Happy Noon Year's Eve! - Kids' Program

 

I once helped my supervisor with a Noon Year's Eve program several years back, and have been waiting for the chance to do one myself, and this year things finally aligned. Since this was a new thing for this library I wasn't sure how many families would attend, but I planned more activities than I typically do just in case everybody had cabin fever and decided to show up. As it turned out, we ended up with the perfect size crowd and we all had so much fun that we decided we definitely want to do this again next year.

I planned it as a family/all-ages program, with activities that were geared for elementary ages, but would also work for preschoolers, and a finale at noon:

• DIY Confetti Poppers
• Decorate a Crown or Hat
• Make a Noisemaker
• Fireworks Painting
• Mini-Megaphone
• Fizzing Confetti Chemistry
• Countdown & Balloon Drop

I had enough at each station for 24-36 participants, and the fireworks painting and fizzing confetti could easily be stretched for even more if needed. I did splurge a little on this program, mainly on confetti of all things (!), but you could definitely do it for less. Not counting craft staples or other materials we had already (markers, glue, tape, craft sticks, paper plates, hats, some crowns, a few extra cardboard tubes.) , I estimate I spent about $130, but I have confetti, pom-poms, jewels, and balloons leftover, and again, you could definitely spend less on confetti, balloons, and paint than I did.

Budget: $130, but had stuff leftover & you could definitely spend less

Age Range: Family, kids ranging from 2-10 years old.

# of Participants: 32 kids (plus 23 accompanying adults), could have accommodated a few more 

#1 - DIY Confetti Poppers

I put all of the materials in containers in the center of the table, along with instructions with photos in a sign-holder. No one had any trouble, and everyone loved them!

Materials:

• Cardboard tubes (I purchased new white tubes), 30 for $12
• Balloons, 50 for maybe $5
• Masking tape (we already had several rolls in different colors)
• Various types of confetti (this was my big splurge*)
• Multicolored starburst - 2 packages, $15
• Gold and silver stars in two sizes - 1 package, $7
• Gold flakes - 1 package, $7
• Mini sparkly pom-poms - 1000 for $10, had at least half the package leftover
• Scissors
• Markers for decorating (could also add washi tape and/or stickers), optional
  
  

1. Tie the end of the balloon.
2. Cut off the top of the balloon.
3. Put the balloon over one end of the cardboard tube and tape in place.
4. Decorate tube if desired.
5. Put a little confetti and a few pom-poms in the tube.
6. Pull balloon, and release. POP! Confetti everywhere!

* I splurged on the confetti, buying several types. You could definitely spend less by buying a bulk package of just one type or mix, and you could make your own by cutting up bits and punching holes from colored paper if you have the time. That would be a good job for people working at the desk to do during less busy times.

#2 - Decorate a Crown or a Hat

Very straightforward, put out the materials and the decorated their crown or hat as much or as little as they wanted.

Materials:

• cheap, plastic top hats, (no cost to me as I inherited a bunch and only included them because I already had them, otherwise I would've just stuck with crowns)
• metallic cardstock crowns, assorted styles and colors, (I was gifted a dozen of these)
• gold cardstock crowns, assorted styles, 10 for $8, included sticker gems
• strips of construction paper (for bands around top hat)
• adhesive jewels (they came on 3x5 or 4x6 sheets, which I cut up into roughly 1 square inch pieces), $10

#3 - DIY Noisemaker

Again, put out all the materials in the center of the table with instructions in a signholder, along with an example.

Materials:

• Small paper plates (I think ours were 4"), 2 per noisemaker
• Large craft sticks
• Dried beans (we used black-eyed peas for luck), 2 lbs for $4
• Masking tape in assorted colors
• Markers or crayons for decorating

1. Turn both plates face down and decorate the bottom/underside of the plates as desired.
2. Turn one plate over, and tape a craft stick to the lower half to be a handle.
3. Place a spoonful or two of dried beans in the center of the plate.
4. Place the second plate on top, and tape all around the edges to seal.
5. Shake! 

Note - You could use a stiffer plastic plate and omit the handle and hold like a tambourine as well.

#4 - Fireworks Painting

These turn out really well if the kids follow instructions and stamp rather than swirl the cut straws.

Materials:

• paper
• washable tempera or craft paints (we used glitter paint, 8 4oz-bottles for $15)
• small 4" plastic plates to dispense paints on to (pack of 8 for $1.25 at DollarTree)
• assorted straws, we used both regular and boba tea straws

Prep: Unless working with kids over 10, I recommend prepping the straws in advance. Cut the bottoms of several straws into many small sections and bend back so that looks like a starburst/flower. We made varied lengths for larger and smaller fireworks. Dispense one color of paint in the center of each plater and tilt plate to spread it out some.

1. Press the cut end of the straw into the desired color paint, making sure the entire length of the slivers are coated.
2. Press the painted end of the straw onto the paper; lift up and rotate slightly, then press again. Use the straw like a stamp, not a brush. You can layer colors for some nice effects if you are careful.
3. Repeat with different colors to make more fireworks.
4. Let dry.

