Show Me the Awesome: Creating a Teen Blog for the Library

Banner created by John LeMasney

Today I'm participating in "Show Me the Awesome," a blog series that encourages librarians to share the exciting and innovative things they're doing for their libraries, their communities, and their profession. Visit Kelly, Liz, and Sophie for more details on this initiative, and be sure to search for the hashtag #30awesome on Twitter and Tumblr. 

I'm excited to tell you about the way I created an opportunity for my library's teens to earn volunteer service hours, gain real-world writing experience, and create a positive digital footprint-- by blogging.

The need
The idea was born from a community need. In my library's education-minded community, teens have a high demand for ways to earn service credit. Teens and their parents often inquire at the library’s reference desk about volunteer opportunities, but we weren't able to offer a year-round, experiential volunteer program for teens-- until now.

The solution 

Create a (mostly) virtual way for teens to earn volunteer service hours!

As my library's teen services librarian, I am privileged to lead a team of around 50 teens in creating the Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice, a blog where local teens write book reviews, enthuse about their favorite authors, make literary top ten lists, conduct author interviews, and recap author events.

I am so proud of what these teens have accomplished, and I want to shout it from the rooftops!

How did I make it happen?
The Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice is an outcome of my participation in the Eureka! Leadership Program, and is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

I recruited interested teens by reaching out to local schools and teen organizations, working with the City's public information specialist to issue a press release that got picked up by local media, and marketing within the library. I hosted a brainstorming meeting to introduce the blogging project to the teens and solicit their input about its content, look, and feel.

Over the next few months, I worked with the teens virtually to collect content for the blog, worked with a graphic designer (the amazing Elle Cardenas!) to develop a sharp, professional aesthetic that exudes youthful energy, and consulted with other departments in my organization to make sure the teen blog would support the mission and vision of my library and the City.

One of the reasons my library didn't have a regular teen volunteer program in the past was a lack of staff time and resources. Managing this blog does take up a good deal of my time, but I can do a lot of the work while multitasking-- editing and scheduling blog posts while I'm on the Reference Desk, for example. So far, this project is working out really well for the library and the teens.

Why it's good for the teens
Writing for the Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice is an opportunity for middle and high school students to earn volunteer service credit by sharing their enthusiasm for books and promoting teen literacy. Participating on the Teen Blog Team enables them to earn service credit on their own schedule and offers a real-world opportunity to sharpen their writing and critical thinking skills. It also empowers the teens to build their personal brand online and create a positive digital footprint that will impress colleges and future employers.

Plus, the teen bloggers are invited to participate in unique learning opportunities that help build their skills, like a personal branding workshop with a digital strategies expert, and a talk on social media by author and YouTube personality, Kaleb Nation, who made it big on the Internet at a young age.

Why it's good for the community
The teen blog provides a peer recommendation system for teen literature that the whole community can use. It also raises awareness within the community about the awesome things their local teens are doing.

Why it's good for the library
This project enhances community building for the library. To maximize the teens' opportunities to learn new skills and expand their creativity, I've worked to build partnerships between the library and local schools and other organizations that serve teens.

Sharing the awesome
As I mentioned earlier, I am bursting with pride over all the great content the Teen Blog Team has contributed so far. These teens are so smart and motivated, and they want to share their enthusiasm for books with the world. Will you do me a favor and help me reinforce the terrific work these teens are doing? Visit the Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice and comment on one of the posts. Share the blog with a friend or colleague. Please help me show off what these amazing teens are doing.

When I started this project, I honestly didn't know if I would get a positive response-- teens have so many other things to do, I wasn't sure if they'd be on board with blogging for the library. But they were! I have been continually amazed by their enthusiasm. This whole endeavor has been really rewarding for all of us so far. If you're thinking of starting a teen blogging project at your library, feel free to contact me with any questions!

Survey Results: YA Authors, Librarians, & Preferred Contact Methods

I was honored to be asked to present at the Southern California Library Cooperative's YA Workshop about connecting with YA authors through social media, interviewing, and podcasting. 

Before I talk about that, I want to give major kudos to Erica Cuyugan of Santa Monica Public Library and Ryan Gan of Orange Public Library, who did a fantastic job organizing the workshop. They kicked things off with an awesome author panel that included Jennifer Bosworth, Ann Stampler, Lissa Price, Meadow Griffin, and Cecil Castellucci. 

I loved hearing what these authors had to say about their writing processes, and was struck by how much they all expressed their love of libraries and willingness to partner with librarians to spread the joy of reading to kids and teens. Truly inspiring! 

The author panel was followed by librarian presentations, and to prepare for my portion of the workshop, I created a brief survey distributed via social media channels, asking YA authors a simple question: 

When a librarian wants to invite you to speak at their library, how do you prefer they first contact you? 

My survey was in no way scientific-- it was casual and anonymous, and I honestly can't be sure of who really answered. It was intended as a quick way to gather a snapshot of data. In any case, I received 32 responses, and the results were as follows: 

28 out of 32 authors who anonymously responded to the survey indicated that they prefer a direct email from librarians inquiring about potential library visits. 

Survey respondents were able to choose more than one option. The second most popular option, with 7 responses, was to email the author's publicist. It's worth noting that the majority of respondents who chose this option also indicated they would welcome a direct email. Only two respondents chose an email to their publicist as their sole preferred communication method.

The other communication methods generally accompanied the direct email option, indicating that many authors welcome contact through Twitter and Facebook, etc., but social media is probably not the most effective way to initiate the conversation. Only one respondent chose Twitter as their sole preferred communication method.

The breakdown of responses for communication methods beyond email look like this:

Facebook: 4
Twitter: 3
In person at a conference: 3
In person at a book signing: 2
Blog comment: 1

My personal theory is that librarians should create a presence on social media and interact with their favorite authors. Don't hesitate! Get to know publishers and publicists. Create those connections. When it comes to an in-depth conversation that's going to require some thought and planning, email is the best way to go-- but I believe your email is more likely to get noticed if the author or publicist already has a positive connection with you due to your social media presence.

In addition to asking the question about communication preferences in my survey for authors, I asked them to elaborate on their answers, and include any other information that would be useful for librarians to know regarding the coordination of author visits. These questions were optional, but many of the respondents took time to provide very thoughtful information. Here are the authors' anonymous comments:

Teen Make-and-Take Crafts

I just wrapped up the Teen Summer Reading Program at my library last week. Whew! The teens did a lot of reading, and I think we all had a lot of fun. Just like last year, I hosted "Boredom Busters" as part of the program, which is a series of simple, fun make-and-take crafts that teens can do at the Reference Desk in about 5-10 minutes.

