Youth Services Forum Executive Committee
Charlottesville, VA
February 7, 2003
Attending: Tim Carrier, Maureen Harrill, Dena Martin, Pat Muller, Lisa Payne, Sherry Pearson, and Maggie Shanley
Maureen Harrill agreed to assume chair responsibilities for the group (as Lisa Payne had to step down). She called the meeting to order. There was not a report from the VLA Council meeting because no one was able to attend due to snow and poor road conditions (J-MRL libraries opened at noon on 2/7/03).
Pat reported that highlights of successful youth programs will now be included in the VLA newsletter. Contact Audrey Kelly, the VLA newsletter editor, by telephone (804) 692-3768, fax (804) 692-3771 or e-mail akelly@lva.lib.va.us to submit an item about a program in your library.
Pat also presented a family literacy update. Projected activities include a grant-writing workshop for family literacy programs to be held in March of 2003, a Motheread/Fatheread training session to be held in May 2003 and a family literacy newsletter that will highlight cooperation between family literacy providers and libraries.
Additionally, Pat distributed a proposal for a family literacy advocacy project that would prepare library youth specialists to become advocates for family literacy. A series of three regional workshops, in partnership with the Youth Services Forum of the Virginia Library Association, will be offered in the fall and winter of 2003-04.
Also included in Pat Muller’s report was an update on Read Aloud Week 2003. Lisa Payne volunteered for this committee (Pat requested a member from the Richmond area). Planning for this event will commence in the spring. A possible theme for Read Aloud Week is “Once upon a time…parents would read to their children” featuring folk tales, legends etc.
With assistance from her advisory committee, Pat intends to present a series of workshops to introduce some of the best books published in 2002, from the Capitol Choices Booklist http://capitolchoices.communitypoint.org/.
Finally, Pat stated that she is now the official liaison from the Library of Virginia to VEMA and she will continue in her role as the official VSRA representative. Pat is looking forward to building stronger relations with these two groups.
Region reports were presented.
Maureen discussed Region I news. Bristol Public is continuing with a teen book club and teen after school activities in addition to regularly scheduled storytimes. Buchanan Public has a special program called “Wednesday Wildness”. One Wednesday a month children of all ages can participate in special learning and craft activities. Galax-Carroll is presenting love stories in early February and doing an Adopt-A-Book program. Marion branch of Smyth-Bland is starting a new activity for girls in grades 6-8 – Girl Power Craft Hour. Pulaski has given every child in their county school system a virtual library card that they can use to access electronic databases and check out books. In addition to conducting storytimes for all ages five days a week, Radford has Chess and Ugeo clubs meeting after school four times a week. At Roanoke City, Omar Tyree came and did a Q & A session on January 4th. African-American History Month was celebrated with Ron Johnson, ventriloquist. Sign Language for children was offered on February 25th and Teen Poetry Slam continues every second Tuesday evening starting at 6:00 with pizza. Roanoke County is gearing down from their Tons of Fun at Tanglewood Mallwhich took place on February 1st. A major focus of this event was library card registration. They partnered with Cox Cable and were able to give library cards on the spot. There were lots of fun activities such as digging for dinosaur eggs in the sand. Origami workshops were held at each branch the week of February 17th for 10-14 year olds. In April, they will have another Mystery Night for 10-15 year olds. Teen actors, with leadership from library staff, will present a mystery about the missing owl, Hedwig. Teen participants will try to figure out whodunit. Salem Public is busy planning for the upcoming Summer Reading Program. Additionally, staff is kept busy with two toddler and two pre-school programs a week as well as an after school program with some involvement with Roanoke College. Wythe-Grayson is back in the swing of storytime after a holiday hiatus. They report that their Adopt-A-Book program is going extremely well.
Dena presented the report for Region IV. Chesterfield has a lot going on. Teen programs include book discussion groups, craft projects (CD box photo frame and a decorative switchplate), a special Valentine’s Day program discussing the history of the holiday and teen romance novels and poetry, Poetry and Pizza (readings of teen’s original and/or favorite poems) and a teen poetry contest for the month of April (with winners published in the Richmond Times Dispatch and Chester Village News. For Children they have the magic of Krendle (planned for National Library Week), Queen Nur celebrating Black History Month with storytelling and music, a Dr. Seuss birthday celebration and a Families First Family Resource Center Open House on March 22nd. Henrico has singer, songwriter and storyteller Bill Harley in the spring. This program is being partnered with Chesterfield and Rappahannock to save transportation costs. Also, Kevin Davis, will present Rhythms of Africa for African-American History Month. For Henrico teens, a poetry contest is planned. Entries will be accepted from March 15-April 15. A celebration for winners will be held in May. Pamunkey’s children enjoyed a Teddy Bear’s 100th Birthday Party and Janubeary last month. Book Yak! A teen book discussion group recently discussed The rag and bone shop by Robert Cormier. Petersburg was expecting a very busy Black History Month featuring artwork of local black artists at Central Branch and a film series introduced by actress Daphne Maxwell Reid. Also, a local historian will discuss the civil rights movement in Petersburg and a Black History trivia contest will be posted on their website. Finally, Richmond City hosted Harlem Renaissance Review for children (participants will explore New York’s Harlem in the 1920s by dressing up in period clothing while learning about swing dancing. Also, they will experience a sampling of African-American poetry and music from the era). Players from the Richmond Renegades Hockey Team will present a hands-on course on ice hockey fundamentals. Ezibu Munto African Dance Company will perform for teens and their families and an online scavenger hunt focusing on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be conducted throughout the month of February. Chess club for ages 11-17 meets every Wednesday.
Tim reported on events in Region VI. Augusta County programs include: an evening lock-in until 8:30 p.m. with 2nd and 3rd graders (with another one planned for 4th and 5th graders), a Valentine Extraganza complete with stories, puppets, crafts and treats, Storytime featuring Clifford the Big Red Dog in February and the wearing of the green in March, a bimonthly chess club, open to ages 6 and up and a new Children’s Book Club for 3rd and 4th graders that will meet each month. Highland County was the winner of a Library of Virginia Book Drawing and has now added 36 new children’s and young adult books. They have also begun collections of DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks on CD, and graphic novels. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library participated in the National African-American Read-In Chain for the 14th time, with a wide range of people from the community reading favorite works. Central Library’s Spanish Storytime has now expanded to every Saturday morning. Other children’s activities include: West African Rhythms by Drum Call and Friends, Northside Library’s 11th annual Children’s Art Contest, a Time Traveler program about Lewis & Clark, and a puppet making program. Teen events include: a candymaking program for Valentine’s Day, and the 8th Annual Logo Contest. J-MRL is working with a local middle school to create Bistro Book, a lunchtime weekly book discussion group at the school for 7th and 8th graders. J-MRL staff offered suggestions for book titles to use and utilized Friends funds to help purchase the books for the program. J-MRL staff will also booktalk all of the titles to the participants at the first session every February. Samuels welcomed Dr. Mwizenge Tembo on February 15th. Dr Tembo presented African Rhythms and Folk Tales, featuring tales, drumming and dancing. Toddler and preschool storytimes continue weekly and on school holidays when the library is open, Samuels also provides a “Big Kids” storytime. In honor of Black History Month, Shenandoah County hosted an “Evening About Diversity” program on February 6, featuring readers and reviewers of favorite works of African-American authors. Happenings at Staunton Public include: “Goops, Gumps and Gadzooks”, a hands-on discovery program for kids ages 9-12, regular storytimes including Mother Goose Time for infants and afterschool programs for older kids round out their lineup. Finally, Waynesboro reports that a Captain Underpants party for elementary school students is coming in the spring. Waynesboro also has a Middle School Advisory Board that is planning an interactive mystery night for March or April. The library recently held a Teen Coffeehouse, planned by the High School Advisory Board. The open mic night featured ten performers and over 30 teens enjoyed their reading as well as magnetic poetry, checkers and door prizes. The response was so great that more coffeehouses are planned for the spring.
Lorry from Region II, Josie and Susan from Region III, and Jane from Region V were unable to attend the meeting. Please see attachments for their complete Region Reports.
The next meeting will be held on Friday, April 4th at Gordon Avenue Library in Charlottesville at 12:30 p.m.
The meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Dena Martin