Photos

I work part-time for the Hamilton Township Public Library in Mercer County.  This morning I managed to take a couple of pictures of the Children's Room before the library opened.  The calm before the storm.  We had two sessions of Toddler Time and two class visits this morning.  While my colleague was doing her Toddler Time programs, I had a grand time reading silly books and telling the story, "The Wonderful Pot," to second graders.  The room was not so tidy when I finished work at 1 p.m.



All set up for Toddler Time - this week the theme is Monkeys!

Uploading the photos was easy and I don't have to remember to change the picture size.  Blogger makes them fit.



Notes

I managed to add a background photo to this blog.  It took a couple of tries because I keep forgetting to make my photos smaller before uploading them or sending them.  Some day this concept will stick.  I also did some major cropping.  The photo is literally of my planning notes for this summer's Family Story Time series. 

Learning Again - 2.0 Four Years Later

This blog was originally started as part of a Tech Challenge presented by the Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative a few years ago. Although I have done many of the things listed, there is always something new to learn which is why I decided to take the CSS Tech Challenge. I'm looking forward to exploring what's new in Web 2.0.

I find it interesting how I use 2.0 now compared to how I used it a few years ago. Blogs were a big deal in 2007 but I had thought that perhaps their time had passed. Everyone seems to be micro blogging now. However, I realized that I have 68 subscriptions in my Google Reader so I guess blogging is still a vital part of 2.0. So far I have managed to avoid Twitter but that's because my family does not tweet. We spend our time on Facebook instead. Facebook's appeal is not just the status updates but the wealth of family photos that have been uploaded as well.

Although I have two other blogs, they have been as neglected as this one. I can see the appeal of Twitter and Facebook in that posting is fast and easy. For me, blog posts take more time and effort because they seem more permanent. I will try to be a better blogger and post more often (at least for the next four weeks).

Board Books

Children's librarians often reccomend board books to parents of very young children. But what exactly is a board book? Wikipedia defines a board book as "a type of book published on hard cardboard. This cardboard is used for the cover as well as the pages, unlike a typical book with cardboard binding and paper pages, and is intended to be durable enough for small children to use and play with." Board books are usually a small size and so are suitable for small hands. They are also relatively inexpensive so they make a great start to a child's personal library. Allow your child to handle these books and play with them. Yes, they will be chewed on and tossed around but at some point your child will start turning pages and looking at pictures.

When choosing board books for your child, look for books with simple, bold pictures for infants and babies. Books that have a simple plot will appeal to toddlers. Often publishers will republish a popular picture book in board book form. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. Often the original illustrations are cropped to fit the smaller format or the plot may be too complex for younger children. You know your child best so look through each book before making your selection.

Margaret Miller's photography brings her books for babies to life. Baby Food, I Love Colors, Me & My Bear, and What's on My Head? all feature color photos of babies which will appeal to infants. Little ones will also enjoy looking at Smile! by Roberta Grobel Intrater with its simple rhyme and smiling baby faces. Baby at Home by Monica Wellington has simple but colorful illustrations of items around the house that a baby might see such as a rattle, blocks and keys.

Michel Blake's Off to Bed is about a little girl getting ready for bed and features named objects highlighted in color against a black and white photograph. I like this because a child can see the named object in context. For "toothbrush" the photo is of the little girl brushing her teeth and the toothbrush she is using is bright pink. Blake's Colors consists of photos of plants and animals each shown awash in a single color.

Rain Feet by Angela Johnson is a charming book featuring a simple poem about a child playing in the rain. Mama Mama by Jean Marzollo is also a lovely book. A simple rhyme accompanies an illustration of a mother animal and her baby. Laura Regan's illustrations showing the animals in their natural habitats are large enough to fill a page and are soft but realistic. The bond between mother and child comes out in these simple yet effective illustrations.

Toddlers will enjoy Byron Barton's bold illustrations. Trucks shows different kinds of trucks working throughout the day (and night). Let's Go! illustrated by Gaetan Evrard labels various modes of transportation in both English and Spanish. Let's Get to Work! does the same for various construction vehicles and trucks.