To go with this year's Summer Reading theme, "Own the Night," I adapted one of my favorite craft concepts: pocket shrines. Depending on your library's community, you may want to avoid the religious overtone of the word "shrine," so I called this craft "Constellation in a box." 

Supplies: 
Altoid tins (or similar)
Acrylic paint
Paint brushes
Adhesive rhinestones (lots and lots)
Silver paint pens
Glitter pens
Sparkly ribbon
Sparkly pipe cleaners
Any other sparkly doo-dad you think teens might use creatively
Mod Podge - both sparkle and regular types
Paint sponges

Method: 
I collected empty mint tins from family and colleagues during the months preceding this craft, and painted them black in advance of the Summer Reading Program. I've hosted an event where the teens painted the tins themselves, and that was okay, but the paint takes a while to dry, and can be messy-- since these Boredom Buster activities are largely unsupervised, I decided to simplify.

I printed out images of some well-known constellations for the teens to use as a reference. Participants chose their favorite constellation and recreated it using adhesive rhinestones and drawing the lines between the rhinestone with paint or glitter pens.

Other than the constellation element of the craft, the teens were free to decorate the inside and outside of the tins however they liked. I printed out star-related quotes and explanations of the constellations for them to Mod Podge onto their tin, but those weren't mandatory. The teens got creative and decorated according to their whims. Sparkly things are hard to resist, so they had fun!

The other craft I really enjoyed this summer was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest: book page votives!

I followed the directions from Sarah at Arrow and Apple, using small votive candle holders instead of mason jars.

Book page votives are a great way to creatively recycle pages from books you're going to weed from the collection anyway. I gathered a pile of damaged books and allowed the teens to cut out the pages of their choosing for this craft.

Supplies: 
Votives (I found the best price at Quick Candles.)
Discarded books (manga too!)
Mod Podge
Paint sponges
Craft thread - the type used to make friendship bracelets (optional)
Small beads (optional)
LED tea lights (optional-- but it gave me peace of mind to supply a flame-free option.)

Now to start thinking of next year's crafts...

ALA Annual 2012 Recap

Well, hi!

Yes, it's been a while. But that's okay-- I was off having an amazing time at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim at the end of June. I'm still sort of buzzing with excitement over the intensity of it all. As the chair of YALSA's Conference Marketing and Local Arrangements Committee, I felt actively involved and engaged in the conference, and came away energized by the fantastic connections I made. I got to meet so many new people, and was especially pleased to meet librarians, authors, and publishers I had only interacted with on Twitter or listservs prior to the conference. It's refreshing to bring the virtual into the real!

I hardly know where to begin, or how to put the vibrancy of this conference into words. Here are just a few highlights of my ALA12 experience:

My committee work
After working with the other members of the Conference Marketing and Local Arrangements Committee all year to promote YALSA's activities at the conference, talk up the local area, and organize on-site assistance at conference sessions, it was so rewarding to finally see our planning come to fruition. I was practically overjoyed to see my committee members had printed out and were using the meticulously color-coded schedule spreadsheet detailing our commitments.

If a future ALA conference comes to your neck of the woods, I highly recommend serving on a Local Arrangements committee. It's a really enjoyable way to get involved.

The Newbery Caldecott Banquet 
I love the energy that fills the room when hundreds of people come together to celebrate children's literature. I was very honored to be a guest of School Library Journal at this year's banquet, and it was a magical evening. I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to meet some of my fellow SLJ reviewers, and put faces to names of the wonderful editors I've been working with via email since I started reviewing for SLJ. It was a truly memorable evening.

Plus, the event program was adorable! You take the band off, unfold it, and out pops a red paper ball (a la the Caldecott winning title, A Ball for Daisy)! My 3 year old would love it. Sadly, he won't see it until he's at least 18 because it's a treasured souvenir from a very lovely evening, and there is no way I'm handing it over to him to be destroyed. Sorry, kiddo! This is mama's toy.

The Little, Brown dance party
Little, Brown is one of my very favorite publishers-- and now I can add "throws a mean party" to the list of reasons I love them. I was thrilled to be there to celebrate Libba Bray's upcoming Fall title, The Diviners.

The music was amazing-- old-school '70s, '80s, and '90s songs that had the crowd cheering for every song and dancing like crazy. If you have the opportunity to be invited to a Little, Brown event... don't miss it!

The Odyssey Award Program and Reception 
The Odyssey Award is given annually to the producer of the best audiobook for youth, available in English in the US. I am a huge fan of audiobooks, but I didn't realize how awesome it would be to actually see the audiobook narrators read aloud at this program. I was blown away, for example, by the physicality Kirby Heyborne put into his characters while reading from Rotters, by Daniel Kraus. As his voice shifted from character to character, so did his posture, his movements-- truly fascinating. And after seeing Wendy Carter read aloud, I'm now enjoying the audiobook of Young Fredle, by Cynthia Voigt, on my daily commute.


YA Authors Coffee Klatch 

Last time I attended this event at ALA 2008, I wasn't involved in any way, but this time I was there to assist as a member of YALSA's Local Arrangements Committee. I helped check in the authors as they arrived and waited in the green room for the event to begin, and the enthusiasm was high. Just as the librarians and other book lovers who attended the event were looking forward to chatting with their favorite authors, the authors were genuinely eager and excited about the chance to connect with readers face-to-face. It was fun seeing the other side of the event!

The Printz Reception
Just as the Newbery Caldecott Banquet is a wonderful celebration of children's literature, the Printz Reception celebrates the best in young adult literature. The speeches were amazing-- especially Daniel Handler's accordion serenade.


John Corey Whaley (who won this year's Printz award for Where Things Come Back) gave the most heartwarming, delightful speech. He seems like a really sweet, genuine person. I was glad to meet him!

Angie, me, John Corey Whaley (holding his Printz award!) and Lalitha
(Photo borrowed from Lalitha's ALA recap)

Best Fiction for Young Adults
In this session, the BFYA committee sits at tables in the front of the room with laptops, taking notes as teen readers step up to a microphone and give quick reviews of books from the BFYA nominations list. The teens are selected months ahead of time, and their preparation really showed. They were articulate, honest, and insightful. One of the teens who spoke was Ishita of The Reading Fish, who I know from Twitter-- she rocked it! I really enjoyed hearing what these young readers did and didn't like about the nominated titles. I use the BFYA list extensively in making purchasing decisions for my library's teen fiction collection, so I found it really interesting and enlightening to witness this portion of the BFYA process. Sitting in on this session definitely made me want to serve on the committee someday. 