#5 - Mini-Megaphone

A super cheap and easy filler craft, but we could have skipped it.

Materials:

• Color-your-own mini-megaphone craft kits, 2 packs of 12 each, $15
• Markers
• Crayons
• Tape

1. Place included stickers if desired.
2. Color
3. Roll up, insert tabs.
4. Tape for less frustration

#6 - Fizzing Confetti Chemistry

A super simple STEM station using one the many variations of baking soda and vinegar experiments. We had this station staffed to prevent disasters, LOL! I did have a sign with the instructions and measurements, as well as the formula for the chemical reaction, which included the formulas, molecular models, scientific names, and common names. You will need to test and possibly adjust amounts from those given, as it will vary depending on the size and shape of the cups used. The baking soda and vinegar react to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide, the same bubbles that are found in carbonated soft drinks (along with water and sodium acetate).

Materials:

• plastic champagne flutes, 1 or 2 is enough, set of 2 from DollarTree, $1.25
• baking soda
• distilled vinegar
• Gold flake confetti - 1 package, $7
• trays to contain mess

1. Place the champagne flute in the center of a tray.
2. Put 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in the champagne flute.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of confetti.
4. Pour in 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) of vinegar, all at once.
5. Watch it bubble up, fizz and sparkle! (And possibly overflow.)

#7 - Countdown & Balloon Drop

I rigged up a balloon drop using a large cheap plastic tablecloth that I cut in half, then punched holes along the cut edges and threaded ribbon through the holes, leaving long ends hanging down to pull. I tucked the corners and a couple of points along the sides under the edges of the dropped-ceiling tiles, then filled with balloons.

I had a 30-second countdown video pulled up on the TV that I started as we approached noon, and then once we hit zero, the kids shot confetti and rattled their noisemakers, my assistant began blowing bubbles with a bubble gun, and I pulled the ribbon to drop the balloons. After the balloons were all down, I picked up a second bubble gun to add more bubbles, and started playing a New Year's Eve play list beginning with Auld Lang Syne. I forgot to take pictures of the balloon drop before or during, only thought to take one after.

How It Went 

It was a wonderful, chaotic mess, in the best way possible!

I had no idea what kind of turnout to aspect, as I haven't done a Noon Year's Eve party at this library before, and people were used to us not having anything going on during this week. Plus, all kinds of respiratory diseases are running rampant in our area right now: Covid, flu, RSV, and other unknown viruses. So I had the usual fear of either hardly anybody showing up, or way too many. But we had a perfect crowd of 55 kids and adults, who had so much fun! 

The biggest hit was the confetti poppers, which of course resulted in confetti everywhere! The kids loved it, and the adults were amazed that we didn't care about the mess. The fireworks painting was also a big hit, and also a big mess. By the end of the program, there were all kinds of confetti on the floor and on the tables, paint all over the table at that station, and a few balloons that people didn't take. Though it looked like a disaster, in all honesty it wasn't that hard to clean up. I know parents love the opportunity for their kids to engage in messy activities somewhere other than home, so I try to provide them as much as I can. Most of our programs are not this big or this messy, so we don't mind indulging every now and then.

The pictures below show some of the aftermath:

What I Would Do Differently

Really, the only things I would modify are (1) that we probably could do with one less station, and (2) the balloon drop. While the balloon drop worked, it didn't work as well as I'd have liked for a couple reasons. For one thing, one tablecloth really wasn't big enough to hold enough balloons, and I over-filled the first batch of balloons, so I ended up with only 36 balloons in the drop instead of 50. I should have kept them small in order to fit more of them in the drop. Also, between static electricity and being packed tightly, some of the balloons didn't fall and had to be knocked out with a broom. I will try to figure out a better method next year or invest in an actual balloon drop net, but we will do some type of balloon drop again. I'm also going to look into latex-free options next time. 

I had originally thought about serving cute mini-cupcakes with confetti sprinkles and water or juice, but ultimately decided against it, between having no idea how many people to expect and the amount of sickness going around. But next year I might re-consider now that I have a better idea of what kind of attendance to expect.

Where Are the Toddler Books??

 

In the spirit of Festivus, I'm going to air one of my grievances with the publishing industry - Where are the books for toddlers and younger preschoolers??

I find I am having more and more trouble finding picture books suitable for storytime, particularly for toddler storytime. I currently work at a smaller library and inherited a relatively small and poorly developed picturebook collection that was missing many of my favorite storytime books. Unfortunately, I found that many of these titles were now out of print, or available only in paperback, which is not suitable for a library collection, or board book, which is too small for storytime use. In addition I found that some of my old favorites that used to work in storytime no longer did because they were too long, text-heavy, and/or sophisticated for the younger audiences I was now seeing.

So I have been on a continuous search for picturebooks that are short and simple enough for the younger and/or less-attentive audiences of today, yet still engaging, and I am finding they are very rare these days. It seems that while storytime audiences have grown younger and attention spans even shorter, picture books have paradoxically become more text heavy and sophisticated. So many of them would be great for read-alouds for a slightly older audience of kindergarten or first grade or a one-on-one lap-sit read with a caregiver, but just don't work well in storytime. It is becoming nearly impossible to find good books for toddler storytime in particular, and I've had to resort to buying used copies of older favorites. 

