Childrens Programs in general

Begin coordinating services & schedules in August.

(1)How many staff hours available?

(2)Offer preschool storytimes when staff is available.

SOMETHING TO STOP DOING: No more visiting preschools/daycares. Too time consuming. They come to the library (it's also a good experience for them to see the library environment).

(3)Get contact name/phone number of each daycare/preschool. Some schools contact the library and have special needs to be met to qualify for grants. Letters of agreement should be discussed with County Librarian.

(4)Send letters addressed to contact people reminding them which days they are scheduled. Ask them to contact library if unable to attend. Emails are fine, too.

(5) post contacts & schedule. May also want to indicate WHO is doing the storytime. I've always just created a table in Excel or Word.

(6) Decide how often and at what times Family Storytimes will be offered. Will there be age divisions? Will there be BookBabies? Will there be Spanish?

Preschool Storytimes:

1. The Library provides the preschools with library card applications & a letter explaining library services.

2. The preschool has responsibility for reproducing the letter & sending home applications.

3. In the past the applications are returned to the school & their staff confirms the information is correct based on their records. (THIS WAS A CUSTOMER SERVICE DECISION. SHOULD WE have parents visit the library with their child to get their card? If yes, #7 (below) becomes an issue because if the children have possession of their cards they probably won't remember to bring them on library day.)

4. Preschool teachers BRING the completed application cards TO THE LIBRARY before their first visit so library cards can be prepared in advance.

5. Library staff checks patron records to be sure that children do not already have a card. (MAYBE we should check to see if parents have a card, and if they are in good standing?)

6. Some stragglers may have cards prepared on the day of first visit, but it's time consuming so this should be rare.

7. In many cases the preschool library cards are kept at the Circ Desk for the semester/school year. Children may use the cards if their parents ever bring them to the library. (SHOULD THIS CONTINUE, or should teachers be responsible?)

Following is a monthly template. Times & days are based on staff availability and requests by preschool. For the past few years I have called and told them when they are scheduled and negotiated from there as needed. (I was swayed by Kids Connection saying they had no daytime transportation this season, but if you can stand firm on the "we can't take storytimes on the road" guideline, it will be easier on staff.) One of my goals was to establish a team of Read Aloud volunteers who visit daycares, preschools, afterschool programs. They would need to make a commitment to a particular agency and follow through. They would have to be trained for high quality performance and meet standards expected for quality readers.

We received grant money of $500 for craft supplies so at risk kids could enjoy craft time. Programs that were specifically targetedmost had TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) grants: Head Start, Basic Beginnings & Developmental Preschool. Hilltop applied for some type of grant, but I don't know if it was TANF. Those that called their programs preschool but to my knowledge were not certified teachers: Bright Horizons, Kids Connection, PuddleDucks, New Life.

Week 1 & 3

Mondays: no storytimes

Tuesdays: 9:30, 10:30 Head Start (have an agreement to support their grant, they became more reliable after a program evaluation)

Fridays: 10 am @ Kids Connection (no transportation this year.)

Week 2 & 4

Mondays: 10:30 Bright Horizons (small group. very appreciative. Teachers better as year progressed)

Tuesdays: 9:30 Hilltop, 10:30 Developmental 11:15 New Life (not reliable this year, lots of turnover)

Thursdays: Wk 4 8:30 & 12:30 @ Slade Preschool (visits to Slade: discontinue)

Fridays: Wk 2 9:30 & 1:30 @ Basic Beginnings; Wk 4 9:30 & 1:30 @ Library (may need some negotiating. they had a hard time getting transportation more than once a month.)

Family Storytimes

Attendance varies (sometimes wildly!), sometimes based on other community activities. Toddler time at 10:30 is very popular for 3 and under & parents; and older kids enjoy the stories for younger kids, too. (SOMETHING TO STOP: do we need concurrent programs at 10:30?)

Wednesdays

9:30 Early Bird Stories

10:30 Wiggle Giggle

10:30 Toddler Time

Thursdays

9:30 Early Bird Stories

10:30 Wiggle Giggle

10:30 Toddler Time

3:30 Afternoon Adventures (DISCONTINUED)

Fridays

10 Book Babies (6 week sessions). (WILL SOMEONE CONTINUE THIS)

EVENTS

Monday afternoon movies (low attendance. PERHAPS switch to Wendesday night family movies, alternating with Family Nights?)

Family Nights / 3rd Wednesdays (WHO WILL STAFF, PROCURE FOOD? Food is an important part of this program. Also - many of the children's games belong to Janet. I'm taking them home. Shall we ask Paul if he can get some more kid focused games?)

Spring Break Activities / Mar. 17-21

Wyoming Reads / 1st graders May 20th (Janet will continue to be on ACReads. I look forward to working on this project in the future)

Book Bash mid June

Parades: Jubilee Days / Homecoming / Christmas (haven't done this one)

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST (maybe a display?)

September: Get a Library Card Month

Children's Book Week

March: Read Across America

Various Holidays