Youth Services Forum Executive Committee
February 8, 2002
Charlottesville, VA
Lisa called the meeting to order and informed the group of VLA Council news. The 2003 Conference will be held at the Homestead. Currently VLA is recruiting speakers for the Williamsburg Conference. It was asked that the Jefferson Cup Breakfast be held on Thursday morning to follow the youth preconference at the upcoming VLA Conference. The VLA preconferences will include a Family Literacy Preconference and an Applying Copyright Law session. If anyone would like to present a program at the 2002 VLA Conference, the deadline for applications is May 1st. A reception will be held at Lee Hall Mansion during the VLA Conference.
The deadline for the library school scholarship is in March. Applications can be found online.
VLA Council encouraged all members to contact their local senators by March 14, 2002 to reinforce support for library funding. National Legislative Day is May 7, 2002. A legislative workshop will be held on May 6. Bills 602 and 458 were suggested as bills to review. The budget for the Library of Virginia has been cut by $9 million. The group was encouraged to send anecdotes and letters or phone and e-mail to local state representatives to show what is going on with summer reading. Lorry suggested distributing a flyer to storytime parents that includes bulleted points that parents could use to write a letter to their legislators. Lisa will talk to Skip Auld about bullet points that could be included on such a flyer. It was also suggested that a youth services staff member serve on the Legislative Committee. VLA Council also asked that members be aware of the contents of the Privacy Interpretations Act. The ALA vs. United States trial begins in March.
There is a new interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Carolyn Caywood is willing to visit libraries to speak about this topic.
VLA Council asked each unit to compile information about how long each committee/forum member has served and in what capacity. Ginger will gather information from Youth Services Forum Executive Committee members about the length of their terms and will send this information to Lisa.
Lisa asked that all members think about becoming chair-elect for the Youth Services Forum. She would like to see at least two members from each region represented on the forum. She encouraged everyone to pay VLA dues and stated that the proposed budget for VLA was approved. Linda Hahne will forward information to the chair of each committee/forum of those who marked interest in a committee on their registration forms.
To promote the Youth Services Forum, Pat Muller stated that the group can use her YOUTH-LIST to post information about the Youth Services Forum. Lisa will check with Steve Helm to see if the Youth Services Forum Listserv is working. Lisa said that she would also like to try sending out a newsletter. The group discussed a process to promote one to three highlighted programs on the Youth Services Forum web page. Lisa would like to promote our web address to those in the youth services field and would like to add a Youth Services Forum Spotlight Program of the Month link on the web page. The program would be chosen from those programs discussed during the regional reports. This program would also be highlighted on Pat’s listserv.
The group discussed partnering with Read Aloud Virginia to meet its objective of promoting lifelong learning. Pat would like to publicize Read Aloud to a Child Week and is forming an interdisciplinary steering committee to plan next year’s Read Aloud Week. Lisa suggested Read Aloud Training for a regional or annual program.
Pat reported on Library of Virginia news. Jim Trelease as well as Mem Fox will speak at the VLA Preconference and Trelease will speak in Richmond at a reading conference on October 17. An all day youth services workshop (consisting of three sessions) will be held at the VLA Paraprofessional Conference. Those attending all three sessions (Planning and Evaluating Youth Programs, The Importance of Reading Aloud in Building Family Literacy, and Age Appropriate Book-Based Storytimes) will receive a certificate for five hours of continuing education training. She will also offer a program about YA programs. Read Aloud bookmarks have been printed for distribution. She is looking into a juvenile justice read aloud initiative. The Teen Summer Reading Program, Reading Rescue, will offer two components. Teens can read to help an animal in the community and/or can make a difference by becoming a teen volunteer. Three websites will be available – one to promote the children’s program, one to promote Reading Rescue (with booklists), and one to promote becoming a teen volunteer. The Summer Reading Program orders for 2002 have been shipped. The budget situation is still uncertain and VLA is lobbying for more state aid. On Saturday, April 20th, the Science Museum of Virginia is offering a “You Can Count on Mother Goose” workshop. Pat is trying to obtain the “Wolfin’ Down Books at the Library” theme designed by Lane Smith for the 2003 Summer Reading Program. Pat stated that she is also gathering a collection of the best books from 2001 and sending it around the state so libraries can use it for collection and professional development. Anyone interested in this collection should contact Pat. The VSRA Conference will be held on March 8-9, 2002 in Virginia Beach.