So publishers and authors, this is what I'm looking for in a toddler storytime book:

• No more than 32 pages, 28 would be even better.
• No more than one sentence per page.
• Repeating phrases
• A good rhythm when reading aloud is key!
• Rhyming scheme helps
• Relatable content
• Bright, bold, simple illustrations
• Cuteness or simple, obvious humor is a plus
• Motions to imitate
• Not boring, more than just identifying things or simple statements
• Fun to read out loud
• Onomatopoeia is also a plus
• Reinforces basic concepts in a fun way
• Diverse representation - skin color, body types, disabilities, families, etc.

Here are a few examples of great toddler storytime books; I'm sure there are more, but I'm struggling to come up with titles right now, especially more recent ones:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and the other books in the Bear series by Bill Martin, Jr. & Eric Carle
• Wiggle, Stretch, and Bounce by Doreen Cronin & Scott Menchin
• One-osaurus, Two-osaurus by Kim Norman & Pierre Collet-Derby
• Clip-Clop and Jingle-Jingle by Nicola Smee
• There's a Dragon In Your Book and others in the series by Eric Fletcher & Greg Abbott
• Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep! by Bill Martin, Jr., Michael Sampson, & Nathalie Beauvois
• Ten Tiny Babies and others by Karen Katz
• Hello, Baby! by Mem Fox & Steve Jenkins

And finally, a quick note on board books. I'd love to see more large-size board book formats! These are great for storytime because the pages are easy to turn, people can see the pictures, and the kids can't tear them up if they get a hold of them. And, just like with picture books, I'm seeing a trend in very text heavy board books, often board book versions of books originally published in picturebook format. We need more simple board books that are developmentally appropriate for babies and toddlers with simple, bright illustrations or photographs, and either single words or very short (2-3 word) phrases. 

So please, dear authors and publishers, please bring us some great toddler read-alouds in the new year!

And dear readers, if you know of any great books for toddler storytime that are still in print in hardback picturebook format, please leave them in the comments!

Happy Festivus!

The Gingerbread Man - Preschool Storytime

I typically do a "Cookie" theme as an inclusive, holiday-adjacent storytime in December. However, in January a new staff member will be taking over the preschool storytime and really wanted to do a cookie theme as Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is her favorite childhood book. So I decided to give mine a more narrow focus, and made it "Gingerbread Man" themed (or "Gingerbread People" if you prefer, but I unfortunately could not find more gender-inclusive gingerbread books that were short enough for preschoolers).

I greeted everyone and introduced the storytime by talking about how many people like to bake cookies this year, and even more people like to eat cookies this time of year! We discussed who had already done some holiday baking and favorite cookies, which led into our warm-up, an action rhyme that would allow us to pretend to make cookies:

Making Cookies

We are making cookie dough;
Round and round the beaters go.
Add some flour, just two cups.
Stir and mix the batter up.

Roll them, cut them, nice and neat.
Put them on a cookie sheet.
Bake them, cool them on a rack.
Share them with my friends for snack!

Then we sang our lead-in song, "If You're Ready for a Story", prior to our first story. I began with a traditional telling of the classic Gingerbread Man story, which I found in a collection of classic folktales by Usborne unfortunately entitled Stories for Little Boys. Despite the completely unnecessarily gendered and sexist title, it is otherwise a nice collection of classic folktales that are not too text-heavy or dark, as so many are. (It also includes Pinocchio, Under the Ground, In the Castle, and The Emperor's New Clothes.) 

Since most children aren't familiar with the classic folktales, I like to incorporate them when I can for cultural literacy, and to provide context for the contemporary retellings that often have a humorous twist.

Next, we did a counting-down rhyme, with clipart images of gingerbread people on the magnetic board (I had intended to make nice felt ones, but ran out of time):

Five Little Gingerbread Men

Five little gingerbread men in a row,
Not gonna eat one no, no, no!
But they look so sweet from head to toe
Crunch, munch...uh oh!

Continue until...

No little gingerbread men in a row;
Wasn't gonna eat one, no, no, no.
But they looked so sweet that it's sad to tell
Crunch, munch... oh well!

I followed that with reading How to Catch a Gingerbread Man by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. There are numerous titles in the How to Catch... series, and while I have found this series to be somewhat hit and miss, this was definitely one of the better books of the series. 

The story is set in a bookstore storytime, where they are reading the classic Gingerbread Man story when the Gingerbread Man leaps out of the book and runs away, with the children in quick pursuit. They try various traps in an attempt to capture the Gingerbread Man, but with the help of several other classic storybook characters he always manages to escape. In the end, he decides to return to his story on his own. I loved the way the book featured a storytime setting, and tied in several other classic stories. Though preschoolers may not recognize them all, the adults will appreciate them.

I followed that with another "Five Little Gingerbread Men" rhyme, instead of the song I had originally planned, due to the small size and low energy of the group.

