Librarian Ginny

Tween Cupcake Wars: Fall Edition

After our library flooded with a burst pipe last winter and being closed for 6 months (SIX MONTHS), we finally feel like we’re getting back with our services and programming. The Tween Cupcake Wars was one of the programs we had to cancel due to the water damage and closure and we finally got to put on the program! Here’s what my coworker, J, and I did!

Tween Craft: Ghastly Glowing Lanterns

For the spooky season, we like to do a lot of programs in our children’s department. I was terrible at taking photos for the ones I did alone, but my coworkers Z & J put on this wonderful program (I oversaw it since I’m the lone librarian at the branch) and we got some good images for it.

Here’s what we did:

Storytime: Halloween!

Each year, C and I do a special Halloween storytime at our branch that ends in a trick or treat parade through the library. We station staff members at the usual desks and throughout the library with candy, stickers, etc in which the kids will parade around in their costumes and practice trick or treating. It’s a wholesome and fun time that our entire staff gets into.

Here’s the full storytime script below:

Storytime: Cupcakes!

This storytime script was created and used as part of another program we did – Preschool Cooks & Books. You can see that post here, if you’d like. Basically, that program sets out to help caregivers and preschoolers create food together and we add in a storytime or storytime elements as we wait for things to cook or bake. Our very first session centered on cupcakes so we of course made cupcakes and centered our storytime on the same theme! You can read the full script below:

Preschool Cooks & Books: Cupcakes

I can’t believe I’m finally getting to write about this program! We had it planned for LAST winter, but our library branch had an unfortunate pipe burst that really did extensive damage and we were closed for quite a bit. Finally, after reopening, getting through summer reading and back to school, we’re finally getting to actually do this program!

Description: Read about your cupcake and eat it, too! We’ll read a book, sing some songs, and make delicious food.

Details: This was a 1.5hr program for kids 3-6 years old with their caregiver. Because it was our first one for the series, we spent about 5 hours planning the flow, details and components of the program. The budget was $50, a bit higher than I’d do for one session, but the cost of food was the main portion.

Now, buckle up, cause it was an adventure!

Storytime: Owls!

The weather here is beginning to really take a turn toward the cold, crisp Fall nights that I love. We hear a lot of owls here at night and I love doing storytimes based on a single type of animal, so of course I wanted to do an owl storytime. Plus, there’s something inherently spooky about their calls. So it’s perfect for a few weeks before Halloween! Here’s the full storytime script below:

Storytime: Hispanic Heritage Month

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month and though I know very little Spanish, I really wanted to dedicate a storytime to it this year, which I’ve been slightly nervous about in the past since I am a very white person. So, I brushed up on my pronunciation, researched some good books, and checked in with some friends who are Hispanic/Latinx, and made a plan. It can be daunting to do a storytime centered on something that you do not have a part in and I’ve definitely felt that in past years. But I’m trying to grow that comfort level in myself and I think it’s important to have diverse representation in everything I do as a children’s librarian (every display, booklist, reader’s advisory interactions, etc) so that it’s all around the department and people see and feel it all the time, but I also see a lot of value in celebrating heritage months – especially with preschoolers who may not have prior knowledge of it.

Here’s the full storytime script below:

Storytime: Leaves!

Fall is starting to come to Indiana, so my coworker, C, and I are doing a bunch of storytimes on Fall topics. Last week I did the theme of Leaves since ours are just beginning to change. Later on in the storytime, I put in a little science by talking about why leaves change their color in Fall. The kids were really interested in that process and I ended up finding some books on the color process at the end of storytime to help some curious minds! Here’s the full storytime script below:

Storytime: Books & Libraries

As many in the library world know – September is Library Card Signup Month. I took our storytime this past week to let caregivers know and to do a storytime all about books and libraries in order to celebrate. At our library, we leave it up to the child’s grownup to decide when their child is ready for a library card, but I find that a lot of caregivers don’t realize that. So, we like to celebrate this month and let our caregivers know. This was an unexpectedly fun storytime to do. A lot of the kids were really into it. We only read two books today, which is really abnormal for me since I usually get through 3-4 stories total whether it’s book, felt, or oral formats. However, the two books we read today were both a bit longer and so between taking up more time there, it also required more movement/brain breaks inbetween. Here’s the full storytime script below:

Storytime: Back to School

Summer Reading has been over for us for weeks and weeks and all our families are getting used to their new routines. Which means preschool and school for their kids! So, of course we had to do a “Back to School” theme. There’s always so much excitement and/or nervousness around this subject. I like to add in at least one book about how it’s ok to be nervous, but mostly I focus on the good. Even for kids who don’t go to an official preschool, this is a great topic to begin to prepare kids for what to expect. I actually got covid during this storytime’s execution (my first time getting it, actually!) so my coworker, C, took control and executed everything I had planned. The show must go on! And based on what our patrons said, she did a fantastic job with it! Here’s the full storytime script below: