Polling the group, again, some more

Once again I ask for your expertise. You've never let me down before. (Aaaaand now I have Shrek singing in my head. Perfect.)

The director left, as you may remember, and took her big Storytime program attraction with her. So now we're trying to come up with something that is simple enough to keep us from killing ourselves, since we can't hire any more staff to take this on, but fun enough to keep the children from stoning us. I just want to live, basically. And the trick is that hers was always such a massive production, and we can't do massive anymore, but none of us really have experience with putting together something normal.

So. It's coming together. The basic bones of what I have in mind is one Toddler Time for the 0-2 crowd (since the mommies love it) and one Story Time for the 3-5 group. There will be activity songs and stories and puppets, etc.

I'm getting input from neighboring libraries and observing what they're doing. But I'd like to hear from you as well, since I imagine lots of you have seen good (and bad) storytimes at your own libraries. What have you liked? What have your kids liked? What have you seen that has been simple but effective? What is the basic routine of your storytimes?

On another work-related note, I just bought myself a 2008 desk calendar. Because by gum I'm going to have something pretty and handmade to look at this year. There were so very many to choose from, and it was not easy to pick just one. I kind of wanted them all, and maybe I could just have them in four different locations like the filthy capitalist that I am. And I could lean back and look at them while I throw dollar bills into the fire. But after consulting the Circle of Truth I believe I've made the right choice--Annacote's 2008 Screen/Gocco Printed Botanical Calendar, available at her Etsy shop.

I'm pretty sure I'll be more likely to drag myself to work in the mornings if I know this darling thing is waiting there for me.

Posted in: library gossip