YAs and Author Face off in Beverly
By Barbara Fecteau, LMS, Beverly High School
Students in Liz Lincoln's creative writing class at Beverly High School had a rare opportunity to get the dirt about the writing business. They had a special guest in their class on Saint Patrick's Day. Author/librarian Patrick Jones came for a book discussion of his book, Things Change. This young adult book deals with the issue of dating violence. The students read the book as a class and asked Jones piercing questions about the writing process, themes, characters and the story itself. He spoke about the writer's life with a concentration on the editing process.
The impetus for this visit was Beverly's Young Adult librarian, Rhonda Finberg. She heard that Jones - a nationally known young adult librarian whose non-fiction book, Connecting Young Adults and Libraries is the textbook for most YA classes in library schools - was going to be in the area and would be willing to take part in a book discussion group with students. A generous gift to the library earmarked for the young adult department paid for enough copies of the book for the entire class. BHS's library media specialist, Barbara Fecteau found a class that would be interested in learning about the writing and publishing process. Before the visit with Jones, most of the students were not huge fans of the book. They took issue with the awkwardness of the dialog and lack of realism in the characters. Most of the girls were extremely doubtful about a man trying to writing as if he were a 17 year-old girl, but for their teacher they toughed it out.
Senior Nichole Gosselin said, "He was an interesting character and I most certainly understood and liked the book much better after talking to him. Some of the issues I had with the book were resolved and I appreciate the book much more now versus when I first read it".
This collaboration is one of the many ways that the Beverly Public Library continues to enrich the lives of Beverly's learning community.
Two Crafty Librarians in Boxford and Tyngsborough
By Emily Classon, Director, Tyngsborough Public Library
Diane Giarrusso, Director of the Boxford Town Library, and Emily Classon, Library Director of the Tyngsborough Public Library, have teamed up to create a joint craft program at both libraries. The two Directors, who are also crafting friends, plan the craft sessions and team-teach the classes at each library. Each library's Friends of the Library group support the programs.
By sharing the research, resources, and creativity, they are able to offer programs to multiple audiences, and with two instructors, the classes can be a bit larger than if they were presenting them alone.
Diane and Emily will teach several craft sessions at both libraries during the year. In April and May, they will teach a session titled "Altered Memories: Home and Family" during which participants will alter a coin book into a family work of art. As part of the 2005 summer reading program, they will offer an easy accordion scrapbook class, "Going places @ your libraryŽ: On Vacation". Later this year, they will offer another altered art class featuring altered mini CD holiday ornaments.
Art and craft topics are very popular in both communities, and these programs allow users to learn something new.
Gloucester Early Literacy Program
By Christy Rosso, Children's Librarian, Sawyer Free Library
Gloucester Public school Literacy Specialists Pat Sweeney, Anna O'Connor and Leslie Burton presented "Strategies to Use With Early Readers" at the Sawyer Free Library on March 15. The program, aimed at parents of children in pre-school to grade 2, provided parents with ways to support early literacy at home. The presenters reviewed the developmental stages of young readers, and gave parents ideas and activities for fostering literacy. All participants received Take-Home Activity Kits, which included booklists and educational materials from "Partnership for Reading." Library staff held a story time for children of participants during the program, and provided refreshments. The event was repeated at a local elementary school in the evening.
Title 1 Parent Coordinator Val Babson and Sawyer Free librarians planned these presentations. Sixty parents and children attended the library program. We received requests for a follow-up, and for more such collaborations in future.