Pat distributed her Strategic Plan for Youth Services and asked for any feedback. She will continue to promote the Summer Reading Program with a media kickoff in June. She would really like to have a mascot for summer reading and would like to assist libraries in expanding into non-traditional settings. She would also like to present a family literacy grantwriting workshop. In the area of technology, she would like to provide a workshop for library staff that will help them assist parents and children in using online services safely and effectively. She also plans to provide information about successful homework programs in libraries and will work with the Department of Education to promote Read Aloud to a Child Week. She also plans to provide training on using output measures and other standard data collection tools for libraries. Pat will continue her teen services workshops and will work on adopting building blocks for healthy youth development that will be emphasized at these workshops.
Pat stated that her quarterly mailings will be posted on the Library of Virginia’s Extranet and that the Extranet youth pages will be redesigned with expanded content. The performer directory will also be updated and a regional list of children’s authors and illustrators will be compiled in print and on the Extranet.
Maureen reported on Region I news. The Roanoke City Library is celebrating Black History Month with performances by the musical ventriloquist act Tyrone & Tilford. A Black History Month Exhibit from Community School featuring a time line chronicling the African American experience of slavery will be on display all month. A Teen Poetry Slam and ongoing storytimes will be offered. The Roanoke Public Library is planning Valentine parties for the storytime and after-school crowd. Beginning origami classes and an Eggs-travaganza (Easter Egg Hunts) will be offered. The Tons of Fun at the Mall Event was successful for the third year in a row. Encouraged from Lorry’s program, the Vinton Library started a baby laptime storytime. The Salem City Library presented a family program for Black History Month with illustrator and storyteller Wil Clay. Mr. Clay has illustrated many children’s books including Tailypo and Little Eight John by Jan Wahl. Magician Ron Mack will present an afterschool program and Roanoke College honor students will read and provide crafts and snacks with the afterschool “Read With Me” program. The Radford City Library is gearing up for their Spring “Read Around the World” program in which the participants read one book a week on any country. The Homework Center where Radford University and Radford High School students tutor students will continue. The Botetourt County Public Library prepares for its annual Youth Poetry Contest in March. The winners will be announced at a Poetry Reading in April.
Lorry reported on Region II news and distributed a new Region II contact list. Lorry introduced a terrific idea that Phyllis Bryant uses for short elementary school visits called the “Poetry Break.” The librarian walks into the elementary school classroom and presents two or three poems. Lorry demonstrated this program using a poem from A Bad Case of the Giggles complete with audiovisuals. Lorry explained that when leaving the classroom, the librarian places a doorknob hanger listing the poems read on the doorknob and moves to the next class. Each presentation takes about 3 minutes. Lorry says that Lynchburg is going to try this program as well. The group loved Lorry’s presentation and agreed that this one should be the first Youth Services Forum Spotlight Program of the Month.
Josie reported on Region III news. The Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and the Tidewater Division of Model Railroaders are sponsoring the annual Train Time program at the Chesapeake Public Library. Model railroads will be on display and train rides will be available. The Norfolk Public Library will host Christopher Paul Curtis for the “All Norfolk Reads” program. All Norfolk citizens will be encouraged to read The Watsons Go to Birmingham. A grant from the Tidewater Children’s Foundation was used to purchase “The Treasure Truck” and a children’s librarian to staff it. A second grant from Verizon purchased books to be given away during truck visits. The Library of Virginia provided funds to expand the “With Love from Me to You” program. This partnership program with the U.S. Navy provides books & videotape equipment to deployed sailors so that they can record tapes of themselves reading out loud to send to their families. Included with the tapes are coloring pages based on the books read and fill in the blank letters to encourage children to write back to their deployed parents about the books. Due to an LSTA grant, the Poquoson Public Library will offer programs on quilts of the Underground Railway and the Transatlantic Slave trade. The grant also funds the “Fire Station Storytime” series. The Williamsburg Public Library is raging through the Battle of the Books in March. Teens will host the Croaker Cabaret, a night of drama and music on June 7. Williamsburg also received funding from Square One for a literacy program, “Book Smart.”
Josie introduced Susan Head from the South Rosemont Youth Library in Virginia Beach. This library was a partnership project with the Boys & Girls Club of South Hampton Roads and had its grand opening on February 2nd. This youth library was developed specifically to aid those youth up to age 18. Currently bookmobile services have moved there too. Susan is currently getting to know the kids and working on bringing more of them into the library.
Lisa reported on Region IV news at the Henrico County Public Library. For Black History Month, storytellers from the Black Storytellers’ Association presented programs. The Noise Guy visited telling stories and making sounds to go with them. Reptiles Alive visited as well. The Tuckahoe Library recently acquired guinea pigs. Ginger reported on Region IV news at the Chesterfield County Public Library. For Black History Month, Barefoot Puppets presents “African Trickster Tales.” The Midlothian Library will offer a book discussion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the Chester Library offered a Winter Fun Storytime. The Writer’s Workshop will be held on March 16th. One of the featured writers presenting a session will be children’s author Ginjer Clarke, author of Baby Alligators and Sharks!
