Children's Programming

Sensory Storytime is a program specifically designed for children with autism and other PDD.  Our community has asked for this kind of programming for quite a long time, but until now, we have not had the ability to offer it.  In this session, we will go through the process that led us to being able to offer a Sensory Storytime program at our library.  We will share the kinds of partners and professionals who guided us with their expertise and knowledge of autism and PDD.  We will also take participants through a Sensory Storytime to show what this program could look like in your library.  We offer tips of what worked and what didn’t and encourage participants to let us help them learn how to offer this program in their libraries.
 

Want to build a fun escape room program that appeals to families with children, teens, and adults, but feel like you don’t have the space to make it work? Have you seen pictures from amazing escape room programs in other libraries, but don’t have a dedicated space to commit to a lengthy program? I’ll share tips, tricks, and plans for three different escape rooms we have successfully run that fit (almost) entirely on a book cart and are easy to set-up and take-down. We’ll talk about rooms with doors that don’t lock, different types of puzzles that are easy to use, how to build multiple rooms using the same materials, and ways that participants can adapt these programs for their own library spaces.
 
Presented at the CATS Conference, Kelowna BC, Oct 7th, 2019. 

Community-led programming can be an incredibly powerful way to connect with vulnerable communities. But how do you actually do it? There are lots of templates for leading a toddler storytime or starting a kids’ book club, but few nuts-and-bolts resources available about community-led programming, and no one right way to implement it.
In this panel session, we’ll talk with library staff who are building relationships and doing community-based work with children and families in a variety of settings. We’ll explore different models for community-led programming, discuss the barriers that can make this work challenging to initiate and sustain, and hear about the rewards that make it meaningful. Audience participation is encouraged; please bring your questions and your own stories so that we can support and inspire each other in this important, exciting work.
 
Handout with panel participant contact information and links is attached and is also reproduced below:
 
Connecting the Dots with Children and Families:
The Principles and Realities of Community-Based Work in (and out of) Libraries
Children and Teen Services (CATS) Conference
Kelowna, BC
October 7, 2019
 
Session Participants:
Facilitator: Els Kushner, Vancouver Public Library

• els.kushner@vpl.ca
• (604)-665-3945

Panelists:

• Ruth Cooper, Assistant Librarian, Hazelton District Public Library
  • hdpl.ruth@citywest.ca
  • (250) 842-5961
• Ellie Reynolds, EASEY Coordinator, Creston Public Library
  • easey01@gmail.com
• Beth Dimond, Prince Rupert Public Library
  • beth@princerupertlibrary.ca
  • (250) 627-1346
• Stephanie Thoreson, Vernon Branch, Okanagan Regional Library
  • sthoreson@orl.bc.ca
  • (250) 542-7610 ext 6829

 
Links:

• Connecting the Dots: A Guidebook for Working With Community, from the Vancouver Public Library
  • https://www.vpl.ca/sites/vpl/public/20151117_VPL_ConnectingTheDots_SinglePages.pdf

VPL’s guidebook for staff doing community-based or community-led work. Includes numerous honest real-life examples of successes, challenges, roadblocks, and stumbles, as well as tools and resources for dealing with such.

• BCLA SRC Serving First Nations And Communities resource page:
  •  https://kidssrc.libraries.coop/bc-src-serving-first-nations-children-and-communities/

Notes and links stemming from a BCLA Conference session on SRC programs serving First Nations communities, a panel discussion which included two of today’s panelists, Ruth Cooper and Beth Dimond. Includes excellent resources relevant for wishing to build stronger community connections.

• Edmonton Public Library Community-Led Service Philosophy Website
  • https://www.epl.ca/vision-mission-values/#community-led

Includes links to a comprehensive Community-Led Toolkit; a shorter Community-Led Service Guide for staff; and a page on Top Five Barriers to Library Access and Recommendations for Eliminating those Barriers

• Community Led Libraries Toolkit, by the Working Together Group
  • https://www.vpl.ca/sites/vpl/public/Community-Led-Libraries-Toolkit.pdf

An in-depth examination of the barriers that can keep  low-income and marginalized people and communities from accessing library services and resources, the ways in which library culture often exacerbates these barriers, and some methods for identifying and addressing those barriers, based on the work of the Working Together Project starting in 2004.

Physical Literacy

Like learning the alphabet is essential to reading, learning movement skills is essential to enjoying activities for life. In this half hour session, you will see how this program came to be, a definition of basic physical literacy, how it fits into a library program and some programming ideas. There is room in any story time for a bit of physical literacy.

Presentation by Harper Collins at Alberta Library Conference

In this session, we will take you through the steps we followed to create a library program for children with autism and other persons with developmental disabilities (PDD). Learn about beneficial partnerships and resources to create your very own Sensory Storytime.
JENNY COFELL is a Children’s Librarian at Lethbridge Public Library, which is no small order! Jenny has reached new heights by developing innovative community partnerships, integrating play into the library, and being an effective library champion for families and children.
LAURIE DARVEAU-WILLMS is a Library Technician at Lethbridge Public Library. Places, parenting, pets, pinball, paddleboard – not necessarily in that order – sum up Laurie in a nutshell. She is also passionate about creating inclusive programming and spaces.