Mick Inkpen has written several board books about Wembly Pig. Wembly Pig Opens His Presents starts with an intriguing pile of wrapped gifts which are opened one by one though it turns out that the wrapping paper provides the most fun. Wembly uses his imagination when he plays in Wembly Pig Can Make a Tent. Wembly shows the reader what he likes in Wembly Pig Likes Bananas and invites the reader to choose a favorite as well.

Nursery rhymes and familiar songs have also been published in board book form. Rosemary Wells has illustrated several songs such as Bingo, The Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Old MacDonald. Her nursery rhyme collections include Humpty Dumpty and Other Rhymes, Little Boy Blue and Other Rhymes and Wee Willie Winkie and Other Rhymes.

This is just a sampling of board books. The library is not just for older children. Bring your little one in to explore your library's collection of board books.

Fall Means the Start of the "Holiday" Season

Many public libraries have collections of "holiday" books. Some libraries have them together in one place and other libraries put a holiday sticker on them and keep them with the rest of the books. Parents looking for these seasonal books will find that they are mostly picture books though there are titles for older children as well.

Timing is important when looking for holiday books. Halloween is very popular and there are many titles available so it shouldn't be too difficult to find something. However, far less is written about Columbus Day so you may be disappointed if you wait until October 11. Teachers and others who need a book for a specific date should try to get the book as early as possible. However, keep in mind that sometimes these books may not be taken out for as long as other books. Some libraries do this so that the books are available to more people during the "holiday" season. Some libraries may not let you extend your loan period for this reason as well.

One of my favorite Halloween books to read aloud is Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman which is available in paperback if you can't find it at your local library.

Save Money and Gas by Using Your Library Card!

Now that the needed school supplies are purchased and all the forms filled out, take some time to visit your local library to make sure each family member has an up-to-date library card.

Save money and gas by using all of your library's resources - your library card gives you access to many online resources that you can use at home. In some states libraries have online help 24/7 so you can still ask a librarian a question even if your local library isn't open. (This may help when there is a homework crisis Sunday evening at 8 pm.)

You can browse your library's collection without leaving home by searching the library's catalog online. If you find something you want, you can usually call ahead and ask to have it set aside for you.

Many parents are reluctant to have their children use the library because of late fees. While they are usually small amounts per item, they can mount up when a child has several items checked out. Parents can avoid late fees by extending the borrowing time online. (That is, only if someone else isn't waiting for it.) Parents can keep track of what each child has and when it is due back by checking online at any time.

In tough economic times families have to be careful about expenses. It is very important for children to have some books of their own. Be selective about purchasing new books and borrow books from the library as well. Also, used books are cheap and many libraries have used book sales. For example, preschoolers love to have someone read to them, usually several books at a time. The library can provide a wide variety of titles for preschool children. Often a child will ask for the same book over and over. Parents should consider purchasing such a book for their child. It does not have to be a brand new hardcover book. Many picture books are also available in paperback or can be purchased used.

Also, save some money by taking advantage of the free programs your library has to offer. Many libraries have book discussion groups for adults as well as children. Most libraries provide something for everyone - from infants to senior citizens. Visit your library's web site to see what it has to offer.

Back to the Blog

Due to taking some time off and some minor computer problems, I haven't posted in over a month. Time passed much quicker than I realized!

Finally it feels like autumn instead of mid-summer and Halloween is less than a week away. I'm sure that in many homes the current topic of interest is "The Costume." I remember spending many long and often late hours sewing Halloween costumes - the most challenging was a rabbit coming out of a hat. In all of the excitement of Halloween, please don't forget about Halloween safety. I've listed some websites that parents might find useful

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/octhalloween.htm
These tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics include information about costumes, pumpkin carving, home safety and trick-or-treating. The information is also available in Spanish.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/hallow.html
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also lists safety tips along with a diagram showing the features of safe Halloween costumes.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/halloween-safety-tips.aspx
Don't forget your pet this Halloween. The ASPCA gives ten tips for keeping your pet safe this Halloween.




Stop by your local library for a literary Halloween treat. Most public libraries have a collection of Halloween books for all ages. Some of my favorites are Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman, The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey, and Guess What? by Mem Fox.



Have a safe and happy Halloween!