Jane and Indira reported on Region V news. The Alexandria Public Library will offer its regularly scheduled storytimes. The Arlington County Public Library offers a bilingual Spanish-English storytime. Anansegromma will visit during Black History Month with an introduction into West African culture with call and response songs, games, and dance and drum rhythms. The Fairfax County Public Library will offer “Helping Kids Succeed” in partnership with Inova Health System. These workshops will help parents, teachers, caregivers, etc., identify specific factors that cause children to fail or succeed. The workshops are designed to provide adults with tools needed to contribute to the next generation’s success. Black History Month programs include storyteller Namu Lwanga of Uganda as well as a program on African American designers from 1854-1954 and a tribute to African American women in story and song. The Fauquier County Public Library is planning Read Across America Day during which kids get their pictures taken with the Cat in the Hat. Trivia games, scavenger hunts, and Guys Read/Girls Read displays will be used to celebrate National Library Week. Mother Goose Day will feature Mother Goose presenting storytimes. The Summer Reading Program theme for this system will be “Summer Title Wave.” The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will host Amazin’ Jason as well as a Mardi Gras program, a workshop for making cornhusk dolls, and a workshop for making Snowmen Soap Sculptures. The King George County Public Library will offer an egg decorating program. The Loudoun Public Library will offer a Chinese New Year storytime, a Valentine tea party, and various detective/mystery programs. A breakfast with George Washington is scheduled for a Presidents’ Day celebration. Rainbow Entertainment will present Jack and the Beanstalk. The Growing State Theatre Company will present “The Calico Tiger.” Bilingual Spanish/English storyteller Antonio Sacre, storyteller Jamal Koram, and Kevin Christopher Teasley and His Jazz Ensemble will perform. The Prince William Public Library will offer Kidflicks as well as a Make and Take Craft program. Barefoot Puppets, storyteller Jamal Koram, Harriet Tubman, and the Gospel Choir from the Manassas First Baptist Church will present programs.
Tim reported on events in Region VI. The Augusta County Library will feature a Library Lock-In for school age children. A Medieval Murder in the Library mystery for teens is scheduled. The Culpeper County Public Library now has a new Youth Services Coordinator, Jennifer Heelen. Culpeper is considering adding another storytime morning as well as a program utilizing volunteers who will visit daycare centers to present storytimes. The 4th Annual “For a Child’s Health” Festival is being planned for April. The event is a community-wide fair featuring booths and displays from a wide range of area organizations. Performers include puppeteers, local bands, dancers, and a juggler. The Handley Regional Library will feature a Groundhog Day celebration with weather prediction by Bowman Bill. An Alice in Wonderland Tea as well as a Peter Rabbit Centennial Celebration will be held. The Teen Planners are preparing for a pet show called “CyberPets.” The Highland County Library received a matching grant from the Libri Foundation and was able to purchase 65 new books. The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library celebrated Black History Month with the 13th Annual African American Read-In Chain. Adults, teen groups, etc. read original works and those by their favorite writers. Storyteller Fred Motley performs African stories and songs and the Elegba Folklore Society will present dance, songs, and stories. The 10th Annual Art Contest for grades K-5 will be held to celebrate Youth Art Month. The Spanish Language Storytime (presented solely by volunteers in the community) has been expanded to every Saturday morning. In an effort to find out what the community would like to see in the collection, a Favorite CD Contest was held in January with a winner at each branch receiving a gift certificate to a local music store. The 7th Annual Logo Contest will be held in March. The winning entry will be used on the front cover of the Teen Summer Reading Program brochure. An SAT Preparatory Class will be held at the Central Library and is presented free of charge by the Princeton Review. The Massanutten Regional Library will host Skylab, featuring a portable planetarium in the library. Carolyn Reeder will visit during National Library Week and Dorothy Donvan will present a program of signing and song. The Staunton Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board arranged “Sports,” a program featuring local sports figures talking about their sport. The Waynesboro Public Library will begin a Mother Goose Time for infants.
Shelley reported on Virginia Young Reader news. The winners will be announced in March at the VSRA Conference. The committee cannot discuss the books included on the list until after the VSRA Conference.
Sherry reported that the Jefferson Cup Committee has been busy reading and will meet again in March and April to make decisions.
Lisa reminded everyone to brainstorm ideas for how the forum can help with Read Aloud Virginia.
The October minutes were approved.
The next meeting will be held on April 5th at the Gordon Avenue Library at 12:30 p.m.
The meeting adjourned.
Ginger Armstrong