Youth Services 2012 Year in Review, or WOW! We did all that?

This happens to me every year, and maybe it happens to you too...I look up one day, and suddenly it's the middle of December. When that happens, I think to myself, "Where did the time go?" and then I tick off all the projects that led me to lose track of the time. Here in the Youth Services Department, we've been busy as usual, but a few big projects kept us on our toes.

We had a little work done (just a nip here, tuck there) that gave some much needed lift and color to the Youth Services area. We painted a wall in our Youth Services alcove behind the elevators bright blue, and it also happens to be magnetic! That's where you'll find build-your-own poetry pieces most of the time, but sometimes it's puzzles, sometimes it's word and picture matching games...but it's always fun! This project was in preparation for our fantastic first PoetryPlay event in April (National Poetry Month) with special guest author/poet Janet Wong!

I'm certain you have noticed our new orange wall in the Young Adult area. It's the first stage in a project of updating that wall to provide information, displays of materials, flyers, and other cool stuff. Coming in January is phase II, be sure to watch that space. Another update to the YA area included brand new and very sleek containers for our collection of music CD's. What a difference!

We finally replaced the bulk of our bulky desk/study chairs with bright blue, moveable and stackable desk chairs that have a great, comfortable profile that fits almost any body, kid or adult. After we replaced the chairs, we lowered the desk height of the Youth Services internet stations so that between the chairs and the tabletops, it's a much better fit and much more ergonomic.

You may (or may not) have noticed some new additions to the collection. This year we added a few e-readers to the mix: Kindles, VTech Innotabs, and LeapFrog LeapPads. We also have game cartridges for the Innotabs and LeapPads. I say you may not have noticed them because these items check out like gangbusters! These initial purchases have been so successful that you'll be sure to notice more of this in the coming year. New this year too were cartridges for your Nintendo DS here on the Youth Services floor. Check one of these many new items out today, or if you can't find one on the shelf, place one on hold for yourself or ask a staff member for help so you'll be sure to get in line for the next one available.

In March we rode the wave of the Hunger Games. A group of 25 received the red-carpet treatment through a generous partnership with Muvico in Rosemont: we had exclusive use of the game room while we gathered together, then, in our VIP reserved front-row seats we watched together as Katniss survived the Hunger Games on screen. Later, we gathered at the library AFTER HOURS to fight it out in several challenges of strength, intellect, endurance, and wits. Only the strong survive.

March was especially busy because it was also our visit and workshop with author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier. In a partnership with Algonquin Middle School, we listened to Raina's stories, asked her questions, practiced drawing with her, and got our copies of Smile signed by the author!

New this year also was a program around software and materials purchased through a generous partnership with NorthShore University HealthSystem. LEGO WeDo Robotic programs for 1st-3rd and 4th-6th graders brought the house down! Watch for more of these in 2013.

Whew!

And I didn't even get to all the wonderful storytimes, outreach programs, workshops, book discussions, amazing volunteers, Family Science Expo, Art Attack, Battle of the Books, Reading is SO Delicious summer reading...I could go on! If you're not here with us, you're missing out. We are closed on Monday, December 31, and Tuesday, January 1, but we'll look forward to your visit in 2013. Happy New Year from all of us in the Des Plaines Public Library Youth Services Department.

Art Attack: Pinecones

If your child missed our first Art Attack program, have no fear.  You and your family can make a pine cone decoration at home.  All you need is ribbon, pins, and a styrofoam egg and you can make your house look festive for any holiday or decorate your child's bedroom with a fun accessory.  The best part is that your child can easily help with it all and you can have a lot of fun together for less than $10.

 

Art Attack is an ongoing program for 5th-8th graders here in the library.  Look for more fun Art Attack events going on throughout the year.  If you want to make a pinecone at home, just follow these directions here.

 

Have younger kids, but still want to have a fun day?  Try making snowflakes out of empty toilet paper rolls and plastic cups following the directions here.

Are You Coming to Dave Herzog's Holiday Marionette Show?

                                                                             

'Tis the season of holiday cheers and a high spirit. We are rushing around for a gift shopping or preparing for a special food for friends and family while hearing Salvation Army bell.  To celebrate the season, the Des Plaines Public Library invites you to join Frosty's Winter Wonderland on Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 2 p.m.at the Library; The Marionette Variety show will present Santa  along with Frosty the Snowman, Termite the Singing Christmas Tree, Jack in the Box, The Nutcracker on Skates, Jingles the Elf on the Flying Trapeze, and many more wonderful winter characters as  they ring in the holidays with their own brand of frosty fun.

Well known to audiences throughout the Chicago  area, Dave Herzog has performed at famous Navy Pier for 14 years, and is the creator of one of the Pier's signature characters Fathom the Sea

Serpent. Please do come and enjoy this family show!

