Reading during the summer provides communities with many benefits. According to the American Library Association, “The benefits to readers in a summer reading program include: encouragement that reading become a lifelong habit, reluctant readers can be drawn in by the activities, reading over the summer helps children keep their skills up, and the program can generate interest in the library and books.”[1]

Statistics and research have proven time and again that those who participate in summer reading programs benefit tremendously from a literacy standpoint and children do not fall behind by just kicking back at home all summer. For students who may be struggling during the school year, research has shown “one advantage of public library summer reading programs is that they are not located in school buildings, which helps reduce the negative perception about summer learning for students who are struggling.”[2]

But the most important reason summer reading programs are so important and effective are for the opportunities they provide to families who are impoverished or held at a disadvantage for numerous reasons. “Numerous studies have shown that reading over the summer prevents ‘summer reading loss.’ Children living in poverty are more likely to lose reading skills over the summer than children whose families are more affluent. Some researchers estimate 50-67% of the achievement gap, for children living in poverty and for children of color, is the result of summer reading loss.”[3] Public library summer reading programs help bridge those gaps for families who are not as fortunate.

This is why it is important for libraries and librarians to get out into the community and promote their summer programming. This reminds community members that instead of having their kids watch television all summer, they can be reading and participating in library programming that will advance them in their studies and literacy. So if you have not signed your kiddos up for the summer reading program at your local public library, please do so and help them participate in as many programs throughout the summer.

References

[1] American Library Association. “Summer Reading Programs: Benefits,” Last updated May 15, 2017. http://libguides.ala.org/summer-reading/benefits. May 30, 2017.

[2] “Why Public Library Summer Reading Programs Are Important.” http://libraries.idaho.gov/files/SRPResearchPoints2015.pdf. May 30, 2017.

[3] Ibid.

The post Build a Better World: Collaborative Summer Reading Program 2017 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Public Libraries: What inspired you to begin reading to homeless children at the Crotona Inn homeless shelter?

Colbert Nembhard: My journey with the Crotona Inn homeless shelter began eight years ago. I received a phone call from my outreach department asking me if I could go to the Crotona Inn shelter and do outreach. When I got there, I saw that they had a lot of young ones in the childcare center raging from about 8 months to 3 years old. I believe that literacy starts at an early age; therefore, I decided to take the library to the shelter. Studies have shown that by the time a child reaches the age of four, 90 percent of the brain is already developed. I wanted to make sure I foster literacy in those children at an early age. Often children in the shelters are forgotten and are not involved in the early literacy experience. With me going into the shelter, reading stories, doing sing-along, finger-plays, and conducting family literacy workshops, helps to foster literacy.

PL: What kinds of changes have you noticed in the children who attend your reading sessions?

CN: I visit the shelter on a weekly basis and I do notice that children participate more during story time. Children will often point to the books that they would like me to read to them. Some of them are able to imitate sound, identify images, and numbers. And the older ones can say their ABCs.

PL: What skills do you utilize as a librarian during your programs?

CN: During my programs, I do like to do lots of songs and finger-plays. I also use a lot of puppetry. I also work with them in identifying their colors, letters, and numbers. I sometimes incorporate musical instruments.

PL: What kind of hurdles have you experienced through the years?

CN: One of the biggest hurdles is to get parents of the shelter to take their child or children to the library to take advantage of our free programs and services.

Photo Courtesy of Ayofemi Kirby, New York Public Library

PL: Do you train others to read to children? If so, what advice do you give them as they are being trained?

CN: I have trained others to read to children. In reading to the young, I remind them that their attention span is very small so don’t read books that are lengthy. Choose books that will be appealing to the children-books that have colorful illustrations and books that are interactive. Children love lots of interactions.  Also, kids love pop-up books. I have also told others to get the children involved in your lift-the-flap books by having them participate in opening the flaps.

PL: Tell us a little about the impact that your programs have on you personally.

CN: Going to the shelters for these many years and conducting programs with these children has left an indelible mark on my life. Knowing that I am able to help develop their pre-literacy skills which will prepare them to become successful readers at an early age, has given me a sense of accomplishment.

PL: What do parents think of your reading services?

CN: Parents are grateful that someone takes the time out to read and interact with their children. They are grateful that their children are included and part of this learning initiative. Parents think that this is an awesome service.

PL: What is one thing you would tell other librarians wanting to start a similar program in their community?

CN: I would say to that librarian, go for it because he or she could make a big difference in the life of a child. I would also say it is a rewarding experience.

