Author Visits

I have had the opportunity to put my logistics skills to use this past November as youth services planned for a Marc Brown visit offsite. We usually have onsite author visits, but the interest was so astounding a bigger venue was suggested. The character cutouts were also my suggestion as a way to build interest int he children's area before the event and a selfie station at the event itself.

During the event I was a runner, ensuring people got breaks again, everything was covered and things went smoothly. I also had the idea for the glasses for the selfie station.

I have experience assisting in author events at the library as well in adult, youth and the annual author fair. I have learned about these event logistics not only from helping with them, but from attending them at other libraries and being able to see both sides.

Story Times

This is my second month at Marion reading Dragons Love Tacos to over 100 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. While I may only sub in at story times, I have facilitated them in the past. During my internship I ran a weekly preschool one and during 2013-2015, I ran a preschool one as well as subbed in whenever necessary. I have done a few outreach story times as well. I may not be good at singing, but am always willing to be on the floor, dance my sillies out and make silly voices for children.

Staff Development Day

The past 2 years, I have been on the planning committee for Staff Development Day. I have helped construct the schedule, plan the flow and even suggested the fun activities. I presented this past one on serving teens as well as nonverbal communication and customer service.

I utilized my awesome messy art skills and lead the staff in two groups in a paint pour.  Since it is a program the library does often for adults, but many staff have not had the opportunity to participate in. It is interesting to see the train of thought and amount of work that goes into a staff training day.

Teen volunteers & Teen Advisory Board

Since kicking off the Teen Volunteer program in January of 2019, I have always had a handful of regular volunteers. Some graduate, a few more replace them. A sports season starts, another one ends.
It has been an interesting learning experience to navigate teen volunteers, find regular tasks for them, ensure they stay interested and feel valued.

I am able to organize schedules, ensure the correct staff know they are coming if I am not there as well as let staff know to come to me with tasks for the teens. I have been able to build some great relationships with these teens and they communicate with me, always feeling comfortable emailing me when they cannot attend a shift. I have even been references for  a few of them for jobs. 

The teen advisory board has been less successful, but I am looking at different nights/times to see how to cultivate a passionate group of teens.

Summer Reading Club

Summer Reading is the ultimate whirlwind. Two months of constant activity, programs, outreach and chaos. Over the past 3 summers, I have aided in the streamlining of the Marion SRC program.

My first summer, I suggested putting the prize books out and center on a book cart by the Children's desk (where they have to check-in anyways) and divvy it up by age. The idea worked well and was kept.

This past year instead of random drawings, kids could use tickets based on time read and choose which prizes they wanted to enter for. It made everything easier. The boxes were labeled with the theme and approximate age for the prize.

Teen programming does slow down in the summer for me, but I always try to do a handful including an after-hours program so the teens have something special. My first summer it was an after-hours mini-golf where the entire first floor of the library was turned into a mini-golf course.

It was fun to plan the holes, collaborate with my colleagues since I was so new and learn not only their strengths, but mine as well.

I have learned that teen attendance drops dramatically in the summer. Maybe since they cannot walk from school, maybe because they have jobs or cannot get a ride, but art programs thrive in summer,

The few teens that do attend these programs enjoy getting messy and being creative.

My favorite part of Summer Reading is how Youth Services comes together for a common goal, and all of the little goals. All of youth services and even a few of adult services helped me decorate for my after hours dance party this past summer. An adult services colleague was the one to help me at kickoff with the slime program when it got chaotic. Two circulation colleagues assisted in manning the bouncy houses during finale. It is so refreshing to all be headed towards the same goal and sometimes that can get lost in the day-to-day, but SRC always seems to bring out the best in the library as well as the most amazing creativity.

Slime & Chaos

Shortly after I started at Marion, I decided to learn how to make slime, it was popular with the tweens that came to my programs and seems like a fun and messy concoction to make.  Teens were a nice start as well because they are more independent with crafting and can mix, pour and measure on their own.

This spiraled out into successful family fun nights, kids programs, branch programs and outreach programs.  I now am the slime master and have a dozen slime recipes in my repertoire, while still experimenting with new ones.

Glow slime is every October. I conduct a family fun night, a teen program, 3 branch programs and usually an outreach one at Boys & Girls Club for the teens. In October 2018, over 300 people attended my glow slime program at the main branch, we were unprepared for that number of people, ran out of all supplies, but rolled with the chaos and learned from it. This past October we were prepared for that many people, but thankfully only about half that number attended.

It is amazing that such a simple recipe and trend has been so long standing and popular. I sometimes bring down the supplies for teen time and they are all on it. Sometimes experimenting themselves.

This past SRC kickoff, our preformer cancelled the morning of. I threw on my apron and did the slime craft for over 200 kids with only 1 staff member to help. I have learned to roll with the chaos. I have also learned to demand help when I need it. As this past October I was able to have 3 staff and 1 volunteer helping me, instead of just the 2 staff members I had for the chaotic slime program. 

I have learned how to organize chaos, "fix" broken slime and ponder how to make the chaos better, sometimes it's simple, like room layout or timing. 

Teen Programming / Teen Time / Outreach

So every week, twice a week I have teen time after school. Teens can come and play games, do homework, create, and sometimes there is a planned craft / activity. Upon starting as a teen librarian, I was able to get the funding for a supply of games which have gone over well. I relish that I have formed relationships with so many teens and tweens. Some may not come for teen time, but just to stop in, tell me about their day and then leave, but I am happy to be that person.

I have learned that sometimes it is the simple things when working with teens, they love jenga and stacking cups and drawing and talking. The enjoy doing things with their hands. 

Teens also enjoy anything to do with food, pictured is the caramel apple program. I have also done a chocolate Olympics, DIY ice cream, gingerbread house design and cake pop programs. I also facilitated providing snacks for teen times.

I am responsible for teen outreach and have cultivated relationships with the schools, YMCA and Boys &Girls Club of Marion County. I visit B&G Club monthly, the Y on school breaks and the school intermittently.

I am passionate about programming at our part-time branches. I have spearheaded a lot of youth programming at each of them (the slime is especially popular) and have opened it up to programming committee to ensure at least 1 program a month happens at each branch. Sometimes such as this month I did plan a Hot Cocoa story time, but delegated it to another of the youth staff.

Collaboration is something I have learned a lot about by being on the Youth Services Team. One of my colleagues is taking over my Thursdays in the spring for his teen DnD group and I don't look at it as losing something, I look at it as more opportunities for planning and outreach. We are reaching different teens with the group than my programs and I am thrilled!