The Libri Foundation

Are you looking for ways to increase the amount of children's books in your collection? Children can definitely be rough on books causing them to wear down quick. The Libri Foundation, a nationwide non-profit organization will donate children's books to rural public libraries throughout the United States. Check out their site for more information on their BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program.

If your library qualifies to receive free books from this foundation why not start a non-circulating storytime collection. This will help your collection stay in good condition longer, plus you don't have to worry about a book being checked out when you want to use it for a story time!

Blog: The Gaming Zone

The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County in North Carolina is one of the leading libraries in teen services that I know of. I've had the privilege of visiting their Imagine On Center, which is a library dedicated to children's and teen services. They also offer a blog- The Gaming Zone, which discusses all of their gaming programs held at the library. Video gaming may seem like an expensive program at first, but take into consideration purchasing gaming equipment through grant money, donations or book sale and once you have your core equipment and a couple of games you are ready to start having gaming events at your library. Think of gaming as an investment, whether it's a board game, card game, video game, etc. they can be reused again and again as long as they're well taken care of. I recommend taking a look at The Gaming Zone to get an idea on types of gaming events to hold at your library. Keep in mind that all ages enjoy gaming, so talk to your community and find out what type of gaming they are interested in.

Book Suggestions

If you're looking for some specific books to use for children and teen programming try some of these. All can be viewed through Google Books.



Fundamentals of Children's Services By Michael Sullivan

Public Library Youth Services: A Public Policy Approach by Holly G. Willett

Bare Bones Young Adult Services: Tips for Public Library Generalists by Renée J. Vaillancourt




Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults: The Nation's Top Programs By Mary K. Chelton

Story Time Kits

We all know that finding time and enough staff can both be a daunting task. Given the lack of both, we need to learn how to capitalize on the time that we do have. Story time is a popular program for children that is shared by the majority of libraries. Anyone who has prepared for a story time knows that it takes time to plan the program. I'm suggesting that by creating story time kits libraries will have an easier time planning and presenting a program.

The Plan

If you're part of a library system have each branch put together one themed story time kit. Breaking up the work will not only mean spending less time on the task, but will also result in a variety of kits being made.

If you are not part of a library system, create kits when you can. After a period of time, they will add up.

The Kit

Each kit should contain the contents it would take to present a story time. Themed kits would be a great way to start putting kits together. Kits could contain books, songs, flannel board stories, puppets, puppet shows, craft ideas, etc. stored in a labeled tote would make it easy for staff to locate. All staff would have access to a list of kits to request from.

The Purpose

The purpose of each kit would be to provide the library system with options to choose from for story times and not have to worry about finding time to create a whole new story time. Kits could travel from location to location saving staff time while increasing the story time programming options. If a library system is able to work together to share resources, everyone (staff and patrons) would benefit from it.

Does anyone already create kits for their library? What is your process for creating and sharing them?