Kids Are Customer, Too

The Children's Services Division of the Maryland Library Association presented its annual Kids Are Customers, Too on 16 October, 2104. 
FutureMakers guru Matt Baribholtz presented us with a baggie with batteries, sticky foam, straws, l.e.d. light, popsicle sticks, rubber band and foldable paper box.   We had to make something.
Amanda Roberson spoke of the new edition of Every Child Ready to Read.
The most enjoyable part is always the guest authors, winners of the Blue Crab Award.  This year was a humorously understated Greg Pizzoli and David A. Kelly.  I agree wholehearted with the respective picks of  The Watermelon Seed and Miracle Mud.
We finished the day with Guerrilla Story Time where questions for unusual situations and problems were answered by the experts, us!?!

New Media in Storytime

On 7 October, 2014, Cen Campbell gave a workshop on incorporating new media into storytimes.  Cen is the founder of Littleelit.com and is at the forefront of using new media as emergent literature.
A media mentor will be essential to vet new applications for educators.
Apps were loaded onto ipads and are ready to be used.
This was an informative and enjoyable day focusing on the future of storytimes.

Transforming Pre-school Storytime: Plugged and Unplugged

On 6 October, 2014, Betsy Diamant-Cohen presented a workshop for children's librarians in the digital age. The most noteworthy point to take away is that the use of a device is just another tool,  and should be used with human interaction.
I've already used the Alligator, alligator finger play (with repetition) to the enjoyment of toddlers.
We did an exercise planning a program using one picture book for six consecutive weeks.  Each week would emphasis a different school readiness skill.

Kids Are Customers, Too

On Thursday, October 16, 2014, I attended the Kids Are Customers, Too workshop sponsored by the Children's Services Division of the Maryland Library Association.  I always look forward to this workshop, as it's nice to see librarians from around the state and have a chance to share ideas.  This year, guest authors were Greg Pizzoli (The Watermelon Seed and Number One Sam) and David A. Kelly (Miracle Mud and the Ballpark Mysteries).  I now have a new favorite choice for storytime- Greg Pizzoli's books are wonderful and I can't wait for Templeton Gets His Wish to come out early next year.  Be sure to visit his Etsy site and check out his adorable book buttons!  Other sessions were presented by FutureMakers, a mobile makerspace, and Maryland children's librarians.  I learned a little bit more about the maker movement in libraries and Every Child Ready to Read, a tool for librarians to use in teaching parents and other adults about early literacy skills.  I wish that both sessions would have been more in depth as there was so much more to share and learn.  The last session I attended was a Guerilla Storytime.  I've heard about this movement, but didn't know much about it.  Developed by a group called Storytime Underground, these storytimes and sessions are a chance for groups of librarians to get together and brainstorm ideas for how to handle difficulties that may occur during storytimes.  Librarians shared ideas for getting antsy toddlers to sit still, chatty parents to stop talking, opening and closing rhymes, and more.  My new favorite closing rhymes are:


We clap to say goodbye, we clap to say goodbye,
Hip hip hooray, we had fun today,
We clap to say to say goodbye (tune "The Farmer in the Dell")


After thanking the adults for bringing the children to storytime, sing:


Our hands say thank you with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say thank you with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap. Tap, tap, tap.
And we roll our hands together and say goodbye.



One librarian shared her ABC storytime rules.  A is for all aboard: it's time for everyone to engage in our storytime activities. B is for break- feel free to take a break if someone is fussy and then come back in to storytime when they are clamed down.  C is for chatting and cell phones, which are both distracting for little learners.


All in all, it was a great conference and I feel like I came back with practical ideas I can use in both programming and reader's advisory. 

PUG 2014

Lake Onongada, Liverpool, NY

Event: Polaris Users Group (PUG) 2014, Syracuse, New York, October 8-10th.

So this was a bitter sweet Polaris Users Group (PUG) as with the recent acquisition to the Innovative Group this was the last PUG at Syracuse, New York.  So I thought that it would be fitting to take some time and venture out to see Syracuse a little.  I've added some of the pictures for your enjoyment. 

What I learned at the last official PUG meeting:  Well, being the geek that I am, this year's PUG did not disappoint.  It was like I was in code heaven, lol!  There were so many sessions on SQL (Structured Query Language) reporting and queries, I thought I was literally going to jump out of my skin!

Where Megatron lives...I think!

On day one it was the Polaris Day opening with lots of information about the company and where they are headed.  It was a little different atmosphere than in previous years, but that is to be expected when 2 companies merge together.  We also learned that Innovative acquired VTLS (Visionary Technology in Library Solutions) in the recent months in addition to Polaris.  VTLS is out of Blacksburg, Virginia; a ILS system initially designed by and for Virginia Tech.  Innovative now has several ILS platforms available which includes Sierra, Millennium, Polaris, and now VTLS.

The best part of Polaris Day was a training session called "Find Tool SQL Queries".  It was everything I ever wanted to know about how to get a better query inside the PAC client tool.  I've always struggled because my queries never seemed to work because my SQL structure didn't match what it wanted.  But then that was the day that I finally found out why.  Ah..oh...ah!  It was like the skies broken open and I could hear the hallelujah choir!  Seriously, lol, it was one of those moments! So if you're in the PAC and you are wanting better queries when searching, please shoot me an email and I'll send you the presentation. (I don't think I can share it in this public forum.)  If there is some kind of recordset that you're looking to create and haven't been able to achieve it, please give me a call and I'll see if I can help.

