Okay, this video technically has nothing to do with libraries. But – look how cute it is! We can all use a couple of minutes in a busy day to have some stress-relieving panda video fun. And if it happens that these adorable little guys remind you of any patrons, well that just highlights how cute our patrons can be and how resilient library people can be, always with good humor, in getting work done despite any obstacle!
Are you doing some fun library work? Share the video and tell us about it!
Libraries are cool, and library people tend to do the most interesting things! Check out this story about a library person who connects with a community using music.
“INDEPENDENCE – Helping children develop a love for reading is as simple as singing a song, according to Joel Caithamer.
Caithamer is the children’s services coordinator for the William E. Durr Branch of the Kenton County Public Library. He is widely known as the “singing librarian” because he likes to incorporate music and song into the programs he operates.
Library patron Debbie Noble visits Caithamer every Tuesday for the Preschool Storytime at 10:30 a.m. at the Independence location. She brings her grandson, 21-month old grandson Evan, and her 4-year-old grandson Owen when he’s not in preschool.
“My boys like the music,” she said. “It seems to get them to interact. Joel is a valuable asset because he gives us babysitting grandparents a bit of his time to entertain our grandkids and give us a break.”
The storytime doesn’t just include a book with large vibrant pictures. The time includes singing and dancing as Joel strums on his guitar or banjo.
“It’s a fun time,” Caithamer said. “I really enjoy it. I like working with the kids.”
Caithamer, 49, of Walton has worked at the library for about 10 years. But admits, “I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life.”
He said he always knew he wanted to get into children’s services and loved reading so the library was a “perfect fit.” He studied library science at Indiana University.
“I love my work,” he said. “Being a children’s librarian, you’re recommending books and encouraging new readers to discover new authors and titles; you’re going to schools to promote programs. It’s all about library awareness. You let the kids know, hey we’re here and it’s not just for homework, the library is a destination.”
Reading is very important and learning to love reading at an early age is essential for a well-rounded life experience, according to Caithamer.
Caithamer also has a deep love for music. He even plays electric guitar in a band. “It’s really fun to perform,” he said. But playing the guitar and banjo for and singing during storytime – well that’s his passion.
“I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” he said. “This is so much a part of my life. It’s a part of the day to day of who I am.”
Kenton County Library Director Dave Schroeder said the library is fortunate to have Caithamer.
“Joel is an energetic bundle of excitement and creativity,” he said. “He’s constantly thinking of new ideas to reach children and get them involved in reading and being creative. He’s got an eye for things that engage children, and things that will get them thinking about the world around them and how they experience life. It’s part of who he is.””
(From Buzzfeed.com, by Julia Reinstein)
Breyden’s mom, Denetta Suragh, told BuzzFeed News the school estimated 1 million words was equal to 250 books, which they kept track of with reading logs.
This year, the entire class met the goal, Suragh said.
“Breyden was really on me about it,” she said. “He was like, ‘I want a limousine ride so we have to turn in all our reading logs!’ It encourages every child to want to read even more.”
“They make them feel like a celebrity,” said Suragh. “They call their name out, and they have us there as their fans. So while they step out on their little red carpet, we’re screaming and congratulating them.”
Suragh said her son was “all smiles” at the party, and especially loved riding in the limo.
“It was the most exciting thing to him,” she said.”
“Suragh said she’s so proud of how far her son has come as a reader this year.
“When he first started kindergarten, he wasn’t a great reader,” she said. “But because of the program that they did to encourage him to read more, he’s almost on a second-grade level of reading.”
And because of Breyden’s newfound love of reading, his 4-year-old brother wants to learn to read too.
“His little brother is looking up to him, so that’s something he wants to do,” she said. “He wants to get in a limousine, and he wants to read something.”
“For him to actually accomplish that just makes me proud as his mom, to see him so happy about reading,” she said.
(Read this entire article here, and admire even more adorable photos!)
I love thinking about the future – things will be wonderful there! Full funding for libraries! Programs are always filled! Funders fall over themselves to talk about the great things we provide!
So I was happy to see this article from Hannah Byrd Little, thinking about the future of school libraries. You can read an excerpt below, and click here to read the whole thing.
“During the school year, I focus my time almost completely on curriculum, collaboration with faculty, and working directly with students. But during the summer I turn my focus on the immediate future of my library space and the library collection. I tend to be more of a big-picture person. Many librarians are detail oriented but details are not my strength. So, I have my lists.
My big-picture side automatically thinks about library use and function over the next 10, 20, or even 30 years. I think of the library space as a place of information access and literacy development. A place where students still want to visit and a place where the librarian is still available to guide students in their information quest.”
As library people, we support literacy and reading programs no matter where they are found. Building good readers, and more opportunities for kids to read is great – and this program sounds both fun and so good for building literacy!
If you would like to get involved, and to help support a barbershop, or to suggest a location, check in here!
Barbershop Books is the debut program of Reading Holiday Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy organization in New York City. Developed in Harlem, Barbershop Books is a community-based program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops across America. We leverage the cultural significance of barbershops in black communities to increase boys’ access to culturally relevant, age appropriate, and gender responsive children’s books and to increase out-of-school time reading among young black boys.
Help black boys ages 4-8 to identify as readers by connecting books and reading to a male-centered space and by involving men in boys’ early reading experiences.
According to the United States Department of Education, more than 85% of America’s black male 4th grade students are not proficient in reading.
In an increasingly global and knowledge-based economy, poor reading skills among young black boys today will produce black men who are unprepared to compete in the workforce of tomorrow. Four key factors contribute to low reading proficiency among black boys: (1) limited access to engaging and age appropriate reading material; (2) lack of black men in black boys’ early reading experiences; (3) few culturally competent educators; and (4) schools that are unresponsive to black boys’ individual learning styles.