Youth Services Forum Executive Committee
Charlottesville, VA
April 4, 2003

Attending: Ginger Armstrong, Tim Carrier, Indira Dholaki, Jane Ferguson, Shelley Gravel, Maureen Harrill, Susan Head, Sherry Pearson, Julie Ramsay, Maggie Shanley, Demetria Tucker

Maureen Harrill called the meeting to order and announced that she has accepted the position of chair of the Youth Services Forum.  New members Julie Ramsay, Maggie Shanley, and Demetria Tucker were welcomed and introduced to the group.

  Maggie reported on Region I news.  The Bristol Public Library celebrated Read Across America Day with a Green Eggs and Ham skit.  The Bristol Police Department will teach seat belt safety, and police will check car seats for proper installation.  A Poetry Slam will be held on April 22nd.  The library is also participating in “Take Our Daughters to Work Day” and several girls from GIRLS Incorporated will spend three hours with librarians learning about their jobs.  The Buchanan County Public Library will continue with “Wednesday Wildness” for school age children after school.  The Pulaski County Public Library will feature a craft involving wooden eggs.  The Radford Public Library features “Where is Angela Day?” – a teen event involving solving a mystery.  The Roanoke City Public Library will host the Reading Super Hero, Don Bush, during National Library Week.  A National Tartan Day Celebration will spotlight Carolyn Hale Bruce, co-author of Rebel King: Hammer of the Scots, speaking on “the 250-Mile Novel.”  All libraries will participate in Free Comic Book Day courtesy of B&D Comics.  Free comics will be given to the first 25 youth ages 6-17.  For the Festival in the Park, a book pavilion will be available at the Blue Ridge Garden Festival.  Sponsored by Books-A-Million, the City of Roanoke Public Libraries and the Roanoke Public Library Foundation, a portion of the book sales proceeds will benefit the Roanoke Public Library Foundation.  The Smyth-Bland Regional Library will hold a Book Character Costume Party and a Girl Power Craft Hour.  The Tazewell Public Library will hold a spring reading program on mysteries.  Sherry also added that the Roanoke County Public Library will participate in Kids’ Day at Tanglewood Mall and will hold a mystery night with pizza for those students ages 10-15.  Sherry also distributed sample promotional Hershey bars to the group that were wrapped with the slogan “Feed Your Head @ Your Library.  They were used as a Friends fundraiser for the library and permission was received from Hershey for the promotion.  Demetria Tucker discussed a program at Roanoke City Public Library that received an LSTA grant.  Teens ages 14-17 were given an honorarium of $25 per week and aided patrons with email and helped students with Gates software for four hours a week.  Brochures of events at the City of Roanoke Public Library were distributed.  Maureen stated that the Wildlife Center and Jonathan Austin will be visiting the Salem Public Library.  A storyteller with the Young Audiences of Virginia will present “Howl of the Wolf.”  For details, contact Maureen.  A local magician, Ron Mack, and a performer who creates balloon animals were discussed.  Recently Salem just started with the SIRSI system.

Susan reported on Region III news.  The Blackwater Regional Library hosted the Key Club from Southampton High School who presented a play they had written.  After the play, the students read to children one on one.  At the Mathews Memorial Library, approximately 20 homeschooled children, ranging in age from 4 to 16, from a three-county area visited for interactive programs.  The Norfolk Public Library received a $1000 grant from the Wal-Mart Literacy Foundation to fund a program called “Grow With Me @ the Library” in partnership with the Even Start program of the Norfolk Public Schools.  This program is a family literacy initiative focusing on early childhood development with youngsters 0-4 years old and their parents.  The Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. donated $1000 for Cultural Connections for Tweens and Teens.  This project will provide cultural enrichment opportunities for the teens who volunteer by serving on the Teen Advisory Board, by participating in parades and festivals, by helping with clerical support and by acting in Readers Theater productions.  Tickets to local theatrical productions and arts events are purchased and given to them in appreciation of their hours of service.  The Ezra Keats Foundation donated $350 for programs conducted exploring the art of Ezra Jack Keats.  Author-poet Eloise Greenfield will speak at the Kirn Memorial Library.  The Portsmouth Public Library sponsored its first Family Reading Night through the Portsmouth Ready to Read Initiative.  The Virginia Beach Public Library will kick off National Library Week also in celebration of the City of Virginia Beach’s fortieth birthday with a storytime featuring the mayor.  The Bookmobile will be outside that afternoon for people to visit.  The Pungo Teens in Action and the Pungo-Blackwater staff invite youth ages 7 to 11 to a “Mystery Night in Disneyland” featuring a three-act mystery and multiple capers involving familiar Disney characters.