Another class that was most memorable for me was a class called "Reporting Outside the Box".  With the change to Polaris there were some reports that we used to get via email, but with the change to Polaris there was no way to do that, or so it seemed.  I learned that I can set up permissions for users to be able to see reports via the Internet and the reports could be set up to be scheduled and emailed to the users.  Say what!?!  Finally, I can set up reports to be scheduled for mailing!  Oh the bliss! :)  (Yes, I am excited to start using this!)

Downtown Syracuse banks and the canal

I also liked a session called "Online Catalog Design" which was a System Admin session that showed some easy work-arounds for customizing the catalog. 

Overall it was a very good PUG, but still bitter sweet.  We are unofficially going to be merging with the Innovative Users Group (IUG). There are still some things to work through before it all becomes official.  The next users group for IUG will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota in April 2015.  I'm not sure if I will be there, but I do look forward to what is next for Polaris.

My history moment for Jill -The Freedom Trail

One of the other big things coming with Polaris is the new cloud-based LEAP platform as a client tool.  The first module that they will be rolling out is the Circulation module which is a cloud based client tool for checking-in and checking-out materials.  There is also a module that allows web-based Patron registration.  A cloud-based client tool basically means that you can be on an iPad checking books in or out from the stacks and/or registering patrons remotely without having the standard windows client tool installed on the device, it's completely browser based.  It's the next revolution for ILS systems and Polaris has a gem with their new LEAP platform.  It was part of the reason that they merged with Innovative.  The early adopters of LEAP and Polaris 5.0 will be in November 2014.   Baltimore County and Carroll County have been early beta testers and will be moving to the new platform in November 2014.

So overall, PUG 2014 was another great success, I always learn so much and it's always great to see friends that I've made over the years.  Although we wont be returning to Syracuse, New York again, we will all have fond memories of the previous users groups.  We've only been with Polaris for a few years, but over the years I've developed great relationships with other Polaris users across the country.  I look forward to the new adventures with the IUG meetings.  Since IUG is a global company with offices around the world serving 66 countries, I'm sure I'll be meeting and making new friendships from colleagues from all over the world.  :)

The pictures above:
1. Lake Onongada in Liverpool, NY (Polaris has it's office in Liverpool, a small community northwest of Syracuse.)
2. Niagara Mohawk Building (this art deco building was built in 1932, it was the headquarters of the nation's largest utility company Niagara Mohawk.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cool building...still think that Megatron lives there, lol)
3. Clinton Square Park (red building is the Third National Bank building built in 1885; taller building is Syracuse Savings Bank built in 1875; the fountain was once a functioning section of the Erie Canal.)
4. The Freedom Trail (marks stop throughout Syracuse for the Underground railroad).

ARSL Conference

ARSL (Association for Rural/Small Libraries) Conference - Sept. 3 - 6

Libraries Reimagined –Breakfast address on Friday – Daniel Rasmus 

Daniel addressed the uncertain future that libraries face and the importance of navigating change as it occurs. Some points to think about:

• What do we hire a library for? Why do people come to the library?
• How will we represent knowledge?
• Outside-in-thinking: Libraries talking about the world they live in and how they bring services to that world, and what services.
• Plan for the future we want but also for the future we are given.

Marketing Your Library – Breakout Session – Beth Wheeler Dean 

A dynamic library director from Guntersville, Alabama, Beth was great. She said to be smart about marketing and get what you want. Her example: Her library went to Staples for tax-free days and helped people set up their tablets – and gave out library cards.

Libraries can no longer just sell their product, she emphasized. Small libraries need to be full service and the biggest part of marketing is the “things we do.”

“Everything comes down to people – staff, users/patrons, and people that never use the library. All combine to build your library’s image in the community. You will build invaluable relationships as you place your library before your public. Remember to listen, not just talk.”

Points I noted:

• Market the service, not the product.
• Market the benefit, not the features.
• Market what they value, and continue to do what we value.
• Market personality. If you’re helpful to patrons, they will tell others.
•  Never ever market something you can’t deliver.
•  Create and market differently to different groups.
•  Understand the cost curve and how it applies to libraries. (Example, something could incur hours of staff time.)
•  Use SWOT Analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Advocacy is important on the part of library staff and Trustees, Friends of the Library, and patrons.Staff can inspire users, find partners, and tell the library story. Trustees, Friends, and patrons can lobby local government, tell the library story, volunteer, use the library, cook and give parties.

On October 6th and 7th I attended training about "New Media in Storytime." The presenters Dr. Betsy Diamont-Cohen and Cen Campbell were fantastic. They really know how to give an exciting storytime. I liked some of the digital ideas that they showed us and I will probably try a few of them when I get my i-pad. Going into the training I thought that they were going to show us how to have completely digital programs. I was pleased when they showed us ways to enhance not completely change our programs. Some of the APPS they told us about are really interesting and interactive. Some not so much. Overall I really liked the training and am glad that I participated.