The Graphic Novel stage
This stage dedicated to comics and graphic novels was one of the new features of ALA Annual this year-- an awesome addition, if you ask me! I attended Gene Yang's talk on Asian Americans and Air Benders. Since we interviewed Gene via Skype earlier this year for the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast, it was great to meet him in person. I really enjoyed hearing him speak about the history of Asians in comics, and his involvement in the Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels. He announced that he's signed on to do three more volumes after "The Promise" storyline wraps up! (I may have squealed aloud.)

The Exhibit Hall
Although my schedule was pretty jam-packed, I did have some time to walk around the exhibit hall.

The publishers get creative with ARC displays - this is a tower of The Fire Chronicle ARCs,
the highly-anticipated sequel to The Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens.

My to-read list is definitely full from here till early 2013, thanks to the ARCs I was able to pick up. 

Treasures I can't wait to read and share with my library teens!

Another highlight of the Exhibit Hall was all of the author signings. I met Allen Say! I reviewed his beautifully illustrated memorir, Drawing From Memory, for School Library Journal last year, and it was a pleasure to purchase a signed copy and have the chance to tell him in person how much I enjoyed it.

I'm still reflecting on all the wonderful experiences I had at this year's conference. One side effect is that I want to join and get actively involved with more ALA divisions and organizations than I actually have time for! I'm hoping to continue volunteering for YALSA committees, and possibly attend YALSA's YA Lit Symposium in St. Louis this Fall. We'll see! 

ALA Annual 2012: What I'm Attending (And You Should, Too!)

ALA in Anaheim, 2008. Photo by Timothy Vollmer

With ALA Annual Conference right around the corner, I am SO BUSY right now! As chair of YALSA's Conference Marketing and Local Arrangements Committee, I've been working on conference-related matters all year long, and am so excited that the big event is almost here.

I was interviewed on the latest episode of the YALSA podcast about things to see and do (and eat!) in Orange County, so if you're traveling from out of town to attend, be sure to listen. It's more than just Disneyland! 

Blogging is definitely on the back burner at the moment, but since I posted about conference events I'll (sadly) have to miss, I wanted to pop in to talk about a few of the sessions and events I will be attending at ALA.

If you're looking blankly at all of the amazing events in the ALA Conference Scheduler and wondering where to start, I contributed to this School Library Journal article alongside six other librarians, sharing what we're looking forward to at the conference. But what did I not mention in the article? Here's a selection of what else I'll be attending... 

Friday, June 22, 3 - 4 pm
YALSA 101
If you're a new member of YALSA, or are thinking about joining, this is the session for you! According to the official description, it's a "mixer-style orientation, where you can get an overview of the division, its activities and what YALSA has to offer you."

Saturday, June 23, 12:30 - 1 pm
Asian Americans, Air Benders, and Comics
As a fan of the animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, I can't miss this presentation by Gene Luen Yang, who writes the series continuation comics published by Dark Horse. I had the opportunity to speak with Gene via Skype when we interviewed him for the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast, and I look forward to saying hi in person. He's awesome, and this topic sounds fascinating.

Saturday June 23, 5 - 7 pm
YALSA Happy Hour
An informal networking opportunity for YALSA members and those interested in joining YALSA. If you're a YA librarian or YA enthusiast, you should be there.

Saturday,  June 23, 8 pm
The Great YA Blogger Meetup
A fabulous way to continue the YA lit networking and festivities into the evening!

Sunday, June 24, 9 - 10 am
YA Author Coffee Klatch
One of the most memorable conference events for YA lit fans-- like speed dating with authors. Plus, breakfast! What a great way to start the day. Attendees get to meet authors up close and personal as they rotate tables and discuss their work. (Ticketed event, $25)
 
Sunday, June 24, 6 - 11 pm
The Newbery Caldecott Banquet
Like the Oscars for youth literature! This celebratory evening is definitely one of the highlights of the conference. I can't wait to hear the speeches by this year's Newbery medalist, Jack Gantos, and Caldecott medalist, Chris Raschka. (Ticketed event, $94)

Monday, June 24, 2:45 - 3:30 pm
Conversation Starters: Style and Stereotypes: Perceptions of Librarians
There's something to be said for the old adage, "It's what's inside that counts," but I believe the outside counts too. That is, it's important to be conscious of how we present ourselves to the world as librarians, as professionals. This panel session on perceptions of librarian style from the folks at librarianwardrobe.com should be a fascinating discussion.

Monday, June 25, 8 - 10 pm
The Michael L. Printz Award Program and Reception
The Printz Award is given to the best book written for teens each year. This year's winner, John Corey Whaley (Where Things Come Back), also won the Morris Award for best debut novel. I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say! We'll also hear from Printz honor winners Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket!), Maggie Stiefvater, Christine Hinwood, and Craig Silvey. (Ticketed event, $34)

Just under a week until the conference... I hope to see you in Anaheim!

ALA Annual 2012: What I'll Miss (But YOU Shouldn't!)

ALA in Anaheim, 2008. Photo by Timothy Vollmer

I am really excited about the ALA Annual Conference coming up next month in Anaheim, from June 21 - 26. I've only been to ALA Annual once-- last time it was in Anaheim, in 2008. I was pregnant with my first child at the time, so it was a rather cumbersome endeavor! 

Will I be seeing you at this year's conference? If you haven't registered yet, check the Registration Rates page: ALA Division members can register for the full conference for $230 by June 14.

 

Plus, there are some reasonable options for those who aren't necessarily interested in the entire conference, but would like to take part in the excitement. For $75, you can attend the Opening General Session, the Auditorium Speaker Series, and have access to the exhibit floor (yes, that means the publishers' booths!). If you purchase the $35 Exhibits Plus pass, you'll get to visit the exhibits as well as the Opening General Session, and the $25 Exhibits Only pass is exactly what it sounds like: access to the exhibit floor. Any of the pricing options are well worth it, depending on your interests.

There's going to be so much to do at this conference-- attend informative sessions, meet amazing authors, chat with the people behind my favorite publishers, network with fellow librarians, do committee work... I'm going to have a full schedule! As much as I would love to attend everything, there are a few programs and events I just won't be able to catch.

If you're going to ALA in Anaheim this June and can attend these sessions, please tell me about them so I can live vicariously. Here are a few programs I'll miss... but YOU shouldn't!

