A Few More Job Openings

A few more positions came through recently so here they are:

Posted 11/10/10
Library Children's Services Technician.
Closes: 12/10/10
Scappoose, OR

The Scappoose Public Library District is accepting resumes for a Part-Time Library Children's Services Technician. The position is 32 hours per week, including day, evening and weekend hours.

Primary duties include developing, implementing, and presenting library programs for children, teens, and families. Outreach to schools and other community organizations is an important part of this position. This position is also responsible for creating flyers and displays. Additional duties include working at the circulation desk, shelving, providing reader's advisory and reference assistance, and computer instruction. Excellent customer service skills and the ability to work as part of a team are essential.

The successful applicant must demonstrate the ability to develop and present a pre-school age story time program. If selected for an interview, applicants will be required to make a presentation at the time of the interview.

In addition he or she must demonstrate the ability to alphabetize and understand the Dewey Classification system. Previous experience working with children in libraries required and experience working with a summer reading program in a public library is highly desirable. Computer skills are required and experience with a library computerized circulation system desirable. High School Diploma or equivalent required. Physical requirements include the ability to bend and to lift piles of books weighing up to forty pounds.

$11.25/hr. with pro-rated benefits.

Successful candidate must pass background check. Open until filled. EOE Submit cover letter and resume to: Dan White, PO Box 400, Scappoose, OR 97056 or email dwhite@scappooselibrary.org Phone: 503-543-7123.

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Posted 11/8/10
Youth Services Manager
Closes: 11/29/10
Eugene, Oregon

Eugene Public Library is seeking a dynamic, service-oriented librarian to lead the Youth Services Section.

The Youth Services Librarian Manager plans, organizes, and supervises operations in the Youth Services Section of the Eugene Public Library, providing library service to Eugene residents from birth through the teen years. This position reports to the Library Services Director.
This position manages the day-to-day operations of the Youth Services Section within the Eugene Public Library. The Youth Services Librarian Manager exercises direct supervision over Youth Services staff, including 10.5 FTE librarians and support staff.

Minimum Requirements: Four years of increasingly responsible professional library experience, including one year of supervisory experience,ALA-accredited MLS and requires a valid Oregon driver's license or ability to obtain by date of hire.

Additional Qualifications: Youth Services experience, public library experience, and experience managing in a union environment preferred. Ability to speak Spanish preferred.

To apply online, access the City of Eugene Job Opportunity page at www.eugene-or.gov/jobs>. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 29, 2010.
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Reading for Healthy Families

I just had a 2 day training from Steven Engelfried for Reading for Healthy Families (RFHF). This is an initiative that partners public libraries with Healthy Start-- a group that helps first time parents to get the tools they need to raise their children to be successful. The training was INTENSE, but really helpful and educating and entertaining-- I'm just not used to sitting for so long.
We started by learning what RFHF was, and how it works-- Joanne Contini used Russian nesting dolls to explain that the ECRR that the ALA developed, an is being used throughout the country is being passed down to trainers, to the more local trainers (like Steven) to the Librarians and Healthy Start workers (us), so we could teach the parents, so the parents can work with their children.

We learned about Healthy Start from the workers themselves in small groups- this was very helpful to me, because, while I know the idea behind healthy start from their website and hearing other librarians talk about it, I didn't know how they put their theories into practice. What a strenuous job they have!And what important work!

Then we jumped right into the training on the early literacy skills. We received binders full of information to share with families, to learn ourselves, and bags upon bags of books to give away, books to entice people to come to the library, and books and toys for us to use when we pass the information on to families.

Steven is a wonderful educator-- he presented the information as we would present it to the parents we'll work with, giving us tips and hints he has found helpful, and making sure we understood what we are being asked to teach. My favorite teaching tip he gave us-- which he repeated a few times, is to present the information to parents, and then ask them to "fast forward" to the time when their child is in first or second grade and presented with a text they haven't seen and asked to read it. After learning print awareness he discussed that children who have developed print awareness will be excited to learn what the text contains and will be willing to work through the tough process to decoding to have the book make sense. After we learned about vocabulary he asked us to fast forward to when the child encounters a rare word and after decoding us (using phonological awareness and letter knowledge) realizes they have heard the word before, even if they don't use it themselves.

I am very grateful that I am able to be trained in these early literacy skills, and I feel such a great responsibility to go out and "preach" this early literacy gospel to 15 families. Now I just have to figure out how to find them!

