Children's Library 2012-2013 Annual Report

7/27/2019 Children's Library 2012-2013 Annual Report

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Childrens Library Annual Report 2012-2013

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The child amidst his baubles is learning the action of light,motion, gravity, muscular force.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)

Emerson recognized what researchers and educators are now quantifying with data and best-selling

parenting books: play is important! Whether it is toddlers in storytime

pretending to march like dinosaurs, young artists creating collages inspiredby a recent book discussion, or a group of fifth graders collaborating on a

film project, the Childrens Library is a place where kids of all ages canplay, explore, and learn.

Special InitiativesEach year the childrens librarians set goals for programming, services, andcollection development. This year, three new initiatives grew out of those

goals:

Free PlayPlaytime is part of every baby and toddler storytime at Darien Library.

The librarians offer instruments, blocks, or other sensory toys and

model play techniques for the development of early literacy skills.

This yearPlay Kits debuted in the Toddler Room. These themedkits contain age-appropriate toys that stimulate imaginative play. For

example, the Kitchen Kit contains plastic pots and pans and feltfood. Young children delight in turning the Toddler Room into a

restaurant or kitchen.

S.T.E.M. Takes RootWhile literacy and lifelong learning are still primary goals of the public library, the childrenslibrarians recognize that left-brain skills such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

(S.T.E.M.) are just as important. With this in mind, the Childrens Libraryamped up its S.T.E.M. offerings this year, going so far as to identify S.T.E.M.

programs with a special new logo. From biology programs about the LongIsland Sound to Stop-Motion Animation workshops, children at Darien Library

were able to flex their S.T.E.M. skills throughout the year.

A Non-Fiction Collection for the 21

st

CenturyBeginning with the picture book reorganization that took place in 2009, theChildrens Library has continued to rethink traditional collection developmentand build patron-centered collections. This year saw the reorganization of the

Childrens Non-Fiction collection into 10 browse-able, more easily perusedsections. The new system, called Dewey-Lite, makes discovering non-fiction

books for children and parents much simpler and more enjoyable.Programs and Series

Thenewmagneticplaywallinthe

ToddlerRoom.

Simplewoodenblocks:oneofthebest

earlychildhoodtoys.

New&ImprovedNon-Fiction!


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Stormtroopers,DarthVader,and

PrincessLeia!

The Childrens Library offers programs for children between the ages of zero to twelve, as well asspecial events for parents and caregivers. On average, the Childrens Library is host to anywhere

between fifteen to twenty-five programs per week. Special programs this year included:

Author & Illustrator VisitsThis year the Childrens Library hosted Bruce Coville, the legendary author of more than 100

childrens novels; Adam Gidwitz, the author of the wildly popular booksA Tale Dark & Grimm andIn a Glass Grimmly; picture book creators Bob Shea and MelissaGuion; and Nutmeg Nominee authorWendy Mass. After the

visit by Adam Gidwitz, one mom wrote in an email to LouiseBerry, I just wanted to say another thank you for the visit from

Adam. A week later and my children are still talking aboutit.citing word-for-word parts of his presentation. He was

wonderful and they both got so much out of it! Thank you again.

CelebrationsOne of the most popular celebrations this year was the very firstStar Wars Reads Day, attended by over 100 excited kids andPhotos from the event can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/pu2hv5a.

For the second year in a row, the Stuffed Animal Sleepover was a

huge hit. Photos were taken throughout the night and uploaded toTwitter and the Library website. Parents and kids delighted in

joining in on the fun from home. An online photo album is availableat http://tinyurl.com/koqjzkp.

The Annual Harold W. McGraw, Jr.Birthday Party honors the

beloved benefactor and dearfriend of Darien Library, Harold W. McGraw, Jr. With the generoussupport of Harolds daughter and Library Trustee, Sue McGraw,

each child was given a special bookplate for a brand new picturebook for the Library. The McGraw Family also donated a beautiful

bronze sculpture that once sat in Mr. McGraws study.

Other exciting celebrations included the annual Nutmeg @Night trivia event, the second annual Take Your Child to the

Library Day, and the first Family Read-In at Darien Library.

SeriesThe annual winter technology series, The Digital Family, offered hands-on workshops for parents,technology education classes for children, and many opportunities to explore gadgets and gizmos.

The 21 Things for 21st

Century Parentsprogramwas offered for the third year in a row. This yearsseries also included some new offerings such as a TEDXDarien video series, a Start Your Own

Website or Blog Workshop, a Tumblr for Parents class, and a Stop-Motion Animation workshop forkids. The Childrens Library also partnered with YWCA Parent Awareness to bring speakers from

Children Online to talk with parents about online safety.

BobSheateacheskidshowtodraw.

KrishnaGradyposeswiththesculptureonce

ownedandtreasuredbyMr.McGraw.


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Throughout April and May, the Childrens Library hosted a new

series: One World, Many Cultures. This series offeredchildren a chance to explore the language, dance, and stories of

faraway places. Programs included a colorful Holi celebration, avisit by the Connecticut Ballet featuring dance from Spain, Peru,

and Brazil, a Mexican Folk Art class, and a Foreign Film seriesfor children.

The largest and most widely anticipated series of the year is

Summer Reading. This years theme was Double-O Darien, aplay on the famous code name for James Bond. The summertime events and weekly spy quests

involved secret codes, master disguises, and mystery-solving. Anew summer reading website was revealed, sponsored by the

Connecticut State Library and The Institute for Museum andLibrary Services. The website allowed children to create spy

aliases, log reading time, review books, and see what other kids

were reading. Over 1,600 children participated in SummerReading, a 27% increase over last year.

