Family Events & Programs

The La Puente Library patrons enjoyed 8 special events (3 for young adults), 8 programs, and 8 story times this month. Marcus Miller presented an interactive percussion event for excited children, moms, grandmothers, and teens. Juggling fun with David Cousin enthralled the library kids and tweens. Buster Balloon attracted about 100 patrons, who were amazed by his wacky antics. Magician David Skale gave over 150 patrons a good laugh, and the Blue Submarine taught us about life under the sea.

Hollywood Entertainment Museum

Twenty young adults at La Puente Library made library PSAs in a five-week class, arranged through the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, taught by television and film actor, Ernest Waddell, who says, "I had a great time at La Puente Library. All of the students were very charismatic and had a lot of talent."

Denise Garcia, a 12-year old attending Workman, described the class instructor as "cool" and "awesome." She said, "I just can't wait to make more videos. Being at the library is fun!"

The young adults began by writing ideas, then creating story boards, then filming their work. Marco Muniz, 6th grader at Grandview Middle School says, "We learned how to make and record movies. It was fun. My favorite part was handling the camera."

Nicolas Junior High School attendee, 13-year old Paula Vo stresses, "I learned about how acting can make your life feel more important --- it makes me talk. I'm shy!"

Library page, and Citrus College junior, Adriana Acaratachea, assisted with the class, "There's more to film-making than meets the eye. I didn't realize how many takes we would do! It was an experience of a lifetime."

The last class was a presentation, with pizza, for everyone in the library --- friends and family. Jeanette Freels, Community Library Manager says, "The library is pleased to high-quality programming that encourages young adults to discover everything that their library has to offer." The film program culminated in several videos that are now featured @ myspace.com/lapuentelibrary.

Attached Pictures

Library Kids Watch Video

From left:

Denise Garcia (blue sweatshirt), Paula Vo, Jeanette Javier, Jose Javier, Marco Muniz, and Gabriel Javier

Ernest Waddell, et al.

From top left:

Ernest Waddell (blue tee-shirt), Steven Copeland (blue polo), Monique Delatte (green jacket), Paula Vo (sky blue hoodie), Denise Garcia (plaid shirt), Renee Torres (black shirt), Adriana Caratachea (rainbow scarf), and Dee-Dee Torres (black cat shirt, in front), Marco Muniz

Outreach

Our library was featured in the June 17th issue of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune! The Hollywood Entertainment Museum film program for young adults is described in the article, Young Adults at La Puente Library Create Short Films, which features three photographs taken by the Children's/Teen/Reference Services Librarian, Monique Delatte. Check it out: http://www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders/ci_12610479.





Merchandising & Visual Display

Three displays were created: a book trough display promoting the David Skale magic show, a display of art books for the Parks & Recreation partnership, and a book trough display of beach books for the Parks & Recreation partnership. Four teens assisted with the latter two displays, and a frequent library after-school visitor helped with the former display.

We also promoted events, such as the Ringling Bros. contest, using signs created with assistance from teen volunteers. Photographs follow.

Volunteers

• The La Puente Library teen volunteers helped to make videos about volunteering, attended YA programs, created a felt board story, made signs, assisted and helped children with art activities at story time.



Literary Notes

• Edited NextReads picture book and young adult lists:

o Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Picture Books. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=191408

o Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Teen Scene. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=185179

• Read adult selections Don't Eat this Book, by Morgan Spurlock; Way off the Road Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small-town America, by Bill Geist; and Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor after your Third Martini, by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg.

• Read a number of good children’s books, including Peace, Love, and Vegetables by Jules Bass and Debbie Harter; Who Pretends: A Sliding Surprise Book, by Charles Reasoner; I’m the Best Artist in the Ocean, by Kevin Sherry; The BIG Sleep Book, by Guido Van Genechten; Sleepy Time, Baby Animal, by Louise Gikow; and Library Lion, by Michelle Knudsen.

 

November 2009

Programs

• In November, the La Puente Library offered young adults a photo book design program, a silk-painting program, and four Teen Tuesday gaming events, attracting 65 young adult patrons.

o At the photo book design party, each teen created a (free) photo book and a (free) set of 15 holiday cards, and each received (free) Shutterfly pens and a (free) reusable shopping bag. This partnership with Shutterfly was very successful, and I recommended to Teen Services that a county-wide Shutterfly partnership be considered to develop a similar Teen Tech Week (TTW) event. The TTW theme for 2010 is Learn, Create, Share --- fashioning photo books involves all of these techie skills.

o At the silk-painting party, pages Blanca Aranda and Adriana Caratachea were especially helpful in teaching teens how to create beautiful silk scarves.

• We provided 3 family and toddler story times with art activities, engaging nearly 70 persons.

o Prepared and delivered several thematic story times, such as the dino-themed story time featuring the Sabuda and Reinhart pop-up Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs; the poem “Baryonyx” in the book Dinothesaurus; the pop-up, pull-out, wheel, flap, and tab book Dinosaur Museum, a National Geographic title; and My Terrific Dinosaur Book, a lift, touch, and pop-up book with sound.