Take Your Child to....

There are many 'take your child to' days throughout the year such as the most famous of them all, Take Your Child to Work Day.  Saturday, December 1st is national Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day.  While the perception of libraries and bookstores is that we are in constant competition with each other, you might be surprised to know that there is a lot of collaboration between us.  As a library, we are excited and encouraged by the amount of literacy initiatives being brought forth by both local and big chain bookstores.  

On weekdays and nights, you can catch a storytime here at the library, but perhaps on a weekend you can head to your local bookstore to listen to the 'story lady' read as well.  Any and all actions on the part of parents to foster a love of books in their child is wonderful and highly encouraged by all of us here at the library.

Many bookstores which participate in the day are providing entertainment and activities for children.  We highly encourage you to participate in any and all of them that you can.  Then, head to calendar.dppl.org to check out the fun things going on here in the library.  Remember, almost all of the programs here in the library are free, so feel free to check them out!  While there is a specific day in the year for Take Your Child to the Library Day, we feel that every day can be celebrated with a visit to the library or the bookstore.  Share a book with your child and get them on the right path to literacy!

Stay (Library) Informed

Did you know you can receive a weekly e-mail straight to your inbox that will keep you informed of the goings-on around the library? Des Plaines Public Library's e-newsletter, eForward, gives you the week's library news in a nutshell. You will know about current and coming library events, learn about new products available to you either in the library or at home via your library card, be informed of things like holiday closings and special hours, and much more. Bonus...you will also be among the first to know about exciting library happenings such as the news that Des Plaines Public Library has been named a *star library* by Library Journal!

Take a look at the most current issue of eForward here. You can see that it previews some of our upcoming programs, and allows you to register on-the-spot for programs that interest you and may require registration. It is also a quick one-stop-shopping place to see all of the library's blogs and social media outlets. Finished reading Kidding Around? Check out PlainTalk with just a click of the mouse.

Enter your e-mail address and follow the instructions to become part of the eForward mailing list here. You'll be glad you did!

Talking Turkey

This is the time of year when many of us are thinking about Meleagris gallopavo. It is probably more accurate to say that we are thinking about one specific turkey, the one that will be part of our Thanksgiving dinner. The library has many cookbooks to help prepare a holiday meal, but I especially liked Thanksgiving by Ellyn Sanna. This book includes information about the culture, history and traditions of Thanksgiving. The recipes are very traditional, including my family's secret (I thought) recipe for cranberry salad.

I think turkeys are fascinating, and I consider myself to be in good company. After all, Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our official bird instead of the bald eagle. He thought that the eagle had "bad moral character," and said, "The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America." The National Turkey Federation (NTF) includes that fact and many more on its website.

The NTF is the group that has presented the National Thanksgiving Turkey to the President each year since 1947. Of course, the President publicly pardons that turkey and sends it to live at Mt. Vernon.

Two of the library's databases are good sources of information about turkeys as well. PebbleGo Animals is a great resource for emergent readers. Your child can learn lots of fun facts, such as what a poult is. (It's a baby turkey.) Amazing Animals of the World is a database for older children. You can link to these databases through the library's website,  and can log in from home with your Des Plaines library card, even on Thanksgiving Day.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

MEET THE DOG - Dog Safety for Children

                                           

Is there a right way or wrong way for children to meet a dog, to pet a dog,to play with a dog?

You and your children, ages 3-8, could find out the answers to these questions and many more by attending a very special program tomorrow, November 10th from 11:00-Noon in 1st floor meeting  Room B. Youth Services has invited safety experts and dog therapy teams from Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy of Morton Grove to demonstrate to you how to interact safely with dogs. (Registration is not required, but you must accompany your child to the program.)

Watching and meeting these gentle, obedient therapy dogs could lessen your child's fear of dogs, increase his/her coping skills when approaching new or strange dogs, and might even lead your family to considering having a dog of your very own.

After the program, (or if you cannot attend) I'd like to recommend a shared family read of some of our newest books from the pet nonfiction section (J 636.7). By all means start with the classic dog safety book, May I Pet Your Dog, as well as the cautionary tale for toddlers, Be Gentle With the Dog, Dear! Next, read a few books that satisfy your child's curiosity about doggy behavior, that is, why dogs do what they do, such as It's a Dog's Life. If your family already has a dog, you can also read several great books like 101 Fun Things to Do With Your Dog that have lots of easy games to play with your dog, that can train him to be a smarter, better behaved dog too! Finally, if you are deciding whether to get a new family dog, and need to learn about many breed of dogs, and what it takes to care for a dog, head for the J 636.7's - WOOF! WOOF!