Fusenews: Library V. Library

• I want to take some time to consider how libraries for children are getting more creative these days.  Let’s look at two library systems that have decided to do something incredibly cool with their spaces for kids.  Today, it’s Toronto Vs. Baltimore County.  Who will emerge victorious?  First, we look at our neighbor to the north.  In an article from the Toronto Star called This is not your parents’ library, or yours either it talks about this super duper cool Toronto Public Library "indoor literacy playground, called KidsStops.  I love this picture from the article, in part, because I like how the child is leaning at a 100-degree angle. 

"Right from the start, it is fun. Kids insert their library cards in a red globe, which sets off a cavalcade of lights overhead. To the right is the rocket ship, with small benches inside and a bin full of puppets for the puppet theatre cut out at the back. Big wooden cubes on the floor offer all kinds of letter and shape activities. The ‘wall of blocks,’ created by the Ontario Science Centre, retells poems and nursery rhymes; a cursive writing table has letters carved into the top for children to trace. Two toddler computers, with brightly coloured keyboards and tiger-ear headphones, link directly to online books. A big, red mailbox encourages children to write letters and "mail" them to librarians and there’s also a giant version of ‘Read Me A Book,’ by local Toronto writer and artist Barbara Reid, mounted kid-height on the wall."

Mighty fine. Thanks to The Monkey Speaks for that link.  But wait!  There’s more.  On the east side of this fair county, the Rosedale branch of the Baltimore County Public Library system has created Storyville.  There was a nice article about this in both American Libraries (not available online yet) and The Baltimore Sun called A town for children. 

"Storyville is designed to resemble a village with a two-story house, post office, theater, store, garden, waterfront, construction zone, and, of course, a library. The activities are designed for children and parents playing together. ‘The idea being that the child’s first teacher is a parent,’ says Marisa Conner, the youth services coordinator for county public libraries. Ideally, parents will talk to children as they play, encouraging them to act out scenes from books, and discuss stars as they sit under the twinkle light constellation in the light house or what they might want to build in the construction zone."

Wow.  I want to create a database of children’s libraries around the country that have given a lot of thought, energy, and resources in producing spaces like this for kids. 

• What does it say about the state of the nation when Goodnight Moon parodies are on the rise?  Time can only tell. This August we’ll see the publication of a picture book by Michael Rex called Goodnight Goon (can’t hardly wait to review it) and now I see from Maud Newton that there’s also something out there called Goodnight Bush. Thanks to Educating Alice for the latter link.

• Saw this one on Gwenda’s site and thought I’d give it a go.  Clearly I am a failure.

34 As a 1930s wife, I am Poor Take the test!

• This is particularly cool.  Cheryl Rainfield has rounded up all the different ways to win a picture book or title for teens this month.  Nothing wrong with a little free book action, eh?  Thanks to Jen Robinson for the link.

• FYI, you may wish to take a gander at Saints and Spinners today.  I’m just saying.

• And finally, Liz over at Tea Cozy has posted her take on the British idea to age brand their books for youth.   As Liz points out, my own take on the issue was "a wee bit wanky" for which I blame Leonard Marcus.  I’m all prickly as a pear after reading Minders of Make Believe.  The ghost of Anne Carroll Moore has been haunting me ever since I picked it up.  Review (estimated review writing time: approximately 4 hours) to come.  But read Liz’s take on the issue.  All very interesting stuff.

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