CollaborationsFor several years, the Childrens Library has enjoyed a strong relationship with YWCA Parent

Awareness, bringing high-quality and well-attendedprogramming to the parents of Darien. This year highlights

included a screening ofHead Games, a documentary

focused on the concussion crisis in American sports.

In partnership with YWCA Parent Awareness, Darien

Athletic Foundation, and the Life Solution Center ofDarien, speakerJamie Nabozny visited Darien Library

in March. Mr. Nabozny is a member of the Speak Truth to Power organization founded by the RobertF. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

In partnership with the Darien Public Schools, the Childrens Library hosted a panel discussion

entitled Common Core and Literacy: What Parents Need to Know. The panel includedrepresentatives from the school district as well as Kiera Parrott, who spoke directly to how Darien

Library helps support the new educational standards.

It was with a heavy heart that the childrens librarians learned of the school shooting in Newtown lastDecember. The Library hosted open discussion sessions for parents facilitated by licensed

therapists from Family Centers in Darien, the Life Solution Center of Darien, and Child Guidance.Outreach

Culturalliteracy,anincreasinglyimportant

skill,waslearnedthroughart,music,and

dancethisspring.

AcoupleofkidspiesposewithAgentWimpy.

JamieNaboznyspokepowerfullyaboutbullying.


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KieraParrott(bottomright)withthe2013Caldecott

Committee.

From preschool story sharing, to PTO talks, to district-wide booktalking, the librarians are alwayseager to spread the work of Darien Library into the wider community. This year saw the number of

outreach visits double since the previous year. Special outreach events over the past year included anevening at the Tokeneke World Fair, a Booktalking Sneak Peakover cookies and tea for the local

school librarians, and numerous scout visits and tours.

The largest outreach effort is Booktalking, which takes place everyMay and June. The childrens staff visited every child in kindergarten

through eighth grade, sharing the best books of the year. LibrarianMarian McLeod also organized the first everHomeschool Booktalking

event. Just like their public and private school counterparts, thehomeschooled children were delighted to hear about the librarian-

recommended titles.

In April, the childrens library staff collaborated with members fromalmost every department to create a Gangnam Style parody video.

What may have seemed like just a bit of fun (and it certainly was)

turned out to be a library-viral sensation. Viewed thousands of timesby librarians all over the world, the video went on to win a PublicityAward from the Connecticut Library Association. The video, in all its glory, may be viewed at

http://vimeo.com/53440355.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. FellowshipAfter an intensive, nation-wide search for the best recent library school graduate, Krishna Gradywas named as the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Fellow on July 1, 2012. Krishna quickly immersed herself

into the fast-paced culture of the Childrens Library. One of her mostsuccessful projects thus far has been the creation of an Early Literacy Video.

Entitled Darien Rhymes, the video features members of the childrens

library staff explaining key early literacy practices and modeling how to sharebooks, songs, and play experiences with young children. The video may beviewed at http://www.darienlibrary.org/kids/rhymes.

Professional Development and ContributionsMembers of the Childrens Library are sought-after committee members, guest speakers and panelistsfor various regional and national library association

conferences. This year, several staff members representedDarien Library with distinction.

Krishna Grady was named an Emerging Leader by the

American Library Association (ALA), Claire Moore servedon the School-Age Programs and Services Committee,

and Kiera Parrott was a member of the 2013 CaldecottCommittee.

ClaireMoorevisitsakindergartenclass.

KrishnaGradygetsreadyfor

ToddlerTales.


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Claire Moore, Elisabeth Gattullo, and Kiera Parrott are all monthly contributors to the ALSC

(Association for Library Service to Children) Blog. Claires blog posts focus on programming forschool-aged children, Elisabeth writes about film adaptations of childrens books, and Kieras blog

posts concern collection development for both print and digital materials.

As part of Autism Awareness Month in April, Kiera Parrott presented a webinar for library staffacross the state of New Jersey. Also in April, Claire Moore presented at the Computers in Libraries

annual conference in Washington, D.C., sharing the innovative work being done at Darien Library inour Digital Family series.

PersonnelWhile is often hard to say goodbye to our fellow staffmembers- who are more like great friends or family

members than coworkers- like any family, we take greatpride in the accomplishments of our colleagues and

support them as they spread the unique Darien Library

vision to the wider world.

At the end of the year, Marian McLeod left to take a

position as the Lower and Middle School Librarian atCovent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich. Marian was

instrumental in strengthening relationships with thelocal school librarians and expanding the overall outreach mission of the Childrens Library. Marian

has remained as a part-time substitute on occasional evenings and weekends in the ChildrensLibrary, much to the delight of both children and staff!

It was with great excitement that Amy Laughlin stepped into

Marians role. Amy, like Marian before her, began at Darien Libraryas an intern and moved on to become a part-time library assistant.

Her strong customer service instincts, facility with emergingtechnology, and creative ideas made Amy a perfect fit as the newest

full-time Childrens Library team member.

The 2012-2013 Childrens Library By the Numbers:Circulation of Childrens Materials: 281,116

Program Attendance: 22,819Reference Questions: 24,747Readers Advisory Questions: 3,908

Participants in the Summer Reading Program: 1,606

Donningrabbitearsandmakingfunnyfaces:justa

typicalnine-to-fiveintheChildrensLibrary.

AmyLaughlin,thenewestfull-timechildrens

librarian,readstotheBookworms.

Children's Library 2012-2013 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of Children's Library 2012-2013 Annual Report