Bits and Pieces; "Managing for Results"

News October 26, 2007 (mp3 file: 6.49 MB, 6:55 min.)
Bits and Pieces; "Managing for results"

Today I’d just like to remind you of a few things going on and coming up.

First, the LSA Early Childhood Literacy Initiative is underway. Marcia and Sue have been working on storytime kits for you to use, and there are 5 complete kits, ready to go. Remember, each of these kits contain what you need to do a storytime featuring one of the 6 specific developmental skills, such as print awareness or letter recognition. These storytimes aren’t so different from those you are doing now, they just add a couple of things for parents or caregivers, and they have that specific focus. Because these kits will be available statewide we’re asking that you use them not for the traditional storytimes but if you plan to do those couple of extra things—such as short asides to parents about the skill you’re focusing on and why it’s important, and take-home sheets for parents. It’s not difficult, and the kits are designed to support you in doing that.

There are two kits that are more for the lapsit crowd: “Moonbeams” and “Bounce Me.” The others are for 2-3 year olds. And they’re just darn cute!

We’re working on kits to loan to parents and daycare providers, and Sue is also working on some bi-lingual kits. The kits are listed on the Early Childhood Literacy website, and most of the contents of each kit are also downloadable from there. Call SWILSA to borrow the kits, or check the website for downloads.

We’re also asking you to keep some statistics for us. (Yes, more stats!!) We’d like to know how many people attend your ECL storytimes, and how you use the awareness materials, such as the posters and table tents. For example, Creston let us know that they used the table tents and posters at the county literacy forum, attended by about 150 people. Sue said they wished they had made several table tents for each table, as people were reading and commenting on them. That helps us to evaluate the initiative, as well as give us ideas for how to help you more in the future.

Secondly, please remember to keep checking our CE page (and your e-mail box) for upcoming CE events. We have several workshops coming up in the online Wimba classroom, as well as a couple ICN sessions—one for trustees, as a matter of fact. You can find them on our CE page, or on rolling 30-day calendar on SWILSA’s home page. (You could have your own rolling calendar on YOUR library’s website, by the way. If you want to know how, give me a call or an IM and we’ll get that done for you!) -Karen

Links from today's podcast:

Iowa LSAs' Early Childhood Literacy website
SWILSA's CE page
SWILSA's home page

Book reviewed by Marcia:
Managing for results: effective resource allocation for public libraries, by Sandra Nelson, Ellen Altman and Diane Mayo. ALA, c2000