Ginger reported on events in Chesterfield in Region IV.  The 100 Year Birthday Book Party Celebration was a success.  Children who attended made costumes of their favorite book characters using a variety of crafting supplies while the Chesterfield Children’s Theatre performed with Disney tunes.  The Teen Poetry Contest is in full swing and is targeted for students ages 13-19.  Winners will receive gift certificates and the winning entries will be published in the Chester Village News.  Other Teen Poetry programs include the Teen Poetry Café and the Poetry and Pizza program.  During the Family Resource Center Open House, local officials read to kids.  The Magician Paul Krendl will visit some branches and storyteller/singer Bill Harley will visit the Central Library.  The founder of the Richmond Air Force will be present for Kite Day.   The Kite Club will demonstrate kite flying and attendees will learn the history of kite flying and will make their own kites.  Storyteller Linda Fang will tell “Tales of Ancient China.”  Barbara Fischer and the Fischer Sundae Puppets will perform at the Ettrick Library.  The students from the Avcato School of Chamber Music will perform.  At the LaPrade Library, a traditional English tea for young ladies will be held for girls 7-10 and they will listen to a reading of The Birds of Killingworth by Longfellow.  Dena sent a report of events in Region IV.  At the Henrico Public Library, teens can enter for a chance to win Holes movie passes at Innsbrook.  The Regal Short Pump 14 Cinemas is sponsoring an essay contest for teens and winners will receives passes to the film.  The C Shells will perform at several locations for National Library Week and storyteller/songwriter Bill Harley will also visit several locations.  The Pamunkey Public Library hosted a Teen Movie Night as well as the Book Yak! Teen Book Discussion Group.  Winnie-the-Pooh was available for a “meet and greet” at the Goochland branch.  The Petersburg Public Library hosted a Poetry Slam Night and also featured a “Guess the Number of Books” contest.  The winner will receive a $40 Books-A-Million gift certificate or a special edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  At the Richmond Public Library, teens signing up for a library card in April will receive a free journal.  The Chess Club for ages 10-17 has just been created and a Poetry/Rap Slam occurred where teens were invited to write an original rap/poem (under 1 page in length).  Storyteller Brenda Gresham visited for National Library Week.  Children who checked out a book during April 7-30 received a packet of seeds to plant.

Jane introduced Julie Ramsay as her replacement as a Region V representative.  The group expressed their thanks to Jane for all of her hard work.  Jane, Indira, and Julie reported on Region 5 events.  The Alexandria Public Library will offer “Stories in the Park” again this year at Fort Ward Park.  The Arlington Public Library will celebrate National Library Week with Lilo Gonzalez and Los de la Mt. Pleasant who will perform salsa, bolero, cumbia, and cha cha compositions.  Free salsa lessons will be given as well.  The Caroline County Public Library will feature a Welcome Spring Family Reading Program.  A variety of craft programs will also be offered.  The Fairfax County Public Library will host documentary filmmaker, Laura Bialis, who will screen her film.  Holocaust survivor Judy Meisel will answer questions on her experience.  The Loud Poetry Guy and Reptiles Alive will also visit.  The Mary Riley Styles Public Library hosted a free performance from a member of the Blue Sky Puppet Theater.  African American History Month was celebrated with a beading workshop.  In April, storyteller Laurie Pines will perform “Tales with a Twist” for National Library Week.  The Virginia Wildlife Center will visit for the summer reading kickoff and Bob Brown Puppets will also perform.  The King George Library System is working on renovations so no programs will be held until completion.  The Loudoun County Public Library will celebrate National Library Week with The Amazing Josini, an interactive combination of magic, singing, and light comedy that delivers positive messages to children.  The Loudoun Public Library was selected by Libraries for the Future as one of the 30 libraries nationwide to participate in the MetLife Foundation Reading America program.  This is a library-based book and film discussion program for Hispanic teenagers and adults.  (For more information, contact Linda Holtslander at 703-777-0541).  The Shenandoah Shakespeare Express will perform “The Tempest.”  The Prince William Public Library hosted a Special Papier-Mache Series – Theatre 101 called Shenanigans.  The materials are provided free by the library and children make up to two papier-mache masks and perform in a reader’s theater.  Corduroy will visit the Bull Run branch and an American Girl’s tea will be held for elementary students.  Chinn Park offered an afternoon of Russian music performed on the domra, balalaika, and the mandolaika with Rose Nemerow and The Music Makers.  A Native American Foods program was also held.  Indira also provided the committee with the Motion Picture Licensing Company information.  For a movie license for a short-term period, her contact was Alex Hamm who can be reached by phone at 800-462-8855.

