Youth Services Forum Executive Committee
April 7, 2000
Charlottesville, VA

Attending: Ginger Armstrong, Linda Gosnell, Jennifer Heelen, Sue Llewellyn, Pat Muller, Sherry Pearson, Jessica Printz, Rebecca Purdy, Lorry Risinger, Josie Schaffer

Sherry Pearson called the meeting to order. The meeting began with regional reports.

Lorry Risinger reported on events in Region II. Lorry reported that Region II ellison dies are still missing. Please contact Lorry at (804) 847-1717 if you have any information as to their location. The Lynchburg Public Library was awarded the Go Figure traveling math exhibit from St. Paul, Minnesota. The exhibit focuses on math through children's literature and will visit 75 libraries throughout the country. The exhibit is aimed at 2-7 year olds. For more information on the exhibit, visit the following web site: www.ala.org/publicprogram. Blue Ridge Library has a Pet Tree sponsored by the SPCA in the library every December. Snoopy visited storytimes. Lorry attended PLA and recommended it to others. The PLA Conference was very well organized this year and the session regarding baby storytimes was packed but well worth attending.

Josie Schaffer reported on Region III news. The Tidewater Area Youth Services Consortium is interested in YSF's Patchwork of Programs idea and is offering a similar workshop entitled This Works for Me. The Tidewater group is willing to work with YSF on the Patchwork of Programs workshop and suggested September as a good month for the program to be held. Virginia Beach Public Library will hold a National Tartan Day at the Central Library complete with Scottish folk music with Bob Zentz, a keynote presentation by author Donald McCaig, and a romance presentation by Susan King. Chesapeake Public Library will hold its Sheep to Shawl program. The Eastern Shore Public Library continues with Headstart reading programs and will be using the state theme for summer reading. The Hampton Public Library now offers a lapsit program and stated that bug bargains for summer reading can be found at Big Lots. Lancaster Community Library and Northumberland jointly run a storymobile, a year- round traveling library van. Middlesex County Public Library is conducting a poster contest for students in grades 1 through 8 asking them to illustrate their favorite book. Middlesex also has a new automation system. The Newport News Public Library offers a variety of programs for National Library Week using the theme Kids Connect @ the Library. Williamsburg author Brent Ashabranner will visit to talk to middle schoolers about African folktales and storytellers. Norfolk Public Library will host Rosemary Wells' Max the Bunny during National Library Week. Young Audiences of Virginia will present Dance Around the World with Ramzi & Co. in May. Williamsburg will be using a Harry Potter theme for the Battle of the Books program. Williamsburg will also offer the Wheel of Reading again this summer and will provide a reading program for adults. York County is offering a Harry Potter read-aloud program and a Buggy Babies lapsit program.

Region IV Representative Jessica Printz stated that fall seemed to be the best time for the YSF Patchwork of Programs workshop. Appomattox Regional will host the Amazing Jason during National Library Week. In Chesterfield County, storyteller Bobby Norfolk visited in February and was a huge success. Performers visiting this summer include medieval juggler and comedian Nick Newlin, Joe Pipik of BackPack Puppets, and the C. Shells. Colonial Heights will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt. Performers for the summer will include puppeteer and ventriloquist Jason Wydell, storyteller Mendel Williams, juggler Jonathan Austin, and the Virginia Living Museum. The Virginia Living Museum also offers a Bugs Don't Bug Us program. Essex County will be moving to a new facility this summer and will also be automated. Petersburg will offer children's author Muriel Miller Branch as well as historical performer Wali Brandon. Students from local colleges have been reading to children at storytime to support Petersburg - A City of Readers. Alex-Zan will visit Richmond Public Library to offer motivational speeches for young people ages 3 to 5 about "making peace." The Westover Hills Branch will host an art show featuring work by elementary school art students. The East End Branch will have a teen Wrap Rap to celebrate National Poetry Month. Laura Bice will present a program of French stories and songs for children. Richmond is thinking about starting a teen book discussion and a knitting group.

Linda Gosnell reported on more Region IV news. Pamunkey Regional Library requested permission from Ames to use its insect coloring pages from their web site for summer reading giveaways. The web site is http://www.ames.com. A Knit and Read program began at the West Point Branch Library. The knitted squares from the program are then fashioned into blankets for shelters serving the homeless or battered women. The Rockville Branch started a teen book discussion group. For the second year, the library is a partner in the nationwide PBS-sponsored Safe Night Event along with other Hanover County organizations. The Powhatan Public Library has a teen group that meets every Monday afternoon for book reviews, crafts, etc. In February, a Valentine's Day party was held. At the Henrico County Public Library, the Henrico County Entertainers 4-H Club offered a Jonah and the Whale puppet show for no fee. A Virginia Historical Society trainer presented a Hands On History program and Mr. Alex-Zan spoke on "Spreading Peace."

Sue Llewellyn reported on Region V news. Alexandria offered a one-year-old storytime for the first time. The Mary Riley Styles Public Library celebrated National Library Week with the Kaydee Puppets. Loudoun County Public Library held two sessions of a Kindermusik program for children 18 months to three years old. Fairfax County Public Library has a new Connect the Tots feature on its web page. Included are booklists for preschool children, a picture tour of the library, and a day in the life of a librarian plus programs and links to other sites. Also included is a Parenting Corner. A Korean-English storytime for children ages 3-5 is also offered. The Prince William Public Library system will hold a week-long celebration to mark its 25th anniversary. An American Girls Storytime Tea will be held. Jim Ross from the Manassas Museum will bring toys and clothes to show how children lived in the past. Local children's author, Lezlie Evans, will visit as well as Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo of Et-Noh-Tec who will discuss Myths and Music from Asia and the Pacific. Bull Run conducted its last home schoolers program for the year. Sue also distributed the Capitol Choices list for this year as well as an After High School, Then What? teen book list.