Five Little Gingerbread Men

Five Little Gingerbread men lying on a tray,
One jumped up and ran away,
Shouting, "Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can...
I'm really fast, I'm a gingerbread man!"

Four Little Gingerbread men... (Count down the numbers repeating the stanza above...)

No more gingerbread men lying on a tray,
They all jumped up and ran away.
I guess I'll have to make more another day,
and next time I'll eat them before they run away.

I skipped the usual "Good-bye" song, and sent the kids to wash their hands (we have a preschool restroom attached to the program room) while I put out the craft and some mini-gingerbread men cookies I happened to find at the grocery store a few days earlier. 

In the past I've gotten the regular Pepperidge Farm Gingermen and given them icing to decorate with, but after discovering most kids don't like them, I decided against it this time. But then by chance I found small packages of mini-Gingerman on sale, and thought that would be perfect; since they were smaller, there would be less waste if kids took one taste and didn't want them. However, these were sweeter and less spicy than the regular Gingermen, and the kids enjoyed them.

For the craft, I had gingerbread houses with stickers to decorate with that I had found in my office when I first started working here, something I presume my predecessor had planned before deciding to retire. I'm not sure where she got them, but similar ones can be purchased from Oriental Trading and Amazon.

While they were enjoying their gingerbread men cookies and working on the craft, I decided to read a third book, The Ninjabread Man  by C. J. Leigh and Chris Gall, because I think it's really cute, I knew at least one of the kids would really appreciate it, and it was just too quiet (a very rare occurrence!). As the name suggests, this is a clever re-telling of the gingerbread man story set in a dojo, with the old sensei making a magical ninjabread man, who runs off to test the speed, strength, and wisdom of the ninjas in training.

How It Went 
It was a bit of an off day. I was looking forward to this storytime, which would be my last preschool storytime as my assistant will be taking over in January to free up some of my time for other things, but at the time it was supposed to start, there was no a single soul in the children's department. I waited 10 minutes, then gave up and went back to my office to work. A couple of minutes later, one of the circ staff came back and said there were a couple of families, chronic latecomers, asking about storytime.

Normally at that point I would've just said, sorry, no one was here so storytime was cancelled, but since I really wanted to do this last storytime, and had dressed for the theme (see below), I told them I would do an abbreviated storytime since it was so late. Since it was just three kids, I skipped over some of the usual intro and warm-up. It worked out, and the kids enjoyed it. I overheard one later telling a friend who arrived at the library later all about it and telling him he should have come. I don't know why, but we really struggle with attendance for the preschool storytime, while the toddler storytime consistently has 12-15 kids, and sometimes as many as 20-25.

I decided to be extra festive, and instead of my usual "Oh, snap!" gingerbread man t-shirt, I went all out and wore a gingerbread woman dress I bought on clearance after the holidays several years ago, which I also wore later that evening to promote the library at the local preschool's "Festival of Trees" where each classroom decorates a tree based on a different picture book. In keeping with the theme of the festival, I decorated a small tree on my table with gingerbread people and animals.

A Day In the Life of a Children's Librarian

As I've said before, there really is no such thing as a "typical" day as a children's librarian; every day is different. One day is mostly researching and planning programs, another day may be mostly meetings, another may be a combination of customer service and collection development, and another may be a little bit of a whole bunch of different things. The only thing they have in common is that I rarely get everything done on my to-do list due to things taking longer than expected, or all the unexpected things that inevitably pop-up and require my attention, and pretty much every day has at least some time spent on programming-related tasks.

Since we were recently required to conduct a time-audit, I have an almost exact, down to the minute, accounting of how I spent my time over a 6-week period, so I'll be able to give a very detailed report of this "typical" Wednesday in November:

• 9:00a - clocked-in, and immediately went to work staging a photo of the toy dinosaurs getting into mischief as part of "Dinovember" (45 minutes)
• 9:45a - checked email (10 min)
• 9:55a - completed policy acknowledgement form (required of all staff anytime a policy is introduced, or changed) and turned in (5 min)
• 10:00a - Worked on book order for patron requests and upcoming programs (25 min)
• 10:25a - Going over storytime planning, resources, and early literacy skills with staff member who will be taking over preschool storytime in Jan (50 min)
• 11:15a - Browsed catalogs with co-worker, looking at furniture and items for proposed dramatic play center (30 min)
• 11:45a - Stopped to answer questions from staff member (15 min)
• 12:00p - Met with teen librarian regarding programming in general, and specifically about a new program launching in 2 weeks that we are collaborating on, and another new program we have been asked to develop (1hr 15 min)
• 1:15p - Lunch (unpaid, 1 hr)
• 2:15p - Walked through children's department to check on things, realized we were out of scavenger hunt sheets, and printed more (15 min)
• 2:30p - Edited staged dinosaur photos from earlier, created a social media post drafts with dino photos and results of kids' vote for favorite dinosaur character from previous day, emailed marketing specialist to let him know they need to be published, and followed up in person (1 hr)
• 3:30p - Kidbrarian appointment (gave kid tour, helped them select books for a display and design a sign for it; 1 hr 15 min)
• 4:45p - Pulled books for monthly book bin to drop off at daycare during outreach visit the next day (40 min)
• 5:30p - Clock out & go home.

