Outreach Fun

At a recent Literacy Night outreach program at Radisson Park School hosted by the Calgary Learning Centre I saw a number of parents, children and teachers that use Forest Lawn Branch.

It was great to see them outside of the library setting and the comments were amusing;
"What are YOU doing away from the library?" and "It's great that your here!"

Bev's Business

WARNING

Beware of personal injury during storytime. While leading a hearty rendition of "Head and Shoulders" at an outreach visit, I accidentally poked myself in the eye (the dangerous part was "eyes, ears, mouth, and nose"). At least it served as a good warning to the children.

Kid Roof

On Saturday, during my break, I found a kid up on the roof of the library. After pretending for a few minutes that he did not know what was going on, his friend ratted him out and told me the kid's full name. He came down shortly thereafter (illustration of event drawn during staff meeting).

Postcards from the Louvre

A long-standing Forest Lawn Library customer attending a CyberSeniors series of technology courses was so impressed with her ability to finally use computers that she wanted to show her appreciation to the Library. She had received a series of postcards from a friend who was vacationing in Paris. The twelve coloured postcards depicted a different piece of classical artwork from the Louvre. They had been framed professionally, and the customer felt that they did not suit the humble decor of her home, but hoped that Forest Lawn Library could give them a home.
It did not take us long to hang up the postcards in a prominent place close to our adult non-fiction collection. Now everyone can enjoy them!

Roving Reference rewards

A few weeks ago, I was walking around the branch and noticed a young girl standing in the J fiction stacks. She was staring up at the books, looking a bit bewildered, so I approached her and asked if I could help. She asked me for a recommendation on "something fun to read." I spent approximately ten minutes browsing the shelves with her talking about books. She was a very enthusiastic reader and a big fan of Roald Dahl. She left the library that day with a stack of great books - including some Roald Dahl and Judy Blume. She was very excited and told her Mom that I was "the nice lady who helped her find books." During our interaction, she also made a book recommendation to me. So I am now reading Amber Brown is not a Crayon by Paula Danziger. She promised to come back and see me so that we can compare notes on the books we have read.

She really made my day because she was so engaging and enthusiastic about literature. I look forward to seeing her again. This little girl was a great example of how roving reference can be a rewarding experience for both the customer and staff member.

Blog Unveiling at Forest Lawn

We will be unveiling our new blog at our monthly staff meeting on March 26, 2007. Fireworks are optional. Snacks are not. See you there!