yet this inspiring theme brings librarians back to square one with their young readers and reminds everyone that libraries are the perfect place to dream big dreams. All hope is not lost, so as the strong advocates of reading all summer long, librarians will plan programs that will fill the summer months, but the memories will last long after the little ones are back in school. What should creative libraries do for Dream Big... Read. Well, the ideas are endless but as the theme says, read. That is read further in this blog. Summer Reading Programs don't always have to go along with the CSLP, but this year's theme is just too wonderful to pass up. This is due in part that all children dream. (Don't let the secret out, but so do some adults.) They dream of hitting a home run in the big league, or becoming a world class ballerina or some just dream of a tree house where everyone in the neighborhood hands out. All dreams are important, whether they are big or small. All paths to dreams and how to make them come true can easily be found in the library. With this in mind it is never too early to think of ways to entice children to participate in the summer long programs. It's as easy as giving them a sneak peak to the summer's events. One way to give a hint but not spoil the surprise is to place clues around the library to see if children can piece together what the theme is for this year. For example, pictures of night skies, stars, and other items that are related to dreams. Once the children have found the pictures (four or five) have them fill out a form that asks them what they believe all the pictures have in common. If they get it right, the library could provide a small gift such as a sticker, pencil or piece of candy. Another activity that might take some time, and a little bit of money but it may worth the effort in order to grab children's attention and interest in coming to the library during he summer. Have a craft day before summer where each child could make a dream catcher. Once the dream catchers are made, ask the children if the staff could hang the catchers in the library. Most children will enjoy having their work of art on display. Once the library is decorated, a sign can be placed at the check out desk "Catch your dream at the Library this Summer." If this doesn't generate questions and interest, it would be very surprising. Last but not least, if a librarian wants to generate a "buzz" simply place the word "Dream" all around the library. Patrons who notice the signs will begin to wonder about the placement of the word in the library. When the questions begin to come, answering them will be as easy as, "stay tuned, it's coming this summer." It's a little bit of sneaky way of getting interest,but it's all in fun. The purpose of Summer Reading programs is not to fill the days with long reading assignments. (If it were, kids would take off faster than a tornado.) Have fun with the theme. If the librarians are having fun, the children will too. So get a little creative, but by all means get started EARLY. Children are already DREAMING about summer vacation. Why not help them find their dreams a the library!

Summer Reading Programs --- One World, Many Stories, One Awesome Summer

What makes summer reading programs fun and exciting for everyone involved is the anticipation for what this summer will bring. The themes pave way for creative juices to flow out of the imaginations of librarians and into the hearts of young readers. Without a doubt there is a magic that cannot be duplicated any other time of the year. Any library can have a successful summer program, but it takes a "superhero" librarian to make it extra special. Here are a few tips to make the summer program a smash hit and make your director delighted.

Planning is everything. If there isn't a good plan, there is no fun. The best way to plan programs in the youth services area is to have a little bit of something for everyone. For example, plan on two programs for each age level and one program that is for the entire family. The age levels can be separated into four reading levels: Baby/Toddler, Preschool through Kindergarten, Independent Readers and Tweens/Teens. If the library has the time and money, which are both nice luxuries these days, splitting the tweens and teens is not a bad route to follow. The program for the entire family is typically the finale of the summer. Sprinkled in with the programs are various activities that will keep the children coming all summer long.

This year's theme offers a wonderful opportunity to explore different cultures. The ideas for programming and activities are endless. Having said that, librarians should not go it alone when planning every program. If money is available, hire someone to do one or two programs for you. One such group to consider is The Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is a group of fine actors who occasionally travel to libraries to do live performances. These talented actors first began their company with performances in Sign Language. However, they have started to perform plays in Spanish and English. It is a treat to hear a play in both languages and along the way the audience can't help but learn a few words here and there. They are energetic and entertaining to say the least.

If money is an issue, and for some libraries it is, consider asking your teens to do a reader's theater for the youngsters that come to the library. This is a perfect way to get teens involved and get "cheap" actors to perform. If done right, children and parents will enjoy watching the teens hone their acting skills. It is one of the win-win scenario that gets everyone into a festive, community feeling.