Friday, June 22, 3 - 4 pm 
Emerging Leaders Poster Sessions and Reception
The ALA Emerging Leaders program is "a leadership development program which enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity." During this event, this motivated and dynamic group of people will share the projects they've been working on for the past six months. I think attendees will come away inspired.

Saturday, June 23, 8 - 9 am
Auditorium Speaker: John Irving
I was lucky enough to see John Irving speak once when I was in college, and he was brilliant and so charismatic. I definitely recommend attending his talk if it fits into your schedule.

Saturday, June 23, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Auditorium Speaker: Chris Colfer
Take note, Glee fans! The actor who plays Kurt has written a fantasy book for middle grade readers, The Land of Stories, which will be released on July 17 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Chris Colfer is my favorite actor on Glee, and I wouldn't miss his talk unless I absolutely had to.

Saturday, June 23, 8 - 10 pm
Proquest Scholarship Bash, featuring the Rock Bottom Remainders
"By day, they’re authors. Really famous authors. But once a year they shed their pen- and-pencil clutching personas and become rock stars, complete with roadies, groupies and a wicked cool tour bus.” A musical performance from Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, and Ridley Pearson, among others? Talk about EPIC. (Ticketed event, $25)

Sunday, June 24, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Balancing Babies and Books
As the mother of a 3.5 and 1.5 year old, this event interests me a great deal. I'd love to chat with other librarians who are currently parenting young children and exchange perspectives on balancing career and family. Parents need to connect with other parents!

Monday, June 25, 5:30 - 7 pm
Battledecks
Ever since the concept of Battledecks was explained to me (thanks, P.C. Sweeney!), I've wanted to see it in action. Librarians competing in improvised Powerpoint presentations based on slides they've never seen before? Awesome.

There you have it-- just a few of the sessions I wish I could attend. Be sure to comb through the ALA Conference Scheduler for the full run-down of events so you can see what else is going on. I'll be back soon with another post about some of the sessions and events I will be attending... hope to see you there!

5 Ways Libraries Can Be Like Nordstrom

I'd just been hired into my current position as teen services librarian and was learning the ropes at the reference desk when my supervisor explained our library's strong commitment to customer service.

"We want to be the Nordstrom of libraries," she said.

And suddenly, just like that, my whole philosophy about customer service was summed up into a succinct phrase. The Nordstrom of libraries!

Photo by flickr user ttarasiuk

I am a lifelong Nordstrom shopper. When I step into that store, life just feels a little nicer. I could do my shopping anywhere... but for me, Nordstrom isn't just a place to buy something, it's a treat. It's an escape from the everyday.

So what does it mean to be the Nordstrom of libraries? How can libraries learn from Nordstrom?

1. Perform small gestures that mean a lot
I love when the Nordstrom sales associate walks around the counter to thank me and hand my purchase to me, rather than shoving it at me distractedly and moving on to the next customer. It's a small detail that's exemplary of their customer service ethic as a whole. They go the extra mile to make the customer feel valued.

We can do that at the library. We do it every day. Little things like:

• Greeting the patron before they initiate contact, or saying "Welcome!" if it's their first time there.
• Walking the patron to the stacks to find a book instead of pointing. 
• Remembering to end every reference interview with, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

These small gestures add up to make the patron feel valued, and they'll walk away with a positive feeling about the library.

2. Let people know that cardholders receive special advantages
Nordstrom cardholders have access to privileges like complimentary alterations and early access to sales, and they earn "Nordstrom Notes," (e.g. cash back on their purchases that can be used at the store). Nice, right? A library card offers a lot, too-- and librarians should be vocal in promoting everything we provide for our patrons.

As all librarians know, with the advent of electronic resources, a library card entitles its bearer to so much more than it did in the past. Not only does it grant the library patron access to an amazing collection of books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, and DVDs, but library cardholders can also take advantage of subscription-only article databases, business resources, Web-based language learning programs, and downloadable ebooks and eaudiobooks. All that, for free!

3. Be consistent
Any dedicated Nordstrom shopper will tell you a few things they've come to expect from their favorite store, like an easy returns policy and special sales that arrive on the calendar like clockwork.

The library version?

• If we have reasonable policies and ensure that all employees enforce them consistently and fairly, patrons know what to expect. 
• If we host a successful event that patrons enjoy, like summer reading program or a used book sale, continue to offer it at the same time every year.

4. Create a calming environment
When I think about Nordstrom's elegant atmosphere, I think of their pianists. I also think of they way they thoughtfully display items for sale, never crowding their clothing racks. How does this translate to the library experience?

Okay, so we can't have a live pianist at the library. But there are certain things we can do.

• Create an aesthetically pleasing space by minimizing unnecessary and unprofessional signage (in other words: back away from the Comic Sans and Microsoft Publisher, folks!). 
• Strive for a calm atmosphere by designating "quiet zones" as well as "okay for chatter" spaces within the building, if space allows. (Hint: put the quiet zone far away from the children's department.)

5. Offer personal shoppers
Personal shoppers are specialists who set aside time just to help you, and their expertise is free to the public. Sound familiar? That describes librarians, too!

Many libraries offer patrons the opportunity to schedule individualized research appointments-- and research isn't the only thing patrons need customized assistance with. So many people have shiny new ereaders, and are eager to download library books, but don't know how to get started. Libraries can fulfill that need by providing individual ereader tutorial sessions. The possibilities for personalized help are endless, depending on your library's specialties: genealogy, local history, business information...


For more insight on how to provide an excellent library experience for your patrons, check out the following:

Top Ten Customer Service Skills for Library Staff from ALA Learning (My favorite: "Provide alternatives to No.")
Library Trigger Points from Designing Better Libraries ("...one thing, or maybe two things, that really makes the difference for potential library users...")
Extreme Customer Service at Darien Library from David Lee King (Including mini laptops used for roaming reference-- that patrons are allowed to use, too.)
The Customer-Centric Library from Marianne Lenox (Simple yet very useful tips like: "Use your enthusiasm to exceed customer expectations.")


(Disclaimer: I should mention that Nordstrom did not compensate me in any way for this post. I just happen to be a big fan of the store and how they operate.)

Librarians: How to get ARCs

Book bloggers are pretty savvy about how to get ahold of books before their publication date. But librarians don't always have a source for getting advance reader copies (ARCs)-- even though reading them can influence our book-buying decisions as we add to our library collections. Being knowledgeable about the latest titles (even before they're published!) can also boost our ability to make excellent book recommendations to our patrons.

