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June 9, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Fusenews: Library V. Library

June 9, 2008 by Betsy Bird   8 comments


  • 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. 

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"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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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LIZ B says

    June 9, 2008 at 7:22 am

    I didn’t mean you were being wanky! I meant I was!

  2. Fuse #8 says

    June 9, 2008 at 10:31 am

    Well, tell you what. Let’s share the wankiness. Wankification for all!

  3. Bibliovore says

    June 9, 2008 at 11:14 am

    Hey Fuse

    A lot of Family Place libraries (www.familyplacelibraries.org) have created these kinds of early-childhood centers. Including my own!

    I agree, the kid leaning at the 100 degree angle just makes me grin.

    Maureen

  4. The SnowCone says

    June 9, 2008 at 2:05 pm

    A number of years ago when I was part of a group starting a children’s museum in my fair city, I took a tour of the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. Throughout their facility they have books related to the exhibits, and computer kiosks connected to the public library (or at least they did at the time). You could check a book out from the Children’s Museum and return it to a branch, or reserve one at the kiosk. It seems a bit like the reverse of the articles you posted, but either way a good idea. We proposed it locally but a slender library budget put the kibosh on the idea.

  5. Alkelda says

    June 9, 2008 at 6:38 pm

    According to the 1930’s Wife test, I am a superior 1930’s wife. You know, I’m really not sure how I should take that! I’m a little chagrined, actually.

  6. Fuse #8 says

    June 9, 2008 at 8:18 pm

    Yeah, but you know why I did poorly? No kids. So each time it asked “Do you tuck your kids in at night?” I had to say “Nope” in all honesty. Probably swayed my results a tad.

  7. Julie says

    June 10, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Storyville at BCPL is very cool. I blogged about it in Feb. at Reader’s Carousel when it first opened, but when I visited in March, of course I forgot my camera! I would love to see KidStops in Toronto, too. I love the concepts.

  8. SHEILA RUTH says

    June 10, 2008 at 8:51 pm

    Awesome cool kids’ library spaces. I live in Baltimore County! (although on the other side of town, so I don’t go to Rosedale). In fact, my mom used to be a Baltimore County librarian!

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