Fair Trade Chocolates

We're in the decision making process about the prizes that we award during the summer. I've found reasonably priced fair trade chocolate coins, planting pots, wood and rope jump ropes, break your own geodes, and more as somewhat affordable solutions to prizes. Fair Trade Online is a nice source for finding little goodies without guilt.

I've even found a local Etsy seller in Peoria for recycled crayon prizes!

From their site: Cocoa used in these chocolates is from Kuapa Kokoo, a cooperative of 40,000 cocoa growers in Ghana. Certified fair trade.

As each bag contains 17 coins, we can afford to split bags and give one coin to each child along with a pencil for a first level prize.

I'm also planning on having a special sticker available for children that cannot have chocolate due to allergies.

Excitement Update

Since our newsletter came out I've had several patrons stop by to give me ideas. Many of them are excited about the program as a way to bridge discussions with their children. It seems like on the side poll community acceptance is rated as a barrier, but the in-person response so far seems to be positive. Please take my little poll if you have the chance to click!

I've been give further thoughts by patrons about places to visit such as Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop and Ten Thousand Villages. It seems like my community actually seems to be a resource in itself as they are collectively giving me ideas. As I live in a different town where I work all these new tips are invaluable to me.

I had a quick YES for sponsorship from The DuPage Dragons, and I'm happy as I love giving a family experience as a prize. Baseball, gotta love it! The Dragons are a local team from Lisle, Illinois and are playing out of Benedictine University. They count as my official first.

I'm going to be building a link collection to the side to highlight all of our sponsors. It's nice to get a warm reception. I have to confirm all my sponsors by mid-April at the latest so the rush is now on.

I have a quirky little idea about having decorated boxes down a hallway where people can bring in a variety of things to recycle. We'd model each box after the item such as one that looks like a crayon, one that looks like a Crocodile (Crocs), one that looks like a cell phone, one that look like glasses. This would make it look fun, not junky and highlight recycling for all sorts of items beyond the typical bottle or glass item that we've all come to do in our blue bins and bags.

I've found actual charities that recycle Crocs for Third World Countries, crayons, glasses, etc. How cool would it be to decorate each box, highlight the charity AND give a breakdown of what ingredients are in each item they are recycling. For every Croc you recycle you save such and such.........I'm lucky that I have an art teacher volunteer that could probably pull this off with the greatest of ease.

This weekend I'm going to be pricing out little clay pots for prizes. I think as part of one of my prizes we will do a "planting table." Kids will have the opportunity to pick a seed type and actually plant it in a pot while in the Library. I've done various planting programs and I've been stunned to find lots of kids that have actually never planted anything before be it vegetable or flower. Actually planting something and watching it grow helps foster a connection to nature, so what fun to dig your hands in the dirt while in the Library. Ahem, hand washing may be necessary before touching any books.

Fundraising Begins

Today marks the beginning of a month of fundraising and planning. This month is our serious planning month as we begin to formalize our concept and put it to paper. By mid-April our brochure needs to be camera ready as we plan our school visits and skits. It's a month of brainstorming, teeth gnashing and drilling into our creative side.

Each year our Department somehow manages to raise approximately $15,000-$19,000 dollars of support for our Summer Reading Program. This comes in the way of monetary support, coupons from businesses, a ticket to an organization (museums) or event (baseball) or the donations of goods. Several local small businesses like Snackers give us ice cream coupons and Kirshbaums a tasty cookie.

Our fantastic Friends of the Library Organization support several thousand of our funding as they pay for the bulk of tangible prizes that we give to our kids. I’m always so very grateful for the volunteer work that these kind and giving people do out of the their love for the Library. Without a Friends Organization we wouldn’t have nearly as many cultural programs for kids or fun activities.

Each year I do always dread fundraising a bit. There is more of a social worker ethic in a librarian, but organization and planning is indeed part of what we do. With approximately 1,000 kids that participate there isn’t a way to do it without outside support on our small budgets. We frequently write and obtain grants, but regular fundraising requires a bit of gumption that most of us muster inside of ourselves.

My letters this year also reflect a change in our planning. Part of my sponsorship letter reads:

This year we are trying something very different, and in fact we’re one of the
first libraries in the nation to try to change our ways. Our theme, Earth
Rocks @ the Library will be earth science theme full of fun and information.
This year we are focusing on conservation and appreciation of nature and will
only be giving away prizes that are made from sustainable resources, banning
plastics and landfill bound trinkets, recycling all of our papers and products,
and using recycled materials in our programs and crafts. We’ve
recognized that as role models for our children we bear a responsibility in what
we encourage and give to youth. Our program is harder for us to
launch this year as it’s never been done, so won’t you join us?

I’d like to get sponsors excited about participating in something new and fresh for kids. This program will require a great deal more planning and probably more money so I do hope I get a good response.

Right now about 25 letters are making their merry way to folks throughout our community and the Chicagoland area. Wish them good luck as they land in the hands of potential sponsors.

Our quarterly newsletter came out to patrons this month, and I've received several positive comments from folks that are excited to see a change in our dynamic. One patron left a congrats note on my desk! I think we may be hesitant to change our ways our of fear of acceptance, but I think that parents are looking forward to a program that is healthier for their kids.