The post Educating Homeless Youth in the Bronx first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

According to an interview Dias did with NPR, the group has well exceeded their goal by collecting about four thousand books at last count. The drive ended at the beginning of February, but Dias told NPR she hopes to create a “black girl book club” and change the type of books that are assigned to students in school. Dias has said she was tired of reading books about white boys and their dogs, or both. She had read Where the Red Fern Grows and Shiloh, but longed for something more like her favorite book, Newbery Honor Book Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.

According to a yearly analysis by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, less than 10 percent of children’s books published in 2015 had a black person as the main character, even less with a black female. And while campaigns such as We Need Diverse Books have brought the problem to the forefront, many schools collections are lagging in this area.

Here are some more titles that are perfect for school or public library collections.  Marley’s Top Five books, as told to NPR, are followed by an asterisk (*). What are some of your favorite #1000BlackGirlBooks?

Picture Books

1. Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen
2. I Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker
3. Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang
4. Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron
5. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
6. Wow! It Sure Is Good To Be You by Cynthia Jabar
7. The Color of Us by Karen Katz
8. Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee*
9. Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
10. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
11. The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Rachel Isadora
12. Coming On Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson
13. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Chapter Books & Series

1. Ruby and the Booker Boys by Derrick Barnes
2. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
3. Sassy series by Sharon M. Draper
4. Nikki and Deja series by Karen English
5. Sugar Plum Ballerinas series by Whoopi Goldberg & Deborah Underwood
6. The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith
7. Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay
8. Miss You, Mina by Denene Millner
9. Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes
10. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor*
11. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia*
12. President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston*
13. Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods

Teen

1. Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman
2. The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson
3. Heaven by Angela Johnson
4. Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson
5. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
6. This Side of Home by Renee Watson
7. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson*
8. Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
9. When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright

Historical Biographies

1. Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman by Louis Borden & Mary Kay Kroeger
2. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
3. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
4. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose
5. Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation by Andrea Davis Pinkney
6. When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan
7. Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Alan Schroeder
8. Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter

Resources:

CBCC: Publishing Statistics on Children’s Books about People of Color and First/Native Nations and by People of Color and First/Native Nations

People: 11-Year-Old Girl Starts Social Movement Promoting Books with ‘Strong, Black Female’ Main Characters

NPR: Where’s The Color In Kids’ Lit? Ask The Girl With 1,000 Books (And Counting)

GrassROOTS Community Foundation

The post #1000BlackGirlBooks Campaign Exceeds Goal first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Janice Johnson Dias, Marley’s mother, challenged her daughter to do something about the issue. “I know there’s a lot of black girl books out there, I just haven’t read them,” the fifth grader laments. Marley launched her campaign in November 2015 with the goal to amass a thousand books featuring black girls as the main characters, instead of their typical placement as sidekicks, best friends, and other secondary characters. The drive ended on February 1; on March 11, she plans to deliver the books to a local school in her mother’s hometown in St. Mary, Jamaica,  as part of her work with her mother’s social justice organization, grassROOTS.[2]

Not only has the fifth grader exceeded her goal, she is also behind a trending hashtag, #1000blackgirlbooks. Even bookselling giant Barnes & Noble donated books to the drive, explaining that “some books introduce us to characters who are different from us, allowing us to see the world from a new perspective. But for children in the process of figuring out who they are, and who they want to be, it is just as important to also read stories about characters they can relate to, and see themselves in.”[3] Dias also appeared on the Ellen show, where she was given a laptop and a check from picture site Shutterfly.

Having surpassed her thousand-book goal for the Jamaican school, she hopes to continue taking in books to help other schools and other students of color experiencing the same frustrations.

As for Dias’ own favorite books? She mentions, among others, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, and Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (author of the award-winning book Speak).

References:

[1] Marley Dias. “Girl’s drive to find 1,000 ‘black girl books’ hits target with outpouring of donations” by Alison Flood, Guardian, February 9, 2016.

[2] Taryn Finley, “This 11-Year-Old Wants To Help Kids Discover Books They Can Relate To,” Huffington Post Black Voices, January 25, 2016.

[3] Barnes & Noble. “Girl’s drive to find 1,000 ‘black girl books’ hits target with outpouring of donations” by Alison Flood, Guardian, February 9, 2016.

The post A Thousand Books Strong first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Created by Jordan Lloyd Bookey and her husband, Felix Brandon Lloyd, Beanstack is a specialized service for libraries and their patrons that offers personalized book recommendations and specific tools for learning. Beanstack librarians as well as the specific library system’s librarians work together to recommend books for young readers based on the young person’s individual interests. These specialized recommendations not only make reading enjoyable for the children, but also help build literacy at an early age.

“Beanstack is a web application, and it is mobile optimized,” says Bookey. “That means it is very easy to use on your phone, as we build first for the mobile experience. We consider it a family engagement tool, helping to better connect libraries and families. By signing up, families will receive personalized recommendations for their kids, along with recommended events and more. We know that librarians themselves are the best answer—nothing beats a librarian at readers’ advisory! Our goal is to help people begin and continue their discovery process of all the amazing things their library/librarians have to offer.” All recommendations are titles already in your library’s specific catalog.

The system has learning activities, reading logs, and an engaging badge system to entice young readers to not only read but also continue reading.

This product is helpful on its own but can be paired with a number of your own library system’s programs. “Beanstack has worked great with the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program and we’re excited to see how parents use the product in other ways,” says Garrett Hungerford, assistant director of Salem-South Lyon District Library in Michigan. Many systems have promoted it along with their summer reading programs. Beanstack also sends out a weekly reminder to visit your library for more information from librarians, and thus becomes a community engagement tool, as well. “It helps engage local families by providing personalized recommendations, tools for earning incentives, and content curated by librarians. 43% of Beanstack users do not have a library card when signing up. The flagship summer reading client experienced a 25% increase in registrations and completions,” says Bookey.

Beanstack has now partnered with over fifty public libraries throughout the United States and even into Canada. A video demonstrating how Beanstack can be partnered with your summer reading program can be seen here.

The post Beanstack: A Readers’ Advisory Tool for Young Readers first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

NaNoWriMo, as it’s affectionately known, challenges writers seventeen and older around the world to complete at least 50,000 words in November.  Many libraries host writing events for writing groups participating in the event.  However, NaNoWriMo has also developed the Young Writers Program (YWP) for younger writers and educators.

Where to Begin

How can you integrate the NaNoWriMo YWP into your library’s literacy program?  Start by registering as an educator on the website.  Once you’re registered, you will have access to myriad resources created especially for the event.

If you’re targeting a specific age group, like teens, check out the workbooks NaNoWriMo has created for middle and high school writers.  These books contain tips for tackling some of the greater obstacles of NaNoWriMo, like self-editing.

These are great resources if you’ve taught classes at your library but never taught writing before.  What better way to teach it than by doing it with your writing group?  The workbooks, which are downloadable, even include contracts that can be signed by participants, affirming their commitments to the YWP and their chosen word goal.

NaNoWriMo has always injected humor and a dose of reality in its goal-setting.  The middle school workbook contains two sheets of chore coupons that can be exchanged with family members in order to motivate your young writers to hit their daily targets.  The high school workbook, instead, contains a customizable calendar.

These workbooks are used in conjunction with a set of lesson plans tailored for multiple grade levels.  The lesson plans are detailed and even contain links to Common Core standards.  While these lesson plans are a great start, don’t forget to vary your curriculum.  As a librarian, you know you can never have too many resources.  When I taught writing, I utilized Linda Rief’s Read, Write, Teach.  Even though I was an English teacher, as a natural writer, I struggled to translate my process into the classroom.  Having a structured writing curriculum helped.

The Virtual Classroom

Your next step if you are going to teach writing to ten or more community members at your library is to order your classroom survival kit.  This clever kit allows you and your community of writers to track progress publicly.  A little competition hurts no one, and that’s part of what motivates the NaNoWriMo community.  Don’t forget to put yourself on the list!

Give yourself a button and declare every day of November: “I Novel.”  Make sure your participants get one.  They may even end up with more than one depending on your state.  In California alone, there are 419 classes registered with the YWP.  In Idaho, there are forty-five, a relatively large number for such a small population.

These classrooms are registered through your educator account.  You can connect with your students through this classroom, share announcements, and track their progress.  Your writers will be writing at home, hopefully even connecting with writers throughout the world.  Anyone in the YWP can start a Word War with anyone else.  This competition should be encouraged as a motivator, especially toward the end of November.

At the Library

When you’re not teaching lessons, clear out computer labs and lounge spaces for free writes.  This is when your writers get to practice silencing their inner critics.  Time these free writes for an added kick in the competition.

If you’re hosting writing events in October in anticipation of NaNoWriMo, integrate writing critiques.  Not only are these a great way to teach the writing process, they are also a great way to teach social and communication skills to youngsters, especially during Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.  This can prepare your students for myriad situations, including possible publication of their work.

Who knows?  You may have the next Christopher Paolini among your young writers.

The post NaNoWriMo a Great Way to Teach Literacy first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Uniondale Library is a safe, well-utilized institution in the community and Kendrick-Samuel knew that music would bring teen patrons in the doors. Through funding from the Best Buy Community Foundation, Margaret E. Edwards Trust, and a Uniondale School District 21^st Century Learning grant. Kendrick-Samuel made “young adult services” music to the Uniondale Library’s teens’ ears.