This was one of those days I did a little bit of everything: program planning, program prep and set up, program execution, program admin & marketing, outreach prep, collection development, training & supervision of staff, and miscellaneous admin, though just over half of my time was spent on programming in some form or fashion.

I did end up working half an hour over, because I just couldn't quite get everything done in our normal 7-hour workday, and pulling books for the outreach visit had to be done before the next morning. One thing the time audit has helped me realize is that (1) I need to carve out time for the things other than programming, and (2) I need to plan my time and plan ahead a little better, but more on that in another post. 

You also might notice I did not take any paid breaks on this day. Some days I am just too busy, other days I don't feel I need one, but if I do take them when I feel I need one. This is usually on days when I've been on my feet for an extended time, doing more physical or stressful work, or have very busy, hectic programs. Many times I give myself a break just by doing something different, like covering the children's service desk for a while, changing out a display or something, or just taking a quick lap through the library checking in with staff and patrons. If I need a snack, I usually eat it at my desk while working, and I don't count the literal 2 minutes it takes to go to the restroom to pee and wash my hands (yes, I timed it) as an official break.

Going On Safari - Elementary Program and Preschool Storytime

This is a program I did back in the summer; I originally planned it for the elementary aged program, then adapted it for the preschool storytime (see below) the next day. We had an animal show booked that week with animals from around the world, so I wanted to do something with a safari theme. Not knowing if I was going to have any help over the summer or not, I also wanted to keep it fairly simple, without a lot of advanced prep, set-up, or clean-up, so decided on a simple binocular craft and safari activity using inflatable animals (cheaper and take less storage space than plush animals).

This was one of my "splurge" programs for the summer, as purchasing all the inflatable animals was a bit pricey, but they can (and will) all be used again in the future. If you already own larger plush or inflatable animals you can use, it would be significantly less costly to do.

Program: Going On Safari

Ages: 5-10, then adapted for ages 3-5 (see below)

# of Participants: Planned for up to 30, actually had 14 kids, then 8 for storytime

Budget: $165, but bulk of cost was reusable inflatable animals, consumable items cost less than $1/participant

Materials:

• cardboard craft tubes (such as from toilet paper, but I opted to purchase for hygienic reasons), 2 per participant, $0.33 each, 60 for $20
• colored masking tape, $7 for 8 rolls
• washi tape (already had), optional
• yarn or heavy string (already had)
• markers
• crayons
• construction paper cut into pieces sized to fit around tubes
• glue sticks
• tape
• scissors
• hole-punch
• assorted inflatable animals - $138 (The ones by JET were good quality, though scale is inconsistent since they are all about the size of a medium-large dog, so we just said some of them were babies.)
• elephant, $18
• rhino, $18
• zebra, giraffe, & tiger, $40
• alligator, kangaroo & kiwi bird, $38
• monkeys, $14 (poor quality, leak, but will last barely long enough for program)
• snake, $10 (this one was plush)

Activities:

Binocular Craft 

1. Participants could decorate two cardboard tubes however they liked using crayons, markers, colored paper, colored masking tape, and/or washi tape.
2. The tubes were then glued together, as well as taped together by wrapping tape around the middle. [Realized too late that it would have been nice to have something to act as a spacer in the middle to have at a more appropriate width.]
3. Holes were then punched on the outer side of each tube at one end, and string or yarn tied to them so they could hang around the kids' necks.

 

Safari 

1. Prior to the program, my co-worker had made a "fact sheet" for each animal with one or two interesting facts, along with a photo of a real animal, and a checklist of animals to find with a question about each animal that had to be answered.
2. The animals were hidden all around the library, and the appropriate fact sheet was posted next to them.
3. The kids took their binoculars and checklists and searched the library until they found all of the animals and answered the questions, requiring them to have actually found the animal and read the fact sheet. They were reminded that it was NOT a race, it didn't matter how fast they found them, or who found them all first, and there was no running or yelling. I also encouraged them to take photos with the animals.
4. Once they had found all the animals, they returned to the program room and showed one of us their checklist. If they had all the questions answered correctly, they got to pick a small prize (I gave them a small selection to choose from: small plastic animals, slap bracelets, or pop-it bracelets).
5. If they had missed a question or had the answer wrong, I sent them back to find the animal again and get the correct answer (most were because they didn't read the question carefully, a couple accidentally skipped a question), then they got to pick their prize.

How It Went:

I was a little worried some of the older kids would think the binocular craft was too babyish, but they seemed to enjoy being creative decorating them, and most did use their pretend binoculars on the safari. They really enjoyed the safari, and I got a lot of positive feedback from caregivers, too. More animals would make it even more fun! Of course you can use whatever animals you want, and either inflatable or plush. I chose inflatable because I could get larger animals for less cost than plush, and they could be deflated and thus take less storage space. I will definitely do this program again in the future!

