Additional resources to help you plan will be coming soon.
CORRECTIONS: Errors were discovered on the "Book/Audio Review" handouts found on page 60 and 61 of the Adult Manual. Updated pages can be found here, or on the "2019 Program Corrections"
section of the CSLP website. Page
60 Book/Audio Review [pdf] Page
61 Critica de libros/audio [pdf]
Website Housekeeping
by Karen Day
You may have noticed that the CSLP website has a slightly different appearance. The CSLP staff has been doing some “housekeeping” in an attempt to make the site a little more user friendly and easier for everyone to find what they are looking for.
The one big difference you will see once you are logged into the CSLP website home page is the tool bar now says
MANUAL DOWNLOADS instead of the previous Propriety Downloads category. If any librarian is looking the 2019 state manual code or the 2019 manual, please direct them to this tab.
Also, for our 4 partial states, the membership information can be found under Membership & Information on the Join CSLP tab.
Take a few minutes to leisurely review the CSLP website. If you can’t find what you are looking for or you find any broken links, please let the CSLP staff know so we either help you find what you are looking for or we can correct any errors on the website.
Bagpipers Rock!
The
Massillon Public Library, Massillon, OH had a treat for the entire town when librarian Darci Saunier invited professional bagpiper
Stephen Holter to the library. Playing on the front lawn of the library he could be heard all over town! Passing cars pulled over, and people walking down the street stopped and listened. It was great!
Musical Storytimes, Rocking Puppets, and a Twisted Parody!
The "Libraries Rock" theme was a perfect fit for two of the programs offered at the
Denton Public Library, Denton, TX this summer. Librarian Kerol Harrod said that their Bring-a-Blanket Storytime, a program done in partnership with the Denton County Office of History and Culture, brought about 300 of
their closest friends out for a celebration of songs, books, and audience participation.
The library also participated in the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival with their Music Mania Storytime event. The event featured songs, singing stories from books, and plenty of puppets.
Finally the library produced a parody of Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" with the lyrics changed to "Libraries Rock" Check it out!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCTyfTQqOfA
Enter the Music Wall!
Children's Librarian Janet Frye, of the Herrick Memorial Library, Wellington, OH had a wonderful idea this summer and invited two steel drummers from Akron University. The drummers made some great music on a Music Wall. The Music Wall was created with help from
some young volunteers and was placed outside the library during the month of July for everyone to make music on and enjoy!
Did you have a program that brought a little music (or actual rocks) to the world this summer? Please send your photos
and any informative details to Luke Kralik at: luke.kralik@cslpreads.org I would love to share them in our newsletter.
Ashley M. Biggs, Outreach Librarian, Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
January is National Braille Literacy Month. It is a single month set aside to celebrate both the birth of an accessible reading and writing method for those with visual impairments and the birth of its creator, Louis Braille. So much like other commemorative
months, National Braille Literacy Month brings attention to the importance of Braille in education and libraries. It is important for us, as librarians, to share the impact that Braille has beyond simply reading.
Pro-literacy advocates and libraries have often cited studies that have linked functional illiteracy with low paying careers and unemployment (1). Much the same way libraries promote traditional print literacy as a gateway to education, employment, and life-long
success; libraries should promote Braille literacy to working-age adults (21-64) with visual impairments. Statistics from 2017 show that 70% of working-age adults with significant vision loss are not employed or are not employed full time (2). For the 28%
who are employed full time, Braille plays a pivotal role. A 1996 study revealed that the ability to read and write in Braille is linked to a higher rate of employment (3).
While it would be impractical of libraries to carry full Braille collections, promoting Braille literacy can be done easily and without much cost; through partnerships and collaborative educational events, Braille literacy can be promoted year round and in
conjunction with other system-wide promotions. Examples of collaborative/promotion events include but are not limited to:
Incorporating Braille into existing youth and adult programming;
Partnering with local chapters of visual impairment groups (National Federation of the Blind, American Council of the Blind, Foundation for Fighting Blindness, etc.) to host
inclusive and collaborative events on Braille education and Braille tutorials for older adults; and
Connecting with the local Department of Education to host educational events about the importance of Braille literacy for children with visual impairments.
While it is true that audiobooks and screen readers have taken the place of Braille in some situations, Braille literacy is still a pivotal tool for librarians to promote. It is important to promote as many literacy media as possible, if not for the simple
reason that it promotes inclusivity, diversity, and equal access.
Increasingly,
public libraries are feeding hungry bodies as well as hungry minds during the summer – and throughout the year. The CSLP’s ad hoc Child and Community Well-Being committee is developing resources to support and encourage library participation in the USDA’s
Summer Food Service Program and other initiatives to help kids and teens stay nourished, active, and healthy when school is out. These resources include the
Libraries and Summer Food page on the CSLP website, manual resources and downloadables for upcoming programs, and a series of stories showcasing the experiences of libraries around the country.
Library Snacks Build Positive Connections
By
Gail Ebey, Medina Library Children's Department Supervisor
The Main branch of Medina County District Library is located in the lovely historic square of the city of Medina, Ohio. It is convenient to walk to, especially from the neighboring elementary school.
In 2017, the Children’s Department staff began working with Feeding Medina County, a non-profit organization helping to feed families in need, to offer snacks to the after-school visitors seen at the library. Feeding Medina County provides jars of peanut butter
and other snack provisions for staff to use when feeding visitors to the library. They also pack “Weekender Bags” that are sent home with kids during the school year.
Recently, we started working with Feeding Medina County to pair the food in the bags with cooking demos at the library. We know peanut butter is a monthly inclusion, so I have made a point to share simple recipes during our "snack attacks" that kids can reproduce.
We have had some local chefs stop in and create food with the kids as well. One session over the summer, we made salsa. Feeding Medina County provided fresh peppers and tomatoes grown in their garden. Another session had us making pancakes in the microwave!
Library staff are a positive connection in the lives of these children. We have a “question of the day” interaction with them and have increased the use of “Please” and “Thank You” in the students who visit. It’s an amazing program!
In 2017 we provided over 7,000 snacks.
In 2018 we provided over 17,500 snacks, quite an increase!
Photo captions:
1. Feeding Medina County warehouse
2. Weekender Bags at Feeding Medina County
What is on the horizon for CSLP?
2019: Theme/Space; Slogan/”A Universe of Stories” Artist/Leeza Hernandez
2020: Theme/Fairytales, Mythology, Fantasy; Slogan/”Imagine Your Story” Artist/LeUyen Pham
2021: Theme/Animals; Slogan/”Tails and Tales” Artist/Salina Yoon
2022: Theme/World-Social Justice-Unity-Kindness-Inclusion-Change-Diversity-Equity-Make a difference-Embrace different cultures; Slogan/”All Together Now” Artist/Sophie Blackall