Librarians usually rely on professional review journals to keep up with forthcoming titles, but the question of how to get ahold of ARCs often comes up in the library community. Reviews are invaluable, but clearly a lot of us like to read books first-hand and evaluate them on our own.

So how can librarians get ARCs? Here are a few strategies that have worked for me:

1. Attend conferences

I know this can be easier said than done for many of us, but when ALA Annual or Midwinter is in your neighborhood, it's a must-do. Bookmark this list of upcoming conferences to keep tabs where ALA will be held every year through 2017. Other conferences where ARCs are distributed include BEA and NCTE. If you can attend these conferences or know anyone who’s going, it’s a great way to gather a ton of ARCs. I'm sure there are other conferences where you can pick up ARCs-- please share in the comments if you have any suggestions!

2. Contact your local independent bookstore

My library has a wonderful partnership with a local independent bookstore, and the owner has occasionally brought over boxes of slightly older ARCs that she and her staff were done with and had no room to store. Such a treat! So if you have any great indie bookstores in your area, see if they would be willing to donate the ARCs they're no longer using. Even if the ARCs are past their publish date, you can use them as giveaways for your library teens, who won't care that the titles have already been published. They'll just appreciate the cool books.

3. Sign up for NetGalley

If you've got an ereading device (or don't mind reading on your computer screen), NetGalley is one of the easiest, most convenient ways to read ARCs. A variety of publishers choose to make ARCs available in digital formats. You can create a profile on the site, request ARCs (which expire after a certain time period), and easily send your feedback to the publisher when you're done reading. I LOVE NetGalley!

4. Join YALSA-BK

Publishers occasionally post ARC giveaways on YALSA-BK, a mailing list primarily of interest to young adult librarians. But you have to be quick! ARCs go like hotcakes, and the publishers usually have a limited number to offer.

5. Build relationships with local book bloggers

Many book bloggers approach publishers directly for books to review, and would welcome an ethical way to pass along ARCs once they're done reading. Try to make contact with book bloggers in your area and ask them to consider passing along their ARCs to you. You'll probably have good luck meeting book bloggers by attending author events in your area-- and hopefully you'll not only build a partnership, but make a friend!

Edited to add...
6. Contact publishers directly

You heard it here... book bloggers aren't the only ones who can ask publishers to send them ARCs. When I tweeted about this blog post, the Library Marketing Team at Hachette Book Group responded to encourage librarians to contact publishers' library marketing departments.

Isn't that awesome? I honestly never thought of simply asking for an ARC... I was worried it might seem pushy or grabby. But truly, ARCs make a huge difference when I'm selecting for my library's collection.

Even if I read an ARC and it turns out not to be my cup of tea, I'm able to see its appeal for another type of reader. I'm much more likely to order a book for the library if I've read it and know I can recommend it to someone.

It really does benefit the publisher to make ARCs available to librarians, and I see that I shouldn't feel so hesitant about asking. So, thank you to the Library Marketing Team at Hachette Book Group for the excellent tip!

Of course, I'm not sure if all publishers share Hachette's stance on this, but it's worth a polite inquiry. Even if a publisher isn't in the practice of sending ARCs to librarians, their library marketing departments have some cool stuff to offer- reading guides, newsletters- so check them out! EarlyWord has a great round-up of library marketing contacts from various publishers:

Publisher Contacts: Library Marketing, Children's
Publisher Contacts: Library Marketing, Adult

So, those are my tips on how librarians can get ARCS, and I hope you find them helpful. What strategies have worked for you?

Next: book bloggers: what to do with those old ARCs?

How to Run a Tween Book Group, Part 3

I'm wrapping up my series on running a successful tween book group with ideas for activities! If you missed the previous posts, here's part 1 and part 2.

To spice up an ordinary book discussion, you can incorporate an activity that happens separately from the book discussion (I recommend having it take place before the discussion, to break the ice), or a more low-key activity that can be done while the discussion takes place. Examples of the former:

The Hunger Games: Mini Games
Hold a 15 minute mock Hunger Games with some of the skills/trials mentioned in the book. I had great success with the following three competitions:
Identify the Root: set out a variety of root vegetables labeled with numbers, and make a gamesheet for the participants to write down their best guesses for each root. Provide a mix of easy ones (carrot, potato) and more obscure (rutabaga, burdock).
Hand to Hand Combat: aka thumb wrestling. Hee.
Target Practice: participants take turns with a Nerf archery set and a target.

I awarded the winner a bag of "poison berries" (actually: Skittles) and a Kit Kat bar (Kit KAT... KATniss... yeah, I know, I'm stretching with that one. But hey, chocolate!)


The Lightning Thief: Toilet paper toga game
Divide participants into groups of 3-5. Supply each team with a roll of toilet paper. One team member serves at the model; the others use the toilet paper to dress the model in a toga. Prizes can be awarded for finishing first, originality, creative design, etc. I gave the winning team blue foods, like blue corn tortilla chips and chocolate covered blueberries, in honor of the blue foods Percy's mom likes to make for him.


Here's an example of a low-key activity that can be done while carrying on a book discussion:

Rules: Create your own word cards
One of the characters in Rules communicates by pointing to cards with words on them, and the main character notices he doesn't have certain words that truly express who he is and how he feels, so she creates new word cards for him. Hand each book group participant 3-4 small squares of paper, some colored pencils, and ask them to think of words they can't live without. They can illustrate their own, personal word cards while discussing the book, and share at the end, if they wish. Simple and fun!

Well, there you have it: my best tips for running a tween book group. I'd love to hear yours!

Customer Service 101

Bad customer service: isn't it a bummer? I had an unfortunate experience at a RAWTHER FANCY boutique the other day, and it made me think about the service we give the library.

My husband gave me a lovely wallet for my birthday last week-- something I've really been wanting, as I carried around my previous wallet for over a decade. Unfortunately, there was a small, tiny, hardly noticeable imperfection in the new one, so I thought I'd see about exchanging it.

Here's what happened:

• The first thing the sales associate said to me was a very curt, "Do you have a receipt??" Which, yes, I did. It's not a wildly inappropriate thing to ask, of course. But it might have been nice to hear a somewhat concerned, "Oh, what seems to be the matter with the item?" before the demand for a receipt. I'm just saying.
  