Jennifer Heelen reported on Region VI news. The Shenandoah County Library in Edinburg offers a Reading Patch Club for students in grades K-4. Children read six books for a sticker and twelve books for a patch. Two family programs are held each month. National Library Week was celebrated with Arthur's Reading Adventure Night. Families competed in an Arthur Trivia Contest, played Arthur Bingo, and performed in an Arthur music video using the Arthur library song. A Spring Craft Workshop was also held. The First Step to Literacy program was awarded with a Library of Virginia Youth Services grant. In this program, volunteers are trained to take theme-oriented bags to daycare centers in the county and perform storytime. The bags include big books, puppets, finger plays, flannel board stories, etc. Storyteller Pat Mendoza will be visiting the region soon. In June, the library will be moving into a new building.

The February minutes were approved without addition or correction.

Rebecca Purdy welcomed Jennifer Heelen to the Youth Services Forum. Rebecca reported on VLA Council News. The Electric Library is available via the Library of Virginia. Interlibrary loan at the Library of Virginia will change. Currently any book published after 1900 will be available for loan. The Library of Virginia is thinking of changing this rule to any book published after 1925.

The VLA Conference for 2001 will be held October 17-19 in Richmond at the Holiday Inn South. Rates will be $82 each night.

The Jefferson Cup winner for this year is Preacher's Boy by Katherine Paterson. The Honor titles include Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges, The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party by Marian Calabro, and The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. The series worthy of note include Welcome to…(American Girl series) and My Name Is America.

The VLA Conference Committee would like to offer an author luncheon and may invite Katherine Paterson. The luncheon would be 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Friday.

The Jefferson Cup Committee has made some changes. When voting, no member may give more than 50 points to a book. Also, the past chair will remain on the committee for one year in an advisory capacity for the chair. A series winner will be awarded on a case by case basis, not necessarily every year.

Rebecca presented the Assessment of the Role of School and Public Libraries in Support of Educational Reform. This title is available and can be borrowed. Ginger will set up a routing list and will send the title to any interested region.

Upcoming workshops include the VLA Paraprofessional Conference and the Early Childhood Networking Day with Pat Muller on May 5th.

The Youth Services Forum web page was discussed. Suggested additions to the page included a link to a Jefferson Cup web page with summaries of the books, a link to information about the youth-list listserv, a link from our minutes to the individual regional reports, and a link to the Virginia Young Readers list. Also programs and upcoming workshops related to youth services could be promoted on the site.

At the next meeting, regional representatives are asked to bring their regional reports on a disk for Ginger in Word/WordPerfect format and on paper for everyone.

Pat Muller reported that the Library of Virginia contact information may be available on the web. The Technology Committee is working on a way for users to search the list online. The Library of Virginia would also like to offer a calendar that shows when performers are coming to different areas that might help others in block booking. Pat has offered a Teen Services Workshop in Southwest Virginia and is thinking about offering another in the early fall for the northern part of the state. For Spring 2001, a Young Adult Literature Conference is in the planning process. Michael Cart may be the keynote speaker. Cathi MacRae from VOYA may attend. Roundtable discussions of YA literature may be highlighted. Pat is thinking about offering a Teen Networking Day and bringing in state agencies that work with at-risk teens. The Teen Summer Reading Manual this year may be a Teen Summer Reading web site created by teens with interactive features. Grant applications for read-aloud projects can include teen and YA projects as well as those for younger kids. At VEMA, the Read-Aloud Initiative was discussed and several reading specialists are ready to collaborate. The Read-Aloud Subcommittee will discuss the next step in promoting read-aloud projects. Monty Haas, a friend of Jim Trelease, would like to do a Read-Aloud with Parents training session. Pat stated that she hoped some funding sources for library programs would be found at the Reading Summit. Pat revised the Virginia Public Library Youth Services Contact List and distributed it to all present. For 2001, artist Michael Wahlberg will be designing the Summer Reading Program logo. The 2001 theme will be "2001: A Reading Odyssey." For 2002, we may be cooperating with other states. The Summer Reading Program Workshops for the upcoming year will be held in Hampton on November 3rd, in Roanoke on November 17th, and in Charlottesville on December 6th.

At the VLA Conference, the Youth Services Forum will be sponsoring the Jefferson Cup program and the Jefferson Cup Overfloweth. The Library of Virginia will use the information gleaned from the Early Childhood Networking Day workshops and aim a workshop toward directors about the importance of early childhood programs. Ideas for other VLA Conference programs sponsored by the Youth Services Forum were discussed and included the following: inviting the Norfolk Storytelling League for an open mike storytelling session, hosting Sherry Norfolk for a storytelling workshop, presenting a teen advisory board program, inviting Capitol Choices to talk about their list, hosting a Reading Is Fundamental program which details how libraries can partner with RIF, and moderating a panel of teen advisory board members.

A Patchwork of Programs: What Works For Me will be offered in each region this year by the Youth Services Forum. It was suggested that five to seven people from another region visit to discuss programs that worked or did not work for them. Then attendees within the region could network at tables. Tables could be grouped according to topic such as storytimes, book discussion, collaborative efforts, Internet programs, etc. Fall seemed to be the best time for most regions. Rebecca asked that all regional representatives gather dates and locations for this workshop by May 5th and send this information to her.

Ginger Armstrong passed out the mock welcome packets for new members. Everyone was asked to look through the packets for any additions, corrections, etc. Any ideas regarding the packets will be discussed at the next meeting.

The next meeting date will be June 9th at 12:30 p.m. at the Gordon Avenue Library.

The meeting adjourned.