• Over one hundred patrons enjoyed 8 family gaming programs and movies.

Outreach

• Children’s Services: Visited or visited by 5 schools in November. Outreach totaled 300 persons/12 classes.

• Adult Services: Presented information about CoLapl services and resources to college students at nearby Rio Hondo College. Information about this class (Get the Most out of Your County Library Card) available online @ http://library.riohondo.edu/Research_Help/workshopscheduleFall2009.htm.

Teen Volunteers

The La Puente Library in-house volunteers made signs, peeled old genre labels from picture book spines, created a story time art activity sample, and prepped a backdrop for the Holiday Breakfast Mystery Theater. Virtual volunteers read and reviewed books for the library myspace site.

Committee Work

As a member of the Holiday Breakfast Committee, I continued to promote the event via e-mail alerts, and produced a thematic character photograph for the fund-raising raffle.

Literary Notes

• Checked titles against holdings, then selected from RP list. Using CDBG, selected new books after reviewing titles at library headquarters.

• Edited NextReads picture book and young adult lists:

o Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Picture Books. NextReads Web site: nextreads.com

o Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Teen Scene. NextReads Web site: nextreads.com

Team-Building Saturdays

Staff members of the La Puente Library participated in team-building activities, including birthday parties, craft prep, and even nail-painting fun on lunch breaks!

July 2009

Pleased to be selected to present at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago. Flew in on a red eye, took a nap in the lobby, and gave a speech about Dia de los Muertos @ La Puente Library (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ccMPUwkcXQ) to 175 of my colleagues. Following this opportunity to present and participate in a panel discussion, attended informative sessions, and networked with colleagues.

Programs

• The La Puente Library offered four teen programs this month. Each class had room for seven teens, all of whom crafted distinctive bowls to decorate their bedrooms or kitchens.

• The library also offered four art classes for kids this month. Children created multimedia, three-dimensional wall hangings in vibrant colors. These programs attracted 56 patrons!

• Families were entertained by two special events @ the library. The Wildlife Company provided a discounted program (as we’d planned in coordination with West Covina Library). The program engaged 70 patrons, all of whom lined up to pet a boa constrictor after the show. Two weeks later, 50 folks were amused by the free insect program provided by San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control (including the library manager and myself! How cool are insects?)

• Approximately 20 adults, children, and young adults continued to participate in three distinct California Library Association Art Exchange programs, according to age. The art was mailed to the Lemon Grove Library (children’s art), Valencia Library (teen art), and Hoopa Branch Library (adult art).

• We also offered six family gaming programs and one family movie.

• The La Puente Library offered two special story times in late July featuring books about safety, followed by an art activity in which the children created entries for the Just Be Ready Art Contest sponsored by Los Angeles County.

Volunteers

The La Puente Library teen volunteers assisted with summer reading program sign-ups, prepped for family events, attended young adult programs, made signs, cleaned and displayed books, watched/made videos about how to volunteer at the library (myspace.com/lapuentelibrary), developed craft ideas, and helped children create art activities for story time.

Literary Notes

• The Library Instruction Cookbook, a text to which I contributed, was launched, and shortly sold out at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago.

• Edited NextReads picture book and young adult lists:

o Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Picture Books. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=191408

o Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Teen Scene. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.co=m/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=193895

• Read numerous children’s books, and, of these, I read the following books at story time: Bee-Wigged by Cece Bell, the tale of a child-sized bee who uses a Peruvian guinea pig as wig, and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, which features a self-explanatory title, by Mo Willems.

Committee Work

As a member of the Holiday Breakfast Committee, I assisted in the decision-making process, as we continue to consider locations for the breakfast.

Recognition for Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults, Top 25

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Template=/ContentManagement/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=161474

ALA Conference

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Video Clip: Summer Reading Program Speech: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Jelly Beans: Given to 4 groups of 50 librarians each

PowerPoint Slideshow of West Covina YA Board Activities, Created to Encourage Investment in a YA Space

Video Clip: Infomercial Style Presentation for Summer Reading Program Kick-off

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DECEMBER 2009

• The La Puente Library featured two teen events, foam calaverita-painting and a New Moon party, which attracted a total of 32 teens. We also offered five Teen Tuesday gaming events this month, engaging 67 young adult patrons.

• Approximately 50 people enjoyed the blues stylings of Brother Yusef.

• About 40 children mixed dough for dog treats to be raffled at the East Region Fundraiser.

• 74 persons attended four family gaming programs.

• We provided three family story times with art activities and two toddler story times with art activities, engaging 121 persons.

Professional Development News:
• Selected to teach four-week, online course, Growing, Managing, & Defending the Young Adult Budget, for Young Adult Library Services Association, summer 2010.

Teen Volunteers

The La Puente Library enjoyed the volunteerism of National Honor Society teens who worked to build a lovely holiday backdrop for the Annual Regional Holiday Fundraiser Breakfast. Teens from four different high schools volunteered this month!

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