  
• They didn't have any more other items in style and color I had selected, so the sales associates showed me the floor models, which weren't in great condition either. (Honestly, who wants a floor model at full price?) I politely declined, and... that was it. They just kind of stared at me and didn't offer any further solutions. No offer to call other stores in the area, no offer to order the item online and have it sent to me, nada. They could see I was disappointed, but were clearly waiting for me to leave.
  

What bothered me the most about this whole interaction wasn't that they didn't have another wallet to exchange for me-- it was their utter lack of concern . Their attitude was basically, "Oh well! Your problem doesn't matter to us!" Which translates into, "YOU don't matter to us!" Which, for me, translates into, "And WHY would I ever go there again?"

But the outcome of this whole thing was that I went away feeling PRETTY GREAT about the excellent service my colleagues and I provide every day at the library. At no charge to our patrons! We will go to the ends of the earth to find the information a patron needs, and if we truly can't help them, we act with empathy and humanity.

So, just in case any RAWTHER FANCY boutique sales associates are reading, let's recap some good customer service strategies:

• Make eye contact and greet the customer/patron before they greet you. Ask how you can help them. Don't make them start the conversation.
  
  
• It goes a long way to acknowledge that the person's need is important to them. If those sales associates had just acknowledged the fact that this was my birthday present and, as such, the item was important to me, I would have walked away from the situation a whole lot happier.
  
  
• Go the extra mile. At my library, we always offer to check the other libraries in the area for items that we don't own, even though we're not connected to those libraries. We don't have to check with the other libraries-- technically, we'd still be doing our jobs if we just said we didn't have the item and left it at that. But why not take the extra step? Our patrons really appreciate it.
  
  
• There's a fine art to telling someone there's nothing you can do for them. Show a caring attitude. (Ahem, even if you don't really care-- it won't kill you!) I always want a patron to walk away feeling like, "Well, even though I didn't get what I wanted, that nice librarian really cared about my question, and she tried to help me." I don't want them walking away thinking, "Isn't there something else she could have done?"
  
  
• We all learn this in library school, but it bears repeating: always wrap up the transaction with an offer to continue helping. "Is there anything else I can find for you?" Half the time, people are shy about approaching the reference desk and asking for help in the first place; make it easier on them by letting them know they're not limited to just one question.
  

What are your worst customer service pet peeves? What makes you vow to never patronize a particular establishment ever again? Conversely, what are some of your favorite customer service strategies? What keeps your patrons coming back?

How to Run a Tween Book Group, Part 2

This post is the second in my series on running a tween book group. If you missed part 1, check it out!

What do tweens want from a book group?

They want activities. I thought games or crafts might be too young, too kid-like, but I quickly discovered that this age group still enjoys a fun activity paired with a good book group discussion. Sometimes the activity can kick off the discussion, or if the discussion isn’t picking up steam, the activity can essentially take its place.

They want food. No brainer, right? I should note that I learned from a wise colleague never to offer food that can be used as projectile weapons, such as peanut M&Ms, in case an impromptu food fight breaks out. Smart!

They want book group to NOT be like school. Publishers often supply well-intentioned book discussion questions for their books, but I'm telling you right now, most of those questions are too formal, too intimidating for this age group in a non-school setting. The publisher's questions might be perfect for the classroom- I'm certainly not saying the tweens can't handle more involved questions!- but for a library book group, which is extremely extracurricular, I like to keep it light and inviting. So what do the tweens want to talk about?

They want to talk about the book's cover. It's a seemingly simple topic that can be a great jumping-off point for discussing their expectations of the book based on the cover and the jacket copy. Here are a few questions along these lines...

• When you first saw this book, what did you think it was going to be like?
• After reading it, was it pretty much what you expected, or did it turn out to be something else entirely?
• Why do you think the cover is designed this way, with this image?
• If you were redesigning this book’s cover, what would you put on it?
  

They want to discuss genre. Try questions like...

• What kind of book would you say this is?
• Does it fall strictly into one genre, or does it cross over between more than one?
• If you were recommending this book to a friend, what would you tell them to get them to read it?
• Would this book appeal to someone who doesn't like this genre? Why or why not?
  

They want to relate the book to their own experiences. Ask them...

• Has anything like [main character’s experience] ever happened to you?
• What would you do if…?
• Have you ever felt like…?
• Did you ever know someone who...?
  

Next time: I'll wrap up this series on tween book groups with details of some activities to pair with book group discussions.

How to Run a Tween Book Group, Part 1

The days are growing long and school is almost out... how to keep those young minds engaged in reading over the next few months? I've had great success running a book group for tweens as part of a library Summer Reading Program.

Why summer? Running a book group during the summer gives it a low pressure, low commitment appeal for the participants. It's a time of the year when the tweens don't necessarily have too many other things going on, anyway. The book group is fun, and then it's over by the time their schedules get jam-packed again. Plus- and don't tell the tweens this!- summer is when they really need the brain exercise of reading a book and finding something to say about it.

Why tweens? Your mileage may vary, but I find the middle school age group to be the most receptive to this kind of activity. They're old enough to read books with plenty of thought-provoking content, but not yet so self-conscious that they won't open up and talk in front of their peers.

Does it work? You might think it would be hard to generate a sense of camaraderie among kids who only meet three times during the summer and then go their separate ways, but over three years of hosting a summer tween book group, I watched the so many of same kids come back to book group, growing taller each time they returned. For me, the ultimate affirmation that this book group format works was when one of our regulars delayed his family's out-of-state move by one day... just so he could attend his last book group meeting. Awwwww.

What to read? Choose a book that will really engage the participants, something they would read for fun. Ideally, the book should foster discussion, but be fast-paced and gripping, and should have appeal to both male and female readers. Here are a few titles that have been a big hit with my tween book group:

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Schooled, by Gordon Korman
Rules, by Cynthia Lord
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, by David Lubar
Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

Next time: what do tweens want from a book group?

Summer Reading Craft: Matchbox Louvre

Continuing with the post I made several weeks ago about my Teen Summer Reading Program crafts-- I present the Matchbox Louvre.


I was inspired by the concept of teeny-tiny crafts called matchbox shrines or pocket shrines. It's a great craft idea that can be adapted to any theme- I did a Twilight-themed version for a Breaking Dawn party back in 2008. Since I'm centering each of my Summer Reading crafts around a different region of the world to go with the "You Are Here" theme, I thought these miniature works of art would be the perfect showcase for more famous works of art-- from France! After all, when you think France, you think Paris... and when you think Paris, you think the Louvre.

Well, actually, I think of delicious pastries when I think of Paris, but there's that whole "no food in the library" rule, so... art it is!

