Summer Reading

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Re-Vamping Summer Reading, Part Three: Super-Action PlayPacks

Previously in this series Re-Vamping Summer Reading, Part One: Adding Passive Programming & Tracking Re-Vamping Summer Reading, Part Two: Those Darn Prizes  No more cheap plastic crap!  No more cheap plastic crap!  Keep saying it to yourself (and your administration!) until it is imprinted on your brain.  Your summer programs don’t need it, your patrons…

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Re-Vamping Summer Reading, Part Two: Those Darn Prizes

Also in this series: Re-Vamping Summer Reading, Part One: Adding Passive Programming & Tracking Re-Vamping Summer Reading, Part Three: Super-Action Play Packs It is the eternal question of youth services in a public library.  What the heck do we do about the darn summer reading prizes? How do we stop kids from cheating?  WHY are we…

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Summer’s Coming & I Can’t Wait

And I mean it. Fellow YS librarians!  I know that this is our most stressful time of year: this lead-up to summer reading when all things converge into one mass of school visits, school tours, preparing publicity, lining up programs and getting ready for the crush of all those endless days of patrons, programs, and mayhem….

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MINECRAFT IRL @ Your Library!

Why did I decide to host this event?   Oh, if you work in a library and with children and teens you know why.  You know that, for them, Minecraft rules their imaginations.  At my library, the kids will play Minecraft for hours at a time.  They play it together, they watch each other play…

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ELEPHANT & PIGGIE @ Your Library!

Again, this is a program I chose to offer because of the sheer popularity of the books.  Perhaps you are noticing a trend! Perhaps this has helped get you started thinking about what series/characters are super popular at YOUR library that could be turned into a single day event/celebration!  (that’s what I hope anyway…) So…

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MAGIC TREEHOUSE @ Your Library!

Magic Treehouse was another event I decided to have based on the popularity of the books.  These books remain wildly popular at our library and the fans remain as dedicated and intent as ever.  We have multiple copies of each title and sometimes they are ALL checked out.   I figured with a fanbase this…

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FANCY NANCY @ Your Library!

This program was a modified repeat of a program we had two years ago.  (Yes, you can offer the single-day programs again!) I know lots of libraries that have hosted Fancy Nancy events and I really suggest it. Fancy Nancy remains very popular at our library – often there are simply no Fancy Nancy books even…

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NINJAGO @ Your Library!

I was inspired to have a Ninjago event because it was a word I heard over and over again on the lips of our 6-12 year old patrons.  This was my sweet spot of ages this summer, so it was in the back of my mind.  Then I read Sara‘s amazing and inspiring blog about…

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It’s A Party! Hosting Stand-Alone,Themed Events @ Your Library!

A few years ago, our library made a significant change in our summer programming offerings.  We switched from focusing mainly on sustained, multi-day programs to single day standalone events.  (We still have some of the multi-day programs and I plan to write about all the positive ways we’ve changed them!) We themed these days around…

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