The program initially was offered as a two-part workshop led by vocalist and music teacher, Michelle Taylor Bryant. Bryant drew on her first hand experiences at Carnegie Hall and the Long Island Conservatory of Music. She offered students vocal coaching and most of all, lots of encouragement and positive praise. Bryant put together a curriculum that included getting the kids up and singing as a group plus offering tools and techniques to improve individual and group singing. She also developed students’  music appreciation—increasing their sensitivity to the power of a song, its impact on a listener, and how a song’s message can be communicated by a singer’s individual rendition. All of this culminated in a small group of the Dewey Decibels performing as an all-female group, “The Jolies,” in the library’s annual talent show. It was a hit.

When it looked like Bryant’s broken ankle would shut the show down the following year, Uniondale native Twyla Sommersell, an academic designer/editor at McGraw-Hill School Education specializing in music, stepped in. Sommersell added a few more workshops and partnered students as performers and directors, creating an interesting dimension. Students performed and the audience provided carefully guided constructive criticism. The library had assembled its own rendition of “The Voice”—and soon there was huge interest (that is, a large number of boys joined the group).

Sommersell’s goal was for “students… to perform in some way or another, promoting confidence.” Kendrick-Samuel’s goal: to get students into the library and off the streets. Both women realized their dream—when the group stood and performed its rendition of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” at the annual talent show. Students were empowered through music and through the library.

The Dewey Decibels are now a permanent part of the Uniondale Library Young Adult Services programming, one that everyone can’t wait to hear. Syntychia Kendrick-Samuel said, “Sure, it was great to see kids get up on stage…or see painfully shy kids perform for the first time, but the best thing about it was seeing how the library could make a difference. That’s why I became a librarian. This is the kind of thing that makes it all worth it.”

The post Dewey Decibels: Teens Creating Music at Their Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The teenage years are not easy for anyone, but for many LGBT teens, the struggle to understand themselves and find acceptance from their peers and community can be even more difficult. The public library can be a wonderful resource for LGBT teens looking for answers or for those just needing a safe, welcoming space to gather with friends. If you want to begin to make a connection with your LGBT teen patrons, there are a few easy steps you can take to get started improving service to this often underserved community.

One of the easiest ways that librarians can help improve their service to LGBT teens is by becoming familiar with some basic terminology. People often mistakenly use inappropriate or out­dated words that can offend or hurt, even when it is unintentional. Suzanne Walker, Professional Development Office Supervisor at the Indiana State Library, offers a training session on serving LGBT youth for librarians throughout the state. She says that it is especially important for librarians to understand the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation and recommends the terminology guide from UCLA to help clarify words that you are unclear about. She states that “There are an endless number of ways for a human to be a human and it’s important for librarians to remember that we serve all of them.”

Another way libraries can help reach the LGBT patrons is by having a collection that includes both informational and recreational materials that represent the diversity of the community. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Round Table of the American Library Association is a great place to get some guidance on how to help build a balanced collection.

The GLBT Round table creates the Rainbow List and also sponsors the Stonewall Book Awards, which honor books for youth that have exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience.

However, the best way to find out what your LGBT teens need from your library is to ask them! If you are not sure who the LGBT teens are in your library, this might mean going outside of your library walls for help. Many high schools and most colleges have a Gay Straight Alliance group that can help answer questions you may have about serving LGBT youth.

There may be occasions where a LGBT teen comes to you in a crisis situation. LGBT teens are more likely to experience violence than their heterosexual and cisgender peers and have higher rates of suicide and homelessness. Many also lack a good support network. “It’s important for librarians to remember that we don’t have to have the answer for every question that crosses our desks, but we do have to know where to find that answer. Make sure your librarians know what resources are available to your teens and tell them about those resources through signs in the restrooms, programs, word­of­mouth, or brochures.” explains Walker. If your library isn’t already, consider becoming a registered Safe Place, a national youth outreach and prevention program that helps connect teens with the resources that they need in their communities.

Finally, it is also important not only to have the knowledge and resources but to also celebrate the LGBT community. Many libraries have LGBT resources but shy away from putting them on display or highlighting them on the library’s website. If you have LGBT resources available but they are difficult to find, think about what message this is sending to your LGBT teens. Not sure where to begin? Why not try something for Teen Read Week, October 18-­24!

References

1. http://www.ala.org/PrinterTemplate.cfm?Section=Available_PIO_Materials&Template=/ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11968. Accessed 9/18/15.

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