Engagement Is the Key!

I attended the Growing Wisconsin Readers Symposium last week in Stevens Point.  I was pleased to see so many folks from IFLS-land there (and to see a fabulous display by our colleague Julie Belz from Ellsworth!).  I left with my brain FULL of ideas and...

Taking a Break Won’t Break Your Storytime

I have discussed this before, and I know it will come up again.  Marge Loch-Wouters over at Tiny Tips for Library Fun has a great post about the importance and viability of taking breaks from storytime.  Take a look for some convincing suggestions that...

Arbuthnot Lecture Lands Nearby!

This information is from a post to an ALSC listserv.  The Arbuthnot Lecture is a big deal, and it would be fun to have a group of IFLS-area librarians make the trek to visit.  There is already a possibility of taking a van from Eau Claire in the works–let me...

Sprouting Readers in Durand

Ever-hopeful in Durand!  At the first Springtime Storytime for children ages 3-5 years old, June and Lori thought it would be interesting to plant tomato seeds in pots in celebration of the First Day of Spring.    Hard to imagine it ever being warm...

Tech Take-Apart Program

Thanks so much to Alisha from the public library in Eau Claire for this terrific guest post!  This would be a fun STEAM program for the summer.The kids absolutely loved the Tech Take-Apart program, and it was pretty simple to put on.  I  called First...

Beyond Screen Time

There is a lot of debate out there about the use of apps, technology, and screens of any kind with young children.  Librarians like the ones at Little ELit are embracing the thoughtful use of technology in programs, and advocating the importance for librarians to...

Wisconsin Science Festival

Menomonie Public Library’s Science Festival, held in partnership with UW Stout last fallPlanning is underway for the fourth annual Wisconsin Science Festival (WSF), to be held October 16–19, 2014, in Madison, around the state and perhaps in your library. The...

All About Fingerplays

There was an interesting discussion recently on the ALSC listserv about the benefits of Fingerplays.  There were some great ideas I gleaned from a variety of excellent librarians from across the country.  Here are a few:They can be especially helpful for...

Punch-box Fortunes

I’m a tactile person, so imagine my delight the other day when I was in the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire and I found this cool-as-can-be punch-box book fortune:Behind these tantalizing little tissue-paper circles are little fortunes,...