I bought the matchboxes on Amazon from a seller called Party Favors Plus, and all other supplies came from my local Michael's. I bought scrapbooking paper (they even have small books of 5x5 papers, perfect for the diminutive size of this craft!), Mod Podge, and plenty of adhesive sparklies.

By the way? It bears mentioning that when working with Mod Podge or any other type of glue, always dole it out in small containers for the teens to work with. Never put out the entire container. Just, um, trust me on this.

Creating this craft was fun! I covered the front of the box with a piece of scrapbooking paper and then decorated with adhesives.


The matchbox slides open to reveal a tiny work of art. I printed out selected images from the Louvre's online gallery of paintings that the teens can choose from.


A tiny label with information about the painting can be affixed to the inside of the box, so the teens know what they're looking at when the make this craft. (Shhh, don't tell them it's educational!)


I finished up by covering the back and sides of the box with a vintage map of Paris. In addition to a few different maps, I'm offering the teens various images of antique French stamps, and photos of famous spots in Paris to chose from. The images come from Microsoft Publisher's clip art or flickr's Creative Commons photos.


I can't wait to see the results of this craft. Teens are always so creative-- each little matchbox Louvre will be unique. I know not all teens are into art or museums, but I think the lure of creating and customizing an adorably tiny craft will have wide appeal. And if nothing else, there are the adhesive sparklies to play with! You can never go wrong with sparklies.

Armchair BEA: getting personal

What a fun week this has been! I've found some great new blogs to follow, met some awesome bloggers, and feel really energized and motivated about my own blog. Armchair BEA is almost over for this year, and today's topic is blogging about blogging.

In yesterday's #armchairBEA twitter chat, Suey of It's All About Books mentioned that she prefers blogs that include a personal touch. I completely agree-- I'm more likely to get invested in a blog that balances information about the blogger's day-to-day life and thoughts along with their book reviews. I want to feel like I know that blogger as a person. Blogs that solely focus on book reviews are useful to me as a librarian to refer to when making purchasing decisions for my library's collection, but the ones I really get hooked on always have a little personal stuff mixed in.

I know this. Yet I have a hard time doing it myself.

So! Let's chat.

Right now, I'm seriously wanting to go to ALA Annual in New Orleans. My baby will be 8 months old next month, and probably not yet able to walk (though she's crawling!) so theoretically, this would be a good time for travel. But then I hear horror stories of babies who get their sleep thrown out of whack by taking a trip and they NEVER GO BACK to their former good sleep habits. And my baby girl, she's a pretty decent sleeper these days. So. Since I don't have an "official" reason for attending ALA New Orleans (other than: "I wannnnna!"), I guess I should count myself out this year.

But even though I may not be able to get to ALA this time, I'm SUPER excited about next year, because ALA coming to me! The Annual conference will be in Anaheim, and I've been appointed chair of YALSA's Local Arrangements Committee. I served on ALSC's Local Arrangements Committee last time ALA Annual was in Anaheim, and I had a blast. ALA is a pretty huge conference, but serving on that committee gave me a way to feel connected and feel a part of things. I met all sorts of cool librarians and got to help out with some amazing events, like the Newbery-Caldecott banquet. It was an incredible experience, and I can't wait to get started on the tasks for YALSA's Local Arrangements Committee. I'll be working with an excellent team of librarians- my husband says I should call it a LIBRARIAN STRIKE FORCE- and I am really looking forward to doing some cool things for YALSA.

That's what's going on with me right now!

So, blogosphere: yay or nay on the addition of personal chitchat on a book blog?

What I've been up to

Oof, I think I almost fell off the face of the blogosphere there for a minute. But with good reason-- the May edition of the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast is up, and we've got an amazing interview with Starcrossed author, Josephine Angelini. She rules. Check it out!

Other things keeping me busy?

Well, I helped host an author visit with Candace Bushnell at my library to celebrate her fabulous new book, Summer and the City, which tells the story of Carrie Bradshaw as a teen. She was very glamorous in Kate Spade, and was kind enough to call me a "chic librarian" even though I was only wearing... H&M. *cough* I didn't mention that at the time.


Also, School Library Journal keeps sending me the most amazing books to review, so I've got my nose buried in those.

And my youngest child has learned to crawl!

So, yeah, kinda busy these days. More to come soon!

On hosting author visits

Shannon Hale's recent blog entry about mortifying author visit experiences is such a fascinating read-- in a horrified, agonizing sort of way! As a librarian who regularly seeks out authors to invite to my library and helps plan, publicize, and host their visits, I am absolutely cringing at the way Shannon and other authors have been treated by some of the people hosting their events.

But most of all, I'm struck by the idea that authors feel responsible for the outcome of their events. I have honestly never thought of it that way. On the contrary, I always feel like the library (or school or bookstore) is responsible for making it a good event for the author! How funny (and a little sad) that both parties end up feeling responsible, when sometimes there are things that nobody has any control over, like a snowstorm that keeps the crowds away or an event schedule that conflicts with finals week. But aside from those sorts of things, it's up to the hosting organization to publicize widely, make sure the space is set up properly, have enough books on hand, etc.

Things running through my head when I host an author visit:

Is the author comfortable? Would they like a snack and bottled water? Would they prefer to give their presentation sitting or standing? Do they like my library? Are they having fun? Do they feel welcomed? Do they have the right kind of pen for signing books? Is there anything I can get them? Do they feel this visit is worth their time? (Please say yes!)

Things NOT running through my head when I host an author visit:

Who is this person again? Why are they here? What did they write?

Yikes!

Come to my library, authors. We'll treat you right.

Summer Reading Ideas: Passive Programs

This summer's travel-themed program lends itself to some really fun event ideas- but my library's budget dictates that staff-facilitated programs are on hold for now. In this economy, I'm sure I'm not the only librarian faced with budget-related challenges, so I thought I'd share what I'm doing to keep the summer reading program FUN. Instead of running events for my library teens, I am planning a series of passive programs I call Boredom Busters.

WHAT? Each week during my library's summer reading program, I'll feature a different make-and-take craft with an international theme. This gives the teens something to do while they're hanging out at the library, and hopefully they'll learn a little something about the world around them while they're at it!

WHERE? Our reference desk has a section that's used to store things like the stapler, hole punch, and a brochure display. It's easy to relocate those items during the summer, cover that area of the desk with decorative butcher paper, and designate it the Boredom Busters zone. Hosting these crafts at the reference desk is great because it's an opportunity to interact with the teens and make them feel welcome in their library. It's also convenient for keeping an eye out for spontaneous glitter fights. Not that my library teens would ever do that! I'm just saying.

