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MELSAŠ2007

Youth Services Column
By Susan Babb

Summer Reading Program Updates

2007 Catch the Beat at your Library:

With summer's end, I just want to give a heads up on the evaluation we will send to you within the next month or so.

In preparing to complete the evaluation, please:

  • Gather your participation statistics for children, teens and adults (for those of you using the Evanced program, this will be simply a matter of clicking a button!);
  • Consider how your program was promoted and what resources you used;
  • Think about how you liked the materials and incentives;
  • Review your handouts and press releases for the MRLS/MBLC/WM credit line;
  • Reflect on how useful the coupons and online resources were;
  • Recall any specific stories that might help give us a better picture of how the 2007 program was received at your library.

Please send copies of your library's summer reading program newspaper clippings and library publicity to me. Please send only those items which credit the program with the MRLS/MBLC/WM credit line. We will compile this information to share with the summer reading program coupon providers, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and Waste Management, in appreciation of their support of our program.

Thank you so much for your assistance! Careful accurate numbers really help support the program. I will also alert you as to when materials for 2008 may be ordered!

ReadsinMa Online Reading

Managing Reading Programs throughout the year with ReadsinMa

ReadsInMa is an online reading software program that is available free of charge with grant funding provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. ReadsInMa is web-based and enables the library to streamline in-house processes such as registration, reader reviews, statistics and reports. ReadsInMa is ideal for winter reading programs for all ages. Build upon the summer's successes and plan for the fall!

I applaud all of you who did use the online summer reading program this summer in whatever way you could. I applaud everyone for being open to using this program.

Now we can turn our attention to how to use the program during the year! In order to do that, I invite you to attend one of the three Roundtables listed below to share ideas, share what worked and didn't work, and think about how to best use this program! Even if you didn't use it or if you just signed up to use it, consider coming to one of these discussions. No hands on - just a lot of talk!

Here are the Roundtables for which you may register at http://www.nmrls.org/ce/ceformnew.htm:

September 24, 2007 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Location: Langley-Adams Library, Groveland - ReadsinMa Roundtable (Kate Gove from West Newbury will hopefully be there to share her successes with the program!)

September 26, 2007 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Location: Tewksbury Public Library - ReadsinMa Roundtable (Noelle Couture will be there - it's her library - to share how she managed to have more than half her participants register online!)

September 28, 2007 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Location: Hamilton-Wenham Public Library - ReadsinMa Roundtable (No featured speaker as yet - volunteers?)

As well, I will be offering training in using the online reading program. Here are the Training sessions (hands on) for which you may register at .

September 14, 2007 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Location: NMRLS, Danvers - Managing Reading Programs throughout the year with ReadsinMa

September 14, 2007 - 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Location: NMRLS, Danvers - Managing Reading Programs throughout the year with ReadsinMa

October 4, 2007 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Location: NMRLS, Danvers - Managing Reading Programs throughout the year with ReadsinMa

October 4, 2007 - 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Location: NMRLS, Danvers - Managing Reading Programs throughout the year with ReadsinMa

I will also come to YOU to train YOU at your library! Email me if this option works better for you.

Youth Services Book Review:

Youth Services librarians have been meeting and reviewing books since the Fall of 1999! The ninth season of book reviewing begins this fall at NMRLS in Danvers! New reviewers are welcome! There's no need to register.

From 10:00 to 10:30, reviewers meet and choose the new books available from over 15 publishers. Reviews are shared in roundtable fashion from 10:30 to noon.

Please visit http://www.nmrls.org/youth/book.shtml for more information. Check out your colleague's reviews at http://www.nmrls.org/youth/ysbookreview/and while there, see the recent arrivals in the Review Collection! I scan books into Librarything so you can see the newest and hottest books!

Come one, come all!

Jumpstart's Read for the Record invites you to share The Story of Ferdinand with children in your communities on September 20, 2007. Be a part of a nationwide movement connecting children and adults in the shared learning experiences all children need to be successful in school and in life!

Jumpstart has created tools on the campaign web site http://www.readfortherecord.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_main to help aid libraries in their outreach to families with young children. With our Event Finder/Builder, libraries can create and advertise their events so families can search for and attend events on September 20. The Build-an-Event Kit provides libraries with all the materials and activities they need to make Jumpstart's Read for the Record a success in every community! To learn more about the campaign visit http://www.readfortherecord.org.