Not blogging, unfortunately! Despite my very good intentions to regularly post it’s been a challenge to keep it up. Rather than try wax poetic about pressing issues in the field of children’s librarianship I thought I’d take it easy and give an update on the things I’ve been working on.
But first, I must tell you a threw an Eras themed birthday party and it was magical. OG readers may remember this peanut from many years ago. He’s almost 11!
STEM Kits
Since last summer I’ve been working on a special project to have in-branch lendable STEM kits for a large public library system. I purchased all items, created documentation and procedures to support staff, and assisted in the roll-out phase. This project pushed me to think through a system-wide lens and gave me some project management experience. Do you lend STEM kits at your library? Please let me know what toys and games are a hit! We lend Ozobots, Cubetto, Code and Go Robot Mouse, Cody Blocks, Snap Circuits, Keva Planks, Picasso Tiles, foam dinosaur bones, Clixo, and light boards.
ASL-English Storytimes
My library re-started our bilingual ASL-English storytimes and I am working with a new Deaf storyteller to co-deliver the program. Learning new ASL rhythms, learning more about Deaf culture, and connecting with Deaf and HoH families is a part of my job I really love.
Pro Do Books
A few of my favourite authors have recent books that I am anxiously waiting to get a hold of. Ellen Galinsky, author of the 2010 book Mind in the Making, wrote a book about the adolescence called The Breakthrough Years. As someone with an almost 13-year-old this could not have come at a better time. Cal Newport, whose writing on deep work I have written about before, recently released Slow Productivity, a topic I really want to write more about as I continue to learn about slow librarianship.
Training Support
How does your library train new youth services staff? In the next few months I’ll be working on a project to create materials to support new information staff. Anyone have a robust training plan already in place they’d care to share? My inbox is always open.
What are you working on right now? What is giving you all the positive feels?
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