Unfortunately I forgot my camera at the training, so have no photos of the Salem Public Library (or their AWESOME discovery room-- seriously-- go check it out, it's like OMSI in the LIBRARY!)
Here's all my bags unpacked:

Flathead Job opening

As part of LIS 501 we need to find and analyze job announcements-- bringing to light a few more that I haven't caught already. The Flathead county, for example, posted this announcement, that has this job description. It's for a youth services librarian, and (get this!) new graduates are encouraged to apply. To bad it's in Montana.
I hope that this 501 assignment will help with the professional portfolio I put together out of this working blog!

Paper Pals

After the demise of Stick Buddies my supervisor offered for the other Reference assistant and I to have our won easy to run regular programs. The idea being that either of us (or any librarian) could put it together and go. Much like stick buddies—little preparation, just ease.

After Carson described her enjoyment of zines and drawing, and I mentioned how much I enjoyed having special origami paper we decided to form Paper Pals, a program for kids in grades 1-5 to hang out in the library and draw, trace, color, fold, fly paper airplanes, or any other number of activities you can do with paper.

We alternate who will be in charge of the program each month- September was Carson, and so I took October. Today was my first day in charge of Paper pals.

Setting up the room is an important part of each program. Things must be welcomeing, an din order so that kids have an idea of where everything belongs before they begin.

I set a LOOOOOONG piece of paper on the floor for big drawings, brought in a table and chairs for drawing and tracing, and pulled out tables for origami and card making ( a new edition from last month). And set up the flight test area for the paper airplanes. On Carson’s suggestion we only made and flew the airplanes in the last 15 minutes. Otherwise the kids go WILD! This wasn't quite enough time for them to fold and fly their airplanes-- they wanted to fly them in clean-up time! Next time I'll start them making airplanes half an hour before the end.

The program is fairly easy to do, after the room is set up the kids start to come in and go to what ever station they like-- drawing, folding, cards, and they choose to stay at that station or move between them. The trouble is that some stations, especially paper folding needs a lot of attention- this is where a volunteer is especially handy. I made the mistake of making a water bomb as an example and so all the kids also wanted to make a water bomb, which is a challenge piece of work.

The next time I do Paper Pals, I'll be sure to either have a volunteer for that station, or just scrap it and have the kids stick to drawing, tracing, coloring, and card making.

Job Posting

Another job opening was brought to my attention today. Oh to be done with the degree, have the required experience, and be able to work full time.
Battle Ground WA is looking for a full time Youth Services library to work with kids birth-teens. Just up my ally.
Here is the posting and here is the job description.

Every Child Ready to Read Workshop part 2

The Workshop went off without much of a hitch. We had 9 families represented-- 10 grown-ups and 3 kids. I think they learned a lot-- we had a good mix of interaction-- asking for responses, and lecture. One part of my presentation was showing how to make a book to share with their baby out of zip-lock sandwich bags, card stock, staples and duct tape-- they seemed to enjoy that. One of the points we tried to get across was that they should speak and read to their babies in the language they felt most comfortable with--and I think that got through! At least the books they were making not only had English, but several had Spanish words and Japanese or Vietnamese as well.
The parents asked good and thoughtful questions and I think they were relived to learn that what they already do now-- sing, play, read, and talk with their babies all promote early literacy. Hopefully they have learned the importance of such simple things and will continue to keep their babies brains growing strong.

Every Child Ready To Read Workshop Pt. 1

After observing a workshop on Brain development last spring, my supervisor and I discussed the possibility of me co-presenting a workshop this fall. Tonight that comes to fruition.

I will be co-presenting an Every Child Read to Read workshop for parents and caregivers for children aged birth through 18 months-- just babies!

In these workshops we present parents with the findings of research showing the positive influence that reading, singing, talking, and playing with your baby has to their being ready to learn how to read when they enter school.

We'll discuss the 6 skills for Early literacy (Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Print Awareness, Narrative skills, Phonological awareness, and letter knowledge), and how parents can (and do) promote these skills with their babies right now. For example, I play to sing, peek-a-boo, twinkle twinkle, and the itsy bitsy spider. I'll bring in my rag doll (I can't find the Cabbage Patch doll), and we'll also-- as a little break, make a baby book out of zip lock bags to promote print motivation, narrative still,s and vocabulary.

I hope this will be a fun and insightful evening. I'll post more about it after the fact.