But just because library staff are living by a different schedule for these off-weeks doesn't mean that our customers are. How do you meet customer demand for librarian-mediated story times when you're giving your staff a much-needed rest? Enter the take-home story time kit, available for regular check-out during programming off-weeks.Every take-home story time kit I assemble includes two or three books loosely on a theme--think farm animals, things that go, princess stories, etc., whatever your kiddos are into. To top off the stories, I include a children's CD that includes music similar to what we might include in our traditional story times. These stacks of materials get bundled together and tied with a pretty bow. To finish off the whole appealing package, I add a bright label that gives the kit's theme and simple instructions: "Take twenty minutes to read these books and listen to or sing songs on this CD with your child. Talk about the books' pictures and what happens in the stories. Draw a picture about the theme when you're done!" Ta-da! Brief, simple instructions for an at-home story time.
I love several things about these take-home story time kits. First, they meet some of the demands of our customers for programming during those weeks when we're taking breaks from traditional story time programs--there's never complete radio silence between customers and story time providers. Second, they emphasize the importance of having story times at home, be they formal or informal. Third, they entreat caregivers to engage in ECRR-recommended practices with their children without ever sounding pedagogical. Fourth, they are pretty quick to assemble. And lastly, they are so pretty! Don't you think they're pretty?Caregivers who frequent my branch enjoy knowing that they can rely on the library to equip them to provide literacy-positive activities for their young ones even when our program room doors are shut. And that's part of the whole goal, right? To empower readers and those who raise readers. My staff may be resting over the next two weeks, but the library kiddos are still very much engaged with stories.
Amy, that is a perfect idea - thanks for sharing! I've seen book bundles but these have a great purpose and really show your patrons that despite those programming breaks, the staff is thinking of them and making sure they have great books and content available to them!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the idea, Marge! They circed pretty slowly at first, but now that customers know what and where they are they have really picked up.
DeleteThis is the coolest! And they're pretty!
ReplyDeleteAmy, how does Circ staff check them out? Are they packaged in a way that the barcodes are accessible? Or does Circ staff untie them and then check them out? I love this idea and the way you're packaging them is so cute!
ReplyDeleteAbby, our Circ staff untie the kits and check out items individually. Since the items in the kit aren't tied to each other in our ILS, a customer can renew just one item if he/she desires. Circ staff put the ribbons from the circed kits in a basket on my desk; that way I can keep stats on how many kits have gone out, and I know how many more to make.
DeleteOh, wow! This is a fabulous idea! I always have families show up on the off-week, sometimes b/c they forgot and sometimes just to play and keep with their routine. We take a break from the week of Thanksgiving to the first week of January. I'll definitely be trying this idea out!
ReplyDeleteHow creative! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love your idea. Hopefully we can pull this together soon in my little branch.
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea. How do you put the bundle back together once it has been checked out and returned (most likely all taken apart). How does your circulation desk handle that?
ReplyDeleteOur bundles are not permanently tied together, if that makes sense. Items are checked out to the children's department library card (so they don't show up on retrieval lists); they are bundled by staff and can be checked out as normal; and when they are returned, they get shelved back in their usual spaces in the stacks. Staff are always creating new bundles direct from the stacks. Basically while the bundles are effectively checked out together, they are returned individually.
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