Youth Services Forum Executive Committee
Midlothian, VA
June 17, 1999

Attending: Ginger Armstrong, Linda Gosnell, Sherry Inabinet, Josie Schaffer, Diantha McCauley, Pat Muller, Sherry Pearson, Rebecca Purdy, Lorry Risinger, Scott Phillips

Diantha called the meeting to order.

The April minutes were approved without addition or correction.

Sherry Pearson reported on Region I news. She reported that regional libraries would be hosting the "Snakes Alive"program. Mountain Mack will also be visiting libraries in the region. Lonesome Pine Regional Library will have a special movie showing at the local theater as well as a robotics show and the Snake Man (from Florida). The Radford Public Library will have the Radford University International Student Group visit for internationally-themed programs for kids. Fish the Magish will visit several regional libraries. Barefoot Puppets will also visit with its "Anansi the Spider" show, and the teens will build a raft for the River Raft Contest. The Montgomery-Floyd Library is hosting a "Kid's & Money" program for the summer. The Roanoke City Library is hosting the Second Annual City-Wide Reading Day. Participants include the mayor and a local television celebrity with the theme "Take 30 and Read." Roanoke County will host Woven Yarns. Yo-yo programs are particularly popular in the region this summer.

Lorry Risinger reported on happenings in the Region II area. The "Bookless Storytelling" workshop was extremely successful with organizations and libraries from over two hours away asking about the program. 38 libraries from 5 regions attended and gave very positive comments regarding the program. C-SPAN 2 recorded the Jane Cutler presentation at the Lynchburg Public Library. Lorry even received letters from people out of state asking about Lynchburg's programs. Storyteller Pam Bomboy will kick off the summer reading program. For the teen summer reading program, a grant from the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust will make it possible for teens to earn food for the Lynchburg Humane Society. For each book they read, teens will earn a pound of food for the Lynchburg Humane Society. Kids are asked to send postcards to the library when they travel to support the summer reading program theme.

Josie Schaffer reported on Region III news. The Loud Poetry Guy will visit and the Scottish Dance Theatre of Virginia will visit the Virginia Beach Public Library. The Virginia Living Museum will visit as well as Magician John Kingry. Author Connie Porter will also visit the Virginia Beach Public Library. Bob Zentz will present a family-oriented program as well. The popular "Sheep to Shawl" program was held at the Chesapeake Central Library where sheep were sheared by members of the 4-H Club. Weavers, spinners, and knitters were also on hand. "Life on the Farm Day" was another special event where farm animals and antique engines could be seen at the Chesapeake Central Library. At the Major Hillard Library, the Great Coheni will perform a program this summer, and a band called the C. Shells will perform at the finale. Also at the Hillard Library, there is a statue of a woman reading. The library will hold a contest to decide what the statue is reading. At the Russell Memorial Library, a reading group for teens is in the works. Josie recently visited the Williamsburg Regional Library and found that the "Wheel of Reading" program has continued.

Linda Gosnell reported on Region IV news at the Pamunkey Regional Library. This year the library will include a young adult summer reading program. Programs for young adults include That Yo-Yo Guy, Cooking with Chef Maxwell, the Richmond Harley Davidson Club, a Murder Mystery/Scavenger Hunt as well as Edgar Allan Poe readings and "Pocahontas' People" with Shirley 'Little Dove' Custalow-McGowan. They will also have a coffee house for teens. The library, in collaboration with PBS, and several other Hanover County agencies and sponsors helped to host a Safe Night party for teens for over 100 middle schoolers at Randolph Macon College in Ashland. The library also collaborated with the public school system and the Department of Social Services to provide two workshops about job hunting resources and reading aloud to children. Programs for kids this summer include storyteller Phyllis Stump, the Richmond Theatre Company for Children, Cornerstone Robotics, Science by Van, Mother Nature's Traveling Road Show, the Homeward Bound Singers, Samous Fay the Pirate, and the Virginia Aviation Museum's Airmobile. Kim and Jimbo Cary will be the entertainment for the finale of the summer reading program. At the Henrico Public Library, Sherrie Waddill will present dinosaur stories and activities. The Chesterfield Puppet Players will also perform a puppet show about dinosaurs. Bill Wellington will visit and there will be a dino bingo game to support their dinosaur theme. The Ululating Mummies will perform at the Innsbrook Library and the Science Museum of Virginia will present an optical illusions program. The Virginia Museum of Natural History will also provide classes for those ages 6 and older.