Once the programs are in place, the next step is advertising. Patrons who have come out for last year's summer program will be ready to return for another two months of fun. Invite them back and ask them to bring a friend or two. Attach an incentive for them to do so, like winning a free book or receive a bookmark. Also, reaching out to the local schools, government departments and businesses is key to finding new "readers' for the program. It's not a bad idea to ask local dignitaries to do a PSA to record on the city's cable stations announcing how they love their libraries and love summer reading programs.

The various activities for children to participate in can range from a picture scavenger hunt to reading records to complete in order to qualify for grand prizes at the end of summer. Reading records can be as simple as having a child write down the books they have read or glitzy with a maze for the readers to follow to the end by coloring each box for every time they read a book for 20 minutes per day. The more the child reads the more chances they have in winning the grand prize. One of the best things to do for these readers, is to provide them with a reader's advisory list of books that highlight the summer's theme.

This is just the beginning of a successful reading program. There is still so much more to share. Throughout the next couple of weeks, ideas for this year will be presented. Feel free to use them, share them and comment back on how they worked at your library. This summer's program will be a trip to remember. Hm... could be that a vacation won't be necessary, the stories will carry our readers to where ever their little hearts desire.

Saving Our Libraries

Dealing with the dominoes effect in the current economic climate is very had to do, yet it is something that all libraries are dealing with in form or another. Either it’s facing budgets that target staffing, hours of operation , collection development, or all of the above. These times are nothing short of stressful, but it does not have to be bleak. There is nothing like a crisis that points out the obvious problems, which forces the hand to finally deal with it in a positive way. Recently on Twitter I read a post by an irritated library advocate that in Chicago the Fox Affiliate questioned the use of tax dollars to support libraries. Before we go knocking Fox News for presenting this lame piece of journalism for viewers consumption, why not admit that they are actually voicing an opinion that is becoming common among city board members? Is it not possible that taxpayers, who are voting down mileages are thinking the same way? The question remains what can librarians do to save libraries? Plenty, but first it is time to stop the exaggerated reports of our demise.

We are all fortunate to live in an age where communication is quick and hopefully to the point. Social media has opened up an entire new world of reaching out to new and old friends. This can be a good thing or in some cases bad in any case no one can deny that it is a new tool that should be used, and used often. Who can tell the stories of libraries better than librarians? Don't get me wrong, it would be silly not to use patrons support. Having said that, try an experiment in your library, or even with your own family ask them what is the purpose of the library? Don't be surprised if the answers are all the same: lend out books. This is where librarians need to begin educating society. Libraries are not just about books, they are about people.

Libraries hold more than just stories stored in books or in electronic forms, but the stories come from patrons who walk through the doors of the library on a daily basis. Some looking for work, some looking for story hours, and some still look for the poor man's university as Lincoln did in his day. Yes, libraries are timeless. So why the move to close them? One of the disadvantage to living in a capitalist based society is that the bottom line where it concerns dollars and cents are always important. Don't misunderstand, there is much good that comes from capitalism, such as entrepreneurship, (and libraries play a huge role there too) but when budgets are tight something has to be cut. Libraries must find a way to keep the ax from falling on their resources, or find their independence from government budgets to avoid the ax all together. Both routes require lots of work, yet working the two ideas together may be what saves libraries in the end.

The fist step is always hardest to take. As a community of professional leaders in libraries, it is important to recognize the first step and take it together. For those who are willing to be the advocate that libraries desperately need, it is important to work together to formulate our visions and ideas for libraries. It is a shame when others who have no idea of the value of a library define our profession and libraries for us. If this trend continues, surely libraries will fade away. For far too long, the bookstores have been redesigning themselves to be the libraries that everyone loved. In addition, there are multitudes of vendors who will sell the latest customer self-serve gadgets to libraries with the sales pitch that this is what library patrons want. The idea is out there that libraries our obsolete. It is up to us to prove that idea false and be the master of our own destiny. Perhaps it's time to form a non-profit group that does just that.