Preschool Storytime Version:

Since we had so many cardboard tubes leftover, and had so much fun with the safari, I decided to just adapt both activities to use after the safari-themed preschool storytime the following day. I followed my usual storytime plan, reading Sitting in My Box by Dee Lillegard & Jon Agee and Starry Safari by Linda Ashman & Jeff Mack and singing songs featuring exotic animals ("The Animals in the Jungle Go...", or "If You're a Lion and You Know It"), then did modified versions of the binocular craft and safari afterward, simplifying both in order to be more developmentally appropriate and take less time.

For the binocular craft, we provided fewer options for decorating, skipping the colored paper and washi tape, and just having them color directly on the white tubes with crayons or markers, and using the colored masking tape to attach them together. For the animal safari, instead of sending them out to search for them, I led them around as a group to find the animals together, and read the facts to them, skipping the checklist with questions and prizes. Then they were free to go back for photo ops with the animals.

How It Went: This streamlined version worked perfectly for the preschoolers, and they loved it! One caregiver left me a note over the weekend telling me her child had not stopped looking at the world through her binoculars, and when I saw them again a couple of weeks (or more?) later at the library, the child still had her binoculars, except that the caregiver said they were a different pair, and that she had been obsessed with making them at home since the program. So definitely a hit! 

 

What Youth Services Staff Want Management to Know

 

If you are a director, board member, manager, supervisor, or any other member of library management or upper administration, this article is for you! These are all the things your youth services staff would like you to know, but are either afraid to tell you or have tried but feel they aren't being heard.  

Youth services librarians and staff everywhere are struggling with excessive workloads, unrealistic expectations, vocational awe, understaffing, and a public that is more demanding and less civil. We are often overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated, leading to burnout and many leaving, or considering leaving, the field. If this trend continues, it will seriously impact the quality of library services for youth and families and the library's ability to meet community needs, undermining public perception of the continued relevance of the public library.

"I left my job as a youth services manager because after 7 years I was totally burned out. My director expected far more work out of the youth department than any other department, but respected it the least. I wish my director knew how important children are in a community. And understood that working with youth is not *easy*." 

I recently surveyed 228 youth services staff, and 84% reported feeling at least some degree of burnout! *Eighty-four percent!* In this same survey, a third of respondents felt that upper management and admin do not have a good understanding of youth services job duties or the skills required to perform them, and almost half felt that upper management/admin do not understand the time involved and generally do not feel supported by upper management/admin. Nearly half of all respondents felt they were not fairly compensated for the work they did, did not have enough time to perform all the tasks expected of them, and that the library was not adequately staffed to meet expectations or community needs. In addition, a quarter of all respondents were unable to take sufficient paid time off to rest, recharge, and attend to personal, family, and health needs. No wonder so many of us are feeling burned out!

"I am so exhausted and burned out, and so unhappy after just 2-1/2 years in this position. I feel like no one has any understanding [of] how much time and energy go into programming and collection work, and they keep demanding more and more community outreach and engagement, yet give me no staff at all. I have zero help with anything."

In this same survey, youth services staff were asked what they wished their supervisors and upper management better understood about their jobs, and they didn't hold back! While there were a few that commented they felt their immediate supervisor understood their job fairly well, far fewer could say the same about upper management, and there were many, many more who commented otherwise, with the most frequent themes summarized in the table below; links to read all of the comments in their entirety are in the caption:

Table 1. Most frequently reported topics youth services staff wished superiors better understood about their jobs.
Many other topics were mentioned in the comments collected, which can all be read in the following linked documents:
Understanding YS - Supervisors and Understanding YS - Upper Management

Many respondents felt their supervisors and/or upper management (collectively referred to as "management") had unrealistic expectations and needed a better understanding of their workload, all the different tasks and duties they perform and how much time they require. They also reported that management did not appreciate the special skills and knowledge required for their job, including child development and early literacy, nor understand why we do what we do and that it is based on research. Many feel that they are not respected as professional librarians and just seen as "playing with kids", and are assigned more duties than their adult services counterparts as a result. Programming and collection maintenance/development were specifically mentioned as being particularly time-consuming. In addition, many wish management recognized how exhausting and draining it is working with the people and children, and how much physical, mental, emotional, and creative energy the job requires. 

"I don't feel they are completely aware of all the different things I have to do, and they definitely do not understand how much time and effort goes into programming and proper collection development."

"[I wish they understood] how much research, prep, and planning time goes into programs. That 1 hour program you see has anywhere from an hour to several hours of researching and testing ides, planning, buying and preparing materials, setting everything up, then taking everything down. Also, managing the collection and selecting and ordering materials takes a great deal of time, even if you don't really see it." 

"What we do in YS and YA often looks silly or trivial but it's usually backed by evidence based practices and is actually important."

"Not make jokes that our job isn't that hard...We just make it look easy!" 

 "It's exhausting!" 

