Live Lightly, Read Wildly

Franklin Visits the Library

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:13:00 +0000

Mz. Shannon with Franklin
Originally uploaded by thomas ford memorial library

Franklin the Turtle visited our Library for two fun filled days.

We use Costume Specialists from Ohio for many of children's literature costume needs. The costume is used and then returned to the company. A low cost, and low impact program that is a direct connection to our collection. This service is available to libraries and bookstores at very affordable rates.

In our program we read Franklin stories, looked at turtle books and learned information about the parts of a turtle, their diet and types of turtles. Don't forget a turtle dance with a glittery turtle craft to top off a great program!

A WOW Science Show from Mike Offutt

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:03:00 +0000

We received a great patron response from our hosting of Mike Offutt and his Ultimate Science Show. Mike received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993 from the National Science Foundation. His rapport with students is clearly evident as he engages his students on many levels.

His show featured demonstrations, audience interaction and lots of WOW. We were pleased to see that he actively discussed ecology and environment to fit right into our Earth Rocks theme.

Into the Rainforest at Thomas Ford

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:23:00 +0000

We welcomed master puppeteer Marilyn Price to our Library for a Saturday puppet show. She performed her "Into the Rainforest" show, an ecological treasure chest of stories told with recycled puppets featuring the plight of the Rainforest as well as local opportunities to save and protect this world.

Stories included included: I Shot My Arrow in the KanKan Tree, Guara Diva Saves the Trees, and The Kapak Tree.

We were most pleased to receive a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. They provided partial funding for this wonderful cultural opportunity.

More pictures are available on our Flickr site. Enjoy!

Rhonda Telfer Author Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:08:00 +0000

We enjoyed a visit from our very own local author Rhonda Telfer. Her book, Grandpa's Treasure, fit right into our theme of earth appreciation. Rhonda read her books and showed us an exciting barn display featuring elements from her story. You can visit her site at Visual Generation to learn more about the story and see a few of the beautiful photographs.

Rhonda read and discussed her story, and then we played "Beat the Author" in a corn shucking contest. Rhonda will be sorry to say that she lost. Rhonda also brings a barn display and sample feed corn for the children to touch and shred.

We tempted kids with fresh steamed corn to taste, and many parents were surprised to see their kids reaching for more! Recipe: Take knife and saw off the top of an ear of corn while keeping the husk on. Just only gently peel away straw pieces of the outer husk. Put 2-3 ears in the microwave and turn on high for about 12 minutes. The corn steams itself in the husk and and you just simply peel it once slightly cool. Yum!

We also offered fresh local strawberries, cheese and milk to sample a few products that might grow on a farm. Throw in an Ellison barn craft, hay gluing and a little square dance music and you have a program to remember! We had about 50+ kids in and out of the program and parents were raving about how much fun it was.

Hint to Illinois: Rhonda loves to visit schools and libraries!

Other books read/discussed in the program included Cows in the Kitchen (Crebbin) and Barn Dance (Martin).

Please visit our Flickr site to see other updates! It is an exciting summer.

Decorating Ideas & Update

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:57:00 +0000

This year we've tried a few new tactics to decorate for our program in a cost effective manner that would still be low enviro impact.

Our art volunteer has created a set of beautiful window paintings using Simply Washable Tempura paint from Colorations. This paint can be used on paper and a variety of other surfaces. It will wash off easily from glass using a vinegar based cleaner or similar product. The paint averages $1.69 each color and comes in a recyclable bottle.

We have several window displays and other pictures from our Children's Department on our Flickr Site. Check it out!

We have registered over 900 children from our program, and the response has been excellent concerning prizes and decorations.

Mark Dvorak at Thomas Ford

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:01:00 +0000

Mark Dvorak performed at Thomas Ford this Thursday June 20th. He provided a terrific show of music, movement and fun for patrons of all ages. Several of his songs touched on themes of using what we have, and Use it Up, Wear it Out!

Registration for our program started at the beginning of June, and response has been excellent. So far we are at 786 registrations and going strong. We usually break 1,000 every year, so after that point we begin to cheer.

Patrons have really been enjoying the theme. We've decorated with live plants, had an artist hand paint a mural, paint with washables on windows and overall we've tried to reduce our impact with simple decorations and such. The kids are very excited about getting to plant a plant, and the Garden Club donated soil and seeds!

I'm taking notes on