Drake Public Library

Seeking Excellence

Archives for March 2015

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Libraries–more than books!

Cake Pan

Another cake pan available at the Drake Public Library

 

Libraries are adjusting to the ever changing modern world.  Libraries now loan seeds, kindles, and prom dresses!  The Berkeley Public Library in California lends tools. The website lists the tools they lend.  Chalk lines, tile nippers, drill bits, and bolt cutters are just a few of the items available!

Seed libraries have been sprouting up all over—sorry, pun intended. But those seeds can grow trouble! Invasive plants and weeds can be introduced into areas with people using seeds from unverified sources. The library has to have a plant expert on hand to help with the implementation of the seed library.

The Drake Library lends cake pans. That is right, cake pans. We have over 300 pans donated by a local donor. The pans check out for two weeks at a time and are very popular! We have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, footballs, Pokemon, and many other popular characters. The program has been a success over the last two years with only one set of pans being lost. A patron has even started her own cake baking business by using our pans!

Several libraries are hosting prom dress programs. These costly items are loaned, swapped, or donated to girls for the spring dance season. Any parent that has ever shopped for a frothy formal knows how daunting and dangerous prom dress hunting can be!

Librarians are adaptive creatures! They can sense a community need and find the means to help their patrons find what they are seeking.

For more information about the Drake Library Cake Pan library, stop in and check out the Cake Pan Finder Binder!

Batman Cake Pan

Batman cake pan available for check out.

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Friends Fundraiser

26 oz. aluminum water bottle-$8.00

26 oz. aluminum water bottle–$8.00

Mini vinyl football $4.00

Mini vinyl football–$4.00

16 oz. stainless steel tumbler $9.00

16 oz. stainless steel tumbler–$9.00

 

 

 

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All proceeds benefit the Drake Public Library!

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Scholastic Book Fair – Hard Work Pays Off!

Our Scholastic Book Fair was held Monday, March 9th through Saturday, March 14th.  After weeks of planning, scheduling volunteers and publicity, we can now say that it was a great success.

This year, our Book Fair was “manned” through a combination of volunteers and employees.  I couldn’t have done it without all of these wonderful people!  Hailey Harbour, Tori Brown, Mindi Blizek, Mike Barth, Julianna Barth, Miles Starr, Jeff Livingston, Shawn Dekker, Dana Moritz, Nicole Cox, Lottie Wilson, Mary Beth Thomas, Lois Hays, Deanna Allen and Winona Whitaker all volunteered their time to set up, work and tear down the fair.  Library Employees Jami Livingston, Beth Burgin, Theresa Liford and Pam Reed also put in time to help the project run smoothly.  Theresa and Pam were especially important in keeping the fair room supervised and assisting volunteers as they came in to work throughout the week.  I am so grateful for all of their help.  Thank you so much!

Now to the results of our efforts!  When you purchase items through the Scholastic Book Fair, the Drake Public Library receives 40% of each purchase in Scholastic Dollars.  At the conclusion of this year’s book fair, we totaled $1,717.41 in sales.  After purchasing what was left from our wish list book selections, this brought our Scholastic Dollars earnings to $579.57!  Speaking of our “wish list selections”, patrons were especially generous this year in purchasing books that I had selected for our wish list and donating them back to us.  31 books were purchased as a donation to us!  More might come back to us through our online book fair that will continue through March 24th. The link is on our website as well as the Drake Public Library and Drake Public Library Kids Facebook pages.   These books came directly to us and they still counted toward our Scholastic Dollars earnings.  Pretty neat!

 

Storytime toddlers

Storytime featuring books from the Scholastic Book Fair.

This year, Scholastic also sent a “gift basket” of free books, valued at $100, for us to use as prizes for our summer reading program.  They also let us pick out any of the leftover posters from the fair display to keep for our library, at no cost.  This is a pretty nice gift from our Scholastic friends.

Scholastic Dollars allow me to purchase books, bookmarks, posters and program supplies through the online resource catalog, at no cost to the library.  Even shipping is free. I have used our Scholastic Dollars to replace damaged books, update Children’s Library decorations and even provide interactive items (like our new hand held white boards and our book character plush dolls) for our program activities.  I also purchased books for our very popular Toddler Time group participants.  Every child that attended Toddler Time during the Book Fair was able to choose a book from the fair display to take home with them for free.  It’s a gift that makes them smile with pride, as they hold their brand new book.  And really, isn’t that what this is all about?  It was a joy to see the excitement that our kids and families have for reading and for supporting the Drake Public Library!