Staffing issues were also mentioned frequently, with many expressing frustration about not having enough staff, staff needing more training, and not having enough support from other staff. There was also an emphasis on management needing to recognize the need for qualified staff for youth services, and not thinking "anybody can do it". Related to staffing and workload was the problem with being spread too thin, having too much interference and distraction due to interruptions, meetings, covering the service desk, having to help other departments, provide training for other departments, and taking up the slack from others being out or not doing their jobs. Several reported the need for acknowledgement and appreciation of the good work that they did, rather than just hearing criticism or demands for more, more, more. 

"I wish I could get them to understand that our department is not adequately staffed to do even the most basic services, and that it requires qualified staff, not just anybody, to work with kids and do programming and materials selection."

"More programs should equal more assistance. I can't do it all, even if I tried."

"A little bit of encouragement can go a long way." 

Survey participants were then asked what could their supervisor and upper management could do to better support them, and again, they had a lot to say! There were a few who commented that they did feel fairly well supported, mostly by their immediate supervisors rather than upper management. There were many similar comments made by multiple respondents, and the most frequently reported supportive measures needed are summarized in the table below, with links to all of the responses in their entirety in the caption:

Table 2. Most frequently reported ways youth services staff could be better supported by supervisors and upper management.
Many other topics were mentioned in the comments collected, which can all be read in the following documents:
Supporting YS - Supervisors and Supporting YS - Upper Management

Staffing issues made another appearance, this time as the most frequently reported area in which youth services staff need more support. In order to do all of the things expected of us, we need more staff, and that staff needs to be qualified, well-trained, and work together as a team. Additionally, youth services needs more support and teamwork from the staff in other departments, particularly circulation to help with tasks such as shelving, shelf reading, prepping materials, promoting programs and services, and giving patrons accurate information. The refrain of "I can't do it all!" was repeated throughout the comments. If management is unable or unwilling to increase/improve staffing, then they need to re-prioritize, stop over-committing, and reduce workloads to be in line with budget and staffing constraints.

"Hire more staff! Have reasonable expectations! Give more PTO and provide proper staffing and back-up so I could actually take it."

"Hire more staff who can effectively do their job."

"Hire additional staff (even temporary ones) before creating significant new programs and responsibilities. Spend more time in the actual branches to understand the staffing needs we already have."

 "Better manage employees who aren't pulling their weight."

Communication is another big issues. Youth services staff would like more communication and transparency from management, more check-ins to see how staff are doing, more awareness of what is going on, clear expectations and goals, and to be included in the conversations for planning and decision making. Youth services staff would also like to see supervisors and upper management be more present and pitch in and help with programming, big projects, or to cover so staff can take PTO; this would also help management have a better understanding and appreciation for what youth services staff do, and what is going on in their department.

"Check in regularly, ask about programs and outreach after they happen, establish process and procedures that make it easier to do my job and make sure all staff are on the same page. Communicate clearly and consistently with all staff...."

"Have more thorough and thoughtful conversations about workflow in the library and whose duties are what."

"Give a 'good job' when it's due." 

"I've always thought it would be fantastic if our managers worked our job to really understand it. At the very least they could have a meeting with me and ask me how I do my job. How do you plan a storytime, why do you do it that way? Where do you get your ideas for your family or teen programs? It would show me that they are interested and also management might learn something about youth programming they don't already know."

Recognizing youth services librarians as professionals and experts in their area, trusting their judgement, and allowing them a reasonable amount of autonomy would be much more supportive than micromanaging, over-committing on their behalf, and continuously expecting more from them. Trust them when they tell you they are already spread too thin, believe them when they say they can't do any more programming or outreach without additional staff, allow them to "just say no" sometimes. Again, we can't do it all and be everything to everybody, all the time.

"Respect would be nice, believing us when we say things like "that's a big ask" or "that's going to be a lot of work."

"Either be more involved with programming, or support the decisions I make regarding programming and time constraints."

"Trust my experience."   "Trust us to do our jobs."

"Give me autonomy to do my job instead of micromanaging."

"Stop pushing for more, more, more. Give recognition." 

Receiving fair pay that is (1) a livable wage for the area, and (2) commensurate with job duties, performance, and professional knowledge and skills is an issue across public libraries, but with youth services in particular. Several also mentioned the need for better benefits, including healthcare and more PTO in order to have time to rest and recharge, and attend to personal, family, and health issues, and the ability to actually take PTO when needed. Flexible work schedules, working from home, less time on the public service desk, the need for acknowledgement and recognition, and in general being a better manager, leader, and advocate for staff were also other ways in which youth services staff needed more support from management.

"Fight for me to have a living wage. We get paid poorly and only a 2-3% raise. Not even enough to keep up with inflation :("

"Fight for higher wages, rather than compare it to salaries of other libraries in the area. They are all so low, no wonder nothing changes. At this rate, management seems to have the "you should feel lucky you are of the higher paid in the area" attitude. Frustrating."

"Fight for better benefits!"

"Give regular pay increases to match my experience and inflation. Also give me more sick leave and vacation leave." 

"Have regular staff meetings, do the strategic plan, revise bylaws, follow public meeting procedures. Basically just do her job better." 

