This week at the library; or, Summer Countdown (hope there's no explosion at the end of it)

Programs

• School Visits
• Summer Reading
• Summer Reading Kick-Off: Welty Environmental Center, Wiggly Worms

Random Commentary

• Monday - I visited the 6th grade at the middle school, presentations at 8am, 9am, 10am, and noon. This is why I'm not a teacher; I could never get up that early every day! I feel that 7am is the ideal time to arise. I got to the school around 7:30, just in time for a fire alarm drill. The first group is always a bit meh (I'm not the only person who doesn't like being up that early), the 9am group is 100 kids and I only have 20 minutes, the last two groups are more awake and alert. Some of the teachers said they'd like to come to the library next year and I am all for anything that A. does not involve me trucking 3 milk crates of books on my dolly all over the place and B. has the kids checking out books.
• Then we had a staff meeting, paperwork and training for my new aide, etc. Happily, my director had volunteered to take my Monday evening at the desk, so me and my tired feet got to go home at 5.
• Tuesday - Westside school visit, last away-from-the-library visit! Lots of very, very enthusiastic readers - the 1st graders wanted to cheer wildly after every book that I showed and the kindergarteners were so excited they simply couldn't sit still! On the down side, apparently fifths disease is running through the school. I picked that up from the daycare kids last year and it was MISERABLE (yes, I know adults aren't supposed to get it). I will now bathe myself in disinfectant.
• Wednesday - 80 5th graders from Jackson came for a tour, scavenger hunt, and booktalking, plus a lecture on "How Not to Get Kicked Out of the Library When You Are Sixth Graders" My director ran the tour and scavenger hunt, and I did the talking. We split them in half and then switched. I do need to remember to split the candy in half - we mysteriously ran out for the second group. Otherwise it went really well. School visits DONE!
• Thursday - all sorts of misc. last minute things and 3 hours on the desk, during which I worked on my never-ending series project.
• Friday - last minute run to walmart, found swimming pools, YAY. Finished preparing for summer reading, processed all my new books, filled all the displays, cleaned out the Storyroom.
• Saturday - Summer reading begins! I borrowed a staff member to supervise the Welty Environmental Center program in the community room (they did Wiggly Worms and it was great - about 60 people) and I did "sign-up" i.e. hand out materials and explain programs in the lobby with Anna, our adult svs librarian doing the adults (and covering for me when I had to go somewhere, which happened frequently b/c Parks and Rec booked someone over us in the Community Room) It's so much easier now that we only count participation, not registration. Makes things a lot faster. I went through Super Reader Club forms really fast, but not many Rubber Ducky Readers (they'll sign up at storytime next week).
• Click here for a photo album of the Welty Center program. If you live in Wisconsin or Illinois, within driving distance of Beloit, I strongly recommend their programs!
• Our windows were inspired by this bulletin board from Miss Meg's Storytime
• HA remembered what I forgot that I wanted to remember - have a laptop available for people to sign up for programs, the information desk got too busy.