Table full of books

Books donated to the Drake Library by shoppers at the Scholastic Book Fair

 

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A taste of summer

Library Time Capsule

Library time capsule from 2013

Summer Reading Programs are very important to librarians. The themes are picked months in advance, there is a merchandise/incentive plan in place, book lists are formed, and workshops are scheduled for library staff. The 2015 SRP theme is “Every Hero Has a Story” and we are ready!
The SRP is the best part of being a librarian! JeNel and I brainstorm for them basically all year. We shoot ideas back and forth and jot down craft ideas on scraps of paper. Pinterest has revolutionized our planning. We now have a dedicated board where we post and peruse blog entries.
Summer Reading Programs are crucial for children. The summer slide is described by the RIF.org website:

Children who do not read over the summer will lose more than two months of reading achievement. Summer reading loss is cumulative. By the end of 6th grade children who lose reading skills over the summer will be 2 years behind their classmates.

Three kids with reading bags.

Siblings signing up for Summer Reading Program


Children who enroll in our reading program can overcome the summer slide and have fun at the same time. We pack the summer full of crafts, adventures, programs, and incentives. Kids have so much fun; they don’t even realize that they are exercising their brains!
Our Summer Reading Program is funded and totally supported by The Friends of the Drake Public Library. They pay for the Blank Park Zoo program and The Science Center of Iowa programs. The FDPL also pay for all the t-shirts and other incentives. Local businesses donate food prize coupons and other incentives.
Girl with very sticky coated hands

Skye demonstrates an ooey gooey substance.


In the past we have made fossils, toured the local museum, petted lizards, looked at stars, made a time capsule, and had a blast!
This year promises to be action packed and full of fun events! Superhero capes, human heroes, four legged heroes, and fire trucks are just some of the things JeNel has planned!!
Three boys with reading bags

Three brothers signed up for a summer full of reading fun!

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FUN raising!

Two small children reading together

Turn in your reading photos by the end of March for our Photo Contest.

Raising money for Drake Public Library is a continual function of Friends of the Drake Public Library (FDPL), but that doesn’t mean fundraising has to be mundane. Nor does it need to be burdensome to donors. Friends has launched several fundraisers in the last month, and has several others in planning stages, which it hopes will be interesting as well as fun. FDPL seeks money, but it wants to give its donors something in return.

FIFTY POUNDS OF PENNIES

Jar full of pennies

The collected pennies at the Drake Public Library.

For example, Friends wants to help members of the public get rid of those unwanted pennies. At the same time, it offers to let the public help gather 50 pounds of pennies just to see what that looks like.

Everyone knows pennies are heavy. People collect them, not on purpose, but because businesses insist on giving them to us in change. We have them in jars and drawers and perhaps underneath couch cushions. They are considered a nuisance. They get no respect. FDPL wants those poor, sad pennies. It will take them off your hands and give them new life. Bring them to the library.

Every week Friends will weigh the pennies and post the weight. If the goal of 50 pounds is reached before the end of the month, FDPL go for 60 pounds. Ten pennies weigh about an ounce. Sixteen ounces make a pound. Do the math.

EASTER EGG SURPRISES

Easter eggs

Eggs

Friends is celebrating Easter with surprise-filled eggs. Members of FDPL have prepared a basket of plastic eggs for sale at the library. Each egg contains some sort of surprise, and several eggs contain $5. Visitors to the library can purchase an egg for $1.00 at the front desk to find the surprise inside. Unlike the lottery, Friends guarantees you’ll win something, even if it’s just candy.

READING PHOTO CONTEST

Cat on a bookshelf

Cat chilling with some books

The Friends’ April fundraiser needs a little preparation, and FDPL has asked the public to help. FDPL needs photos related to reading or books. Children and pets always make cute pictures. Photos that represent reading in an artistic manner are welcome, too. In April, library patrons will pay to vote for their favorite photos. Prizes will be awarded to the top three vote-getters. It’s like American Idol except with book-related photos.

To participate, put your name and phone number on the back of a photo and bring it to the library. Anyone at the front desk will be happy to take the photo. FDPL will post the photos in the library in April and the voting will begin.

Keep an eye on the library website and Facebook page for future Friends fundraisers. FDPL wants to keep donors wondering, “What will Friends do next?”