Finally, survey participants were given the opportunity to add any additional comments they wished, and these are summarized in the table below, followed by a few noteworthy quotes, and can be read in their entirety in the linked PDF document:

Table 3. Topics of additional comments from survey participants.
Full content of original comments can be read in the document "Additional Comments".

"I am just so exhausted - physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am about at my breaking point and am seriously considering leaving the field. I love working with the kids and [other] patrons, and I am passionate about literacy and libraries, but I just can't take it."

"This is a tough job to do as a single woman. I am having a hard time supporting myself in today's economy on a single income, but I love my job and would hate to leave it."

"My director recently enacted a sort-of four day work week. Each librarian is given 8 WFH hours per week if it is possible. This has made my mental health so much better and improved my ability to get stuff done while I'm at work."

"My answers are very positive because I landed in what seems to be a unicorn library. I've worked...in 8 or so other libraries and my answers would have been on the low end of the scale for most."

"Your survey is very appropriate at this moment in my working life, as I've reached my breaking point with the lack of support...from my manager. Thank goodness the kids and their families are so wonderful and make my job fulfilling, because otherwise I'd be a puddle on the floor now. It bothers me how many managers like mine who have a background in adult services think that youth services is easy, fluffy, not important, and that youth services staff are less intelligent (I have 2 master's degrees...but she treats me like an imbecile)."

"This is the first library I've worked at where youth services is looked down on and often not included in the big picture decisions, but running into library staff who don't work in youth services who think working in youth is easy has been the case in every library I've worked at. I also feel the bar for success in youth services is set so much higher than other departments." 

"I love my job and it is on me that I take it home. My boss repeatedly reminds me not to work over my hours or take it home. She doesn't want me to burn out."

"After 17 years I feel extremely burned out and am actively looking to make a career change out of librarianship. The difficulties with management have soured the last bit of joy I felt for this job. It's heartbreaking because this was my career that I started out feeling very passionately about, but at this point I just feel totally done."

Of course there are good situations and good supervisors, managers, and directors as some responses indicate, but responses also indicate that burnout is a serious problem despite that. The five primary issues seem to be:

1. Unreasonable expectations and excessive workloads.
2. Understaffing, and underqualified staffing.
3. Low pay and inadequate benefits.
4. Lack of respect, trust, and understanding of what youth services is all about and the knowledge and skills required.
5. Lack of communication, transparency, inclusion, and recognition of accomplishments.

So, what can management do to improve things?

1. Talk to your youth services staff! Make the effort to understand the demands of their jobs, why they do what they do, what the challenges are, and what their needs are; really listen! Include them in planning and decision-making.
2. Recognize that they are professionals and know their job best. Treat the field and professionals within with respect. Give them enough autonomy to perform effectively and control the workload. Trust their judgement and allow them to say "no" to things. Believe them when they say their plates are already full.
3. Hire more staff, recruit qualified staff, and provide adequate training. If you don't make it a priority, it will never happen.
4. Fight for higher salaries and better benefits. Again, you have to make it a priority.
5. Be present. Get out of the office and see what's going on in the library, help with a program, talk to caregivers after storytime, see how great your staff are at their jobs and how much they mean to the community.
6. Just say "No"! Stop over-committing, we cannot do everything or be all things, to all people, all the time. We don't have to participate in every event, partner with every organization, or agree to every request.

If hiring more staff and raising salaries (and budgets) is not possible right now, then reduce workloads to what can reasonably be sustained with current staffing and budgets, and commensurate with current pay rates, and advocate for change! If you don't make it a priority and commit to making it happen, things will never change. Be more like this director:

"I'm a manager under the director...The issues we face - budgets, staff shortage, etc. are not my director's fault and he fully supports us, esp. in cutting back and doing a reasonable amount of programs and services...I know I am very fortunate in my current director, especially after previous experiences. The really big difference is that is doesn't matter if he doesn't fully understand what I'm doing, how much time it takes, etc. He supports and trusts me, so when I say "I can't reasonably do this" he says "Ok, don't do it" or "How can I support you and what kind of work around can we do, b/c the Board is requiring this" or if I say "I need A to do B" he either gets me A or says "well, we can't do B" then."

Though I have summarized the most repeated concerns in the tables and selected quotes above, I strongly encourage you to look at all of the results from the survey and read all of the comments from the open-ended questions, which can be found by following the links below:

• Survey Results, Part 1 - Closed-ended Questions, w/ graphs & charts 
• Responses to "What do you wish your immediate supervisor better understood about your job?"
• Responses to "What do you wish upper management better understood about your job?"
• Responses to "How could your supervisor better support you?"
• Responses to "How could upper management better support you?"
• Additional comments 
  

I recognize this was a highly un-scientific survey with limitations, but I do think there is very valid and valuable information here, and I thank you for taking the time to read over it. I hope it gets shared and sparks some productive discussions that may effect some positive change, as I believe youth services will soon begin to see a mass exodus otherwise.

Related article: "Can We PLEASE Stop with the Vocational Awe Already?"