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Best Practices Highlights
2007
EARLY LEARNING AWARDBethel Park Public Library
Cheryl Napsha, Director
Rays of Hope
Families who live in homeless shelters may have basic living needs taken care of, but what about children's basic learning needs? When Bethel Park Public Library learned that approximately 3,000 children regularly live in the county's shelters, they partnered with a new nonprofit called the Homeless Children's Education Fund to not only make the 18 county shelters institutional library members, but create and maintain 700-volume libraries in each one.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Suzanne Thinnes, Communications Director
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Mousefests
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a big service area, but staff members have big ideas. To make the most of Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse, the library used its outreach programs to partner with others involved in early learning and reach approximately 3,300 children. Internally, the 70 in-house story times reached approximately 2,000 more. And to take good advantage of Lindsay Barrett George's visit, they showcased the newly renovated Squirrel Hill branch to hold elaborate MouseFests with books, mousy refreshments, and mazes.
Upper St. Clair Twp
Lois Hoop, Director
Ready to Read for Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
How did one library increase reading program attendance by more than 40 percent? The Upper St. Clair Township Library created a fun experience for everyone in the family. With a goal of reaching a wider audience and motivating adults and children to participate in more reading activities, they broadened the goals and created a once-a-week Ready to Read Adventure Day experience.
2006
EARLY LEARNING AWARDMt. Lebanon Public Library
Cynthia Richey
Mt. Lebanon children's librarians developed Sensory Storytime to meet the needs of active children who require a more hands-on approach to learning. Structured around Howard Garner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, this program helps to ensure that all children have the chance to learn the pre-literacy skills necessary to become successful readers.
Sensory Storytimes are offered to children 18 months to 3 years of age and their caregivers. The programs incorporate movement, music, art, messy play, balance, body awareness and other activities engaging the senses. The interactive nature of the program is well suited to toddlers who learn about the world using their body and their senses.
Please contact Connie Mathews for more information. Phone - 412-531-1912; E -mail - mathewsc@einetwork.net.
Sewickley Public Library
Carolyn Toth, Director
The Sewickley Public Library was one of 19 public libraries honored for their innovative early literacy work at the Pennsylvania Library Association's third annual early learning forum and best practices luncheon held in Harrisburg in April. The statewide awards event attracted librarians, policymakers, advocates, and renowned children's author, Lindsey Barret George, to celebrate.
The Sewickley Public Library of the Quaker Valley School District's award came in recognition of its Preschool Storytime Plus Program. This program, led by Rita Crawford, Head of Youth Services at the Library and Betsey Wilson, kindergarten teacher at Quaker Valley's Osborne Elementary School, aids paremts in their quest to provide their children with the best learning experiences possible. The program, held weekly at the Library on Thursdays at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM requires no pre-registration and is open to children and their caregivers from any municipality. Pre-school-age children attaend a storytime led by Children's Librarian, Kim Dunderdale, while Mrs. Crawford and Mrs. Wilson lead parents in lively and informative discussion in a separate meeting room. While parents and caregivers learn how to choose books for their children, address bullying, sibling rivalry and a variety of other topics, younger children can play with one another in the room with their caregivers winthin arms reach. It is a win-win for everyone.
Please contact the Library at 412-741-6920 if you would like more information about this program and the many others offered at the Sewickley Public Library of the Quaker Valley School District.
2005
ADOPT A GRANDPARENT STORYTIMEBethel Park Public Library
Cheryl Napsha, Director
The Bethel Park Library adapted their emphasis on supporting all ages to create another pre-literacy opportunity for babies and an outreach to seniors that stimulates memory and activity. The program involves a library specialist visiting local nursing homes with caregivers who have babies up to 18 months, and leading everyone in rhymes, songs and stories. Many of the nursing home residents with serious memory issues can participate because they remember childhood songs, love to see the babies, and light up with joy.
BOOK BAG DELIVERY
Carnegie Library of Homestead
Tyrone Ward, Director
This simple title masks a big success with an at-risk population. Twice a month, the children's librarian delivers book bags filled with age-appropriate story books to 25 childcare classrooms in their low-income service area. Once a month, the children enjoy an interactive story time and learn about other books and activities at the library. Because the area's hilly terrain and the children's young age discourage walking fields trips to the library, taking the programs to the children is more important. The children's obvious love of the delivered books and story times have encouraged more families to start visiting and using library services.
2004
ESL (ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE) OUTREACH SERVICES TO CHILDRENWhitehall Public Library
Suzanna Krispli, Director
The school district, local government, literacy council, and ESL preschool and the library have collaborated to support a sizable and diverse immigrant population in an apartment complex. The library's programs include two special story times, which are also promoted through the other collaborating agencies. Once a week during the school year, the school district transports families from the complex to the library, where they participate in a story time and educational activities that support their unique needs. Once a month, the children's librarian presents a story time in the preschool located at the complex, leaving books for children and teachers to use between visits. The library's goal is to introduce this special population of preschool children to language-rich programs and the literacy staples of childhood development, including being read to and having books available.
ON THE GO STORY HOUR
C.C. Mellor Memorial Library
Sally Bogie, Director
This monthly program is an outreach to the underserved, as well as an opportunity to foster greater awareness of the library and its services to early learners. Each month during the school year, a library staff member brings stories, finger plays and crafts to eight preschools and nursery schools, reaching some 170 children. The children also receivee handouts to share with their parents. In the summer, the program is incorporated with a summer reading club for older children and is offered weekly in borough buildings and parks.
STAFF TRAINING IN EARLY LITERACY
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Children's librarians throughout Allegheny County have benefited from a rich network of workshops, in-service programs, training sessions, discussions, and working groups created to disseminate the best available information about early literacy and, more importantly, how library programs and services can support it. This extensive and wide-ranging effort includes development of guidelines for age-appropriate story times, incorporate the key elements of early literacy into library programs, and creation of three information-rich brochures for parents of young children. All elements of this training initiative are designed to keep staff on the cutting edge of the educational process, so they can apply new methods and strategies. Because librarians model story time techniques and literacy activities for library patrons, it is important that they provide an informed model for parents seeking to replicate these techniques at home.
Download one of the brochures created for parents of young children: Talkers (Ages 2 and 3).