Tim discussed events in Region VI.  The Chess Club at the Augusta County Library has been very successful and includes beginners to masters and people of all ages.  An Adopt-A-Shelf program for grades 4-6 has started.  The students participating come in at their convenience and shelf read, check for titles needing repair, and display titles face out.  A certificate is placed at the end of the shelf stating that the shelf has been adopted and includes the name of the student who has adopted it.  The Augusta County, Staunton, and Waynesboro libraries are in the process of merging their catalogs and will all use The Library Corporation.  The Culpeper County Public Library hosted a successful program with ventriloquist Tyrone Travis in February.  Additional storytime programs have been added due to popularity.  Culpeper will also be participating in a community fair, For a Child’s Health, that will be held at the library.  The Handley Regional Library celebrates National Library Week with a children’s festival focused on the naming of its statue of a child reading.  The library system has been leading the community in a “one book-one community” reading of Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam and the author will be visiting the community in April.  The Massanutten Regional Library will host the meeting of Region VI Youth Services staff on April 25th.  The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library will be hosting monthly Sunday afternoon all age programs at the Central Library including Welcome Spring in April (a program assisted by UVA students) and Wolfin’ Down Books (a preview of the Summer Reading Program).  An evening of sleepy stories called “Into the Land of Nod” will be held during National Library Week.  Storyteller Katie Green will perform at several locations and will present a storytelling workshop for children’s staff members.  All branches are participating in National TV Turnoff Week.  The 8th Annual Logo Contest for the Teen Summer Reading Program has finished and winning entries will be selected at a meeting on April 7th.  Craft programs included candy making, gift box creation, and frame making.  The Virginia Festival of the Book was held.  Pat Muller presented a Capitol Choices program during the Saturday Storyfest.  The Scottsville Library also held a program titled “Mother Goose on the Loose.”  The Greene County branch will be moving into a new building. Dedication will be in June.  The Massanutten Regional Library will host cartoonist J.R. Rose presenting “Cartooning for Kids.”  Mark Klosinski, a JPL Solar System Ambassador, will bring the portable planetarium Starlab to the library and tell stories about the stars.  The NASA Office of Space Science for Outreach and Education provides this program.  Mr. Klosinski’s contact number is 540-434-1346.  The Rappahannock County Public Library has a new children’s services librarian, Cindy Lea.  Currently April storytimes will center around gardening and future ideas include developing a reader’s theater and planning some programs surrounding the 100th anniversary of flight.  The Rockbridge Regional Library has been creating a Preschool Resource Room at the main library and has been developing traveling collections of materials to be housed in their branches.  Funds for this room were provided by a grant from a local organization.  The Shenandoah County Public Library presented a chocolate festival for grade school children.  The teens planned the program to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  Storyteller Mason Talespinner told chocolate tales.  The Staunton Public Library hosted a series of programs for ages 9-12 called “Goops, Gumps, and Gadzooks.”  Specialists from the community come in and provide a hands-on program on a specific subject.  “Splattering of Art Savvy” involved drafting, sculpting, and using acrylics.  The actors from Shenandoah Shakespeare will visit and perform a short play.  The Waynesboro Public Library has scheduled a Captain Underpants party, a Teen Coffeehouse, and a pizza taste-off.

The minutes from the previous two meetings were approved.

Maureen shared an e-mail from Pat Muller requesting volunteers from the committee to help with planning a project about and discussing literacy advocacy.  Julie and Shelley volunteered to meet with Pat on this issue.

Maureen discussed VLA Council news.  Forum members are asked to renew their VLA memberships if members have not already done so.  The deadline for concurrent session proposals for the VLA Conference is May 1st.  A preconference will be held on November 5th and will be very youth oriented.  Illustrator and author Peter Catalonotto will discuss his books and the idea of reading “picture to word” instead of “word to picture.”  His latest illustrations can be found in Mother to Tigers by George Ella Lyon and Happy Birthday, America by Mary Pope Osborne.   The years of service of those on the committee need to be sent to VLA Council and the group discussed term limits of two years.  The group discussed a need for a new representative for Region II.

Shelley reported on Virginia Young Readers news.  She distributed a list of the 2003-2004 Virginia Young Readers nominees.  The deadline for votes was extended to April 1st due to snow days.  Currently members are receiving books to be considered for the next list of nominees.

The Jefferson Cup winner will be announced in April.  A Jefferson Cup lunch as well as the Jefferson Cup Overfloweth session will be held at the VLA Conference.

The group then discussed ideas for concurrent session proposals.  The first session proposed was a “Graphic Novels for Dummies” session.  Maureen has talked with BWI about a speaker from the company discussing the growing popularity of this literature.  BWI has created a brochure detailing information about graphic novels and will provide them for conference attendees at no charge.  The group stressed that a large room would be needed for this program.  The second program proposed was a second “Patchwork of Teen Programs.”  Tim will discuss the logo contest and Dena may discuss the poetry contest.  Demetria may discuss the PC Navigator program. The group will search for additional speakers including ones who have presented reader’s theater, hosted a mystery night, or have a long-running teen advisory board.  The third session proposed was a “Minors’ Right to Confidentiality” program.  Julie offered to set up a program detailing the issues involved in a confidentiality policy in regard to minors.  Maureen agreed to send all proposals to VLA.

The next meeting will be held on June 13th at 12:30 p.m. at the Gordon Avenue Library in Charlottesville.

The meeting adjourned.

   

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

  Ginger Armstrong