WHO? This question has two parts: "Who can participate?" and "Who's running this extravaganza?" The program is intended for ages 13 - 17, but we're not going to turn away an interested child or adult. As far as who's responsible- I am, of course! But since I'm not always at the reference desk, I email my colleagues each week to explain the craft, note the location of extra supplies, and so on. It's all about communication!

HOW: I'm going to kick off the summer with something simple but popular: origami, the traditional paper craft of Japan.

Photo by Flickr member tussenpozen

I purchased patterned and solid 6 inch papers from The Origami Paper Shop.

A lot of the teens at my library will probably know how to make their favorite origami patterns already, but I'll display instruction diagrams with step-by-step examples of the folds for the crane, cicada, and tulip.

I'll accompany the instructions with a brief history of origami and its significance in Japanese culture. Good sources for this information include PBS and Kids Web Japan.

I'm thinking of adding on some kind of fundraising effort for the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Maybe something as simple as a change jar for donations?

Next stop: France. Watch for the details of the next craft in a few weeks!

Why We Do What We Do

The following happened a couple years ago, but I thought I'd share it in honor of National Library Week. It was one of those moments that reminded me what an incredible privilege it is to be in the position to help people as a librarian.

--

A young woman came into the library, several months pregnant. Privately, I admired her adorably round belly and chic maternity dress. (I was pregnant at the time, too, and was always noticing other pregnant women.) She passed me on her way to the children's section, and I smiled to indicate that I was there to help, but she didn't seem to have any questions. About half an hour later, though, she approached the reference desk.

"Can you recommend any children's picture books that are really popular?"

"Sure! Are you looking for books on any particular subject, or just ones that are classic and well-liked?"

"Well... probably ones that are just classic... This is going to sound kind of morbid, but my husband is going to Iraq and we want to make some videos of him reading, just in case he doesn't come back..." And she gestured to her pregnant belly.

Oh.

I didn't miss a beat, didn't make a big deal out of it, but my heart started breaking right then and there.

"I'm sure we can find just the thing!"

As we walked to the picture books, I fumbled around for the right words.

"I hope everything goes smoothly with your husband being away."

"Yeah, me too... This will be a good thing to do anyway, making the videos, since he'll be gone for the baby's first seven months..."

"Absolutely! It's just temporary."

I found her several books and wished her well, saying "Have fun making the videos," wanting to sound confident that this was not morbid at all, and that her husband will be coming back. She didn't strike me as seeking pity or wanting anyone to make a fuss, so I didn't. Sometimes it's hard to maintain that professional barrier; of course I wanted to break down and tell her how sorry I was, how hard it must be, how scary... but I didn't think that was what she needed. She needed me to hear her and help her find some good books, and I did that for her.

It's really an honor to be part of a profession where I can help people like this, help them through something difficult- even in the smallest of ways. I hope that woman's husband will be back home before she knows it, bouncing their baby on his knee.

Around the Web + Summer Reading Idea

Everyone's talking about Jennifer Lawrence being cast as Katniss in The Hunger Games film. I'm not familiar with her work, and admit I'm not sure she looks the part... but according to this article from Entertainment Weekly, author Suzanne Collins fully approves of the casting decision, which is encouraging.

Now I suppose the debate will move on to the casting of Peeta! I've seen Josh Hutcherson's name mentioned as one of the possibilities and I have to say, even though he's not blond, I'm cheering him on. I hosted an event with him at my library in 2008 when he was the spokesperson for YALSA's Teen Read Week, and he was the NICEST guy- definitely Peeta material.

The ebook edition of one of my favorites, The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale, is being offered for only $1.99 until the end of the month. What a bargain! It's such an absolutely gorgeous book. If you haven't read it, now's the time.

School Library Journal highlights the profiles of the 10 youth services librarians honored by Library Journal as Movers & Shakers. Seriously inspiring. People in this field do such very awesome things... I'm taking notes!

And speaking of what we do as librarians, I'm really focusing on my Summer Reading Program plans lately. With the travel theme, "You Are Here," I'm thinking of incorporating Boom Boom Cards as a passive program for teens. The concept is that each card dictates an act of kindness to be done. When you play the card by completing the kind act, you log your act and your location on the Boom Boom Cards website using the card's unique ID, and then pass the card along to someone else. You can view a map on the website and see where the card turns up next. How cool is that, right? I love it! There's even a teen version, so it seems perfect for Summer Reading Program purposes.

I think I'll offer a small incentive to each teen who picks up a Boom Boom Card at our reference desk and proves that they completed their assigned act of kindness by directing us to their entry on the Boom Boom Cards website. To encourage the teens to pass those cards along, maybe I'll offer bonus incentives to the teen whose card goes the farthest geographically, or gets played the most. At the end of the program, hopefully some of the cards will have traveled around to a few different places, and I'll write up an entry about it on my library's blog so the whole community can see what good things our teens are doing.

Can't wait to see how this goes!

Ask a librarian. Seriously, ask!

Reader’s advisory is one of my favorite parts of being a librarian. I consider it a privilege and sheer joy to have the chance to connect the right book with the right reader, to really find out what that reader wants. I love to send them home with a stack of books, hoping at least one will be a hit, if not all.

I want the reader to know, though, that they don’t have to like my recommendations. And if they don’t, I really want them to let me know. Honestly! It's all so subjective. Life is too short to read books you don’t like, and I’d rather find the reader something they do like. So while I'm giddily weighing them down with a pile of books, I tell my own, personal reader’s advisory story.

When I was a kid, I absolutely devoured Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles. It’s still one of my favorite series of all time, in fact! Anyway, my mom urged me to ask the librarian what else I might enjoy, based on my love of Prydain. The librarian recommended Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea books, and bless her heart, that was a very good recommendation... but it just didn’t work for me. At all. The outcome? Cue the sad music: I NEVER SPOKE TO A LIBRARIAN AGAIN.

Er, until I started working in a library as an adult, I mean.

But that's still pretty sad, right? Just because I was afraid and too embarrassed to tell the librarian that her recommendation didn't quite work for me, I ended up thinking I had to be completely independent at the library. Which is so not true!

So, I always tell kids and teens-- please don't be like me. Talk to us! Librarians want to help. We want to find you a book you'll love, and we won’t take it personally if our first recommendation didn’t work out. Promise!