Ginger Armstrong reported that in Region IV the Appomattox Regional Library has been performing skits at the local schools to promote the summer reading program. The Chesterfield County Public Library will host Betsy Q, That Yo-Yo Guy, Bill Wellington, and Barefoot Puppets. On History Days - Travels and Trials in the County in 1773 - the library will have costumed interpreters who will guide kids back in time to the County Militia Muster. Storytellers Sherrie Waddill and Jane Crouse will visit. A Fourth of July Celebration with giveaways and chalk drawing will be held as well as an etiquette program for kids. A tea party and doll show, a visit from Ocean Encounters, a family game night, and film programs will also be held. Colonial Heights Public Library will have storyteller George Craft, juggler Jonathan Austin, the Amazing Jason, a National Army Band, the "Snakes Alive" program and a sign language program this summer. In Petersburg, the library will host speakers from India and France and will also hold an International Film Festival. The Petersburg Animal Shelter will demonstrate pet grooming. Pam Bomboy, "Snakes Alive," and Airplane Pilot Betty Vinson will visit. The 4-H Extension will bring "Creepy, Crawly Critters" to the library and Ted Bethune will teach space science. A "Learn about your Hometown" program will also be held. The summer reading kickoff will be celebrated as a Mexican Fiesta. The finale will be held at the National Guard Armory for a Rhythms Around the World program. Powhatan will host a new program for YAs, ages 11-13 which will include book talks, movies, creative writing, and crafts. Mountain Mack, Amazing Jason, Woven Yarns, and Cornerstone Robotics will visit this summer. For each child that completes the summer reading club, a collar and tag will be donated to the Powhatan Animal Shelter.

Rebecca Purdy reported on Region V news. At the Arlington Public Library, "Summerquest" is the theme of the summer reading program and each kid who reaches his/her goal gets a frisbee. "Cool Reflections" is the theme for the teens' summer reading program. Teens write brief summaries of the titles they read and can enter their summaries in a drawing with a chance to win gift certificates. The final drawing will be for a CD Discman. Each young adult is given a mini-highlighter when registering. The Central Rappahannock Public Library is using the "Library Kids Are Cool" theme for the summer reading program. When kids reach their goal, they receive a button and a pair of sunglasses. Free tickets to a Prince William Cannons baseball game are given to all registrants. When six newspaper activities in every Tuesday's The Free Lance Star are completed, kids bring them to the library to receive a funband for the local amusement center. The YA program at Central Rappahannock is called "Summer Splash." For every book read, YAs can enter a weekly drawing for paperbacks and music singles. After reading five books, the YAs receive a free pass to a local movie theater and enter to win a CD discman. A drama and interpretive reading troupe called "Practical Theatricals" will meet for six sessions for a children's program. "The Booktalkers," a book discussion group for seventh graders, made a list of their favorite titles which will be available for all patrons. At the Salem Church Library, first graders and up are invited to help decorate the children's room for the summer. A local teenage band will kick off the summer reading program. The Fairfax County Public Library received a donation of $15,000 from their Friends' group for paid performers for children's programming. The Fairfax County Public Library will be holding a video-making workshop for both beginner and advanced young adults.

Diantha McCauley reported on Region VI news. The Handley Library is being renovated. In Augusta County, a pound of dog food will be given to the SPCA for every child who finishes the reading club.

Sherry Inabinet reported on Jefferson Cup news. She has an old list of people who are interested in being on the Jefferson Cup Committee and will send letters to those people to see if they are still interested. Criteria was not used to select members of the committee but will be used in the future. Next year's committee will be made up of former chairs and new members and the awarding of a series will be left up to each chair. The meeting times will change so that the committee meets earlier in the year. The committee would like the award to be announced around the same time as the Newbery and Caldecott. The Youth Services Forum Executive Committee voted to raise the honorarium for the Jefferson Cup winner speaking at VLA to $1000. The Jefferson Cup winner for this year is Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen.

Pat Muller announced that there will be several competitive grants this year in the areas of early childhood, SOLs, Outreach Services, and youth participation. Completed applications are due by December 1st. More information will be forthcoming. The Read-Aloud Initiative will kick-off with a Jim Trelease workshop. More information will be forthcoming. The dates for the Summer Reading Workshops are now set. They are December 9, 1999 at the Hotel Roanoke, January 12, 2000 at the Colonial Williamsburg Woodlands, and February 4, 2000 at the Omni Charlottesville.

Diantha encouraged everyone to attend the VLA Conference in October. The Youth Services Forum will sponsor "Once Upon a Time" - a night of booktalking and storytelling on Thursday evening at the Homestead. Sharon Zoumbaris will be presenting a program about using music at storytime on Friday and Saturday. The Jefferson Cup program will also be held at the VLA Conference.

On September 29, 1999 at the Library of Virginia, the Youth Services Forum is sponsoring Serving the Underserved: Library Services for Teens from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Pat Muller and Scott Phillips will be presenting.

The next meeting will be held September 10, 1999 at the Gordon Avenue Library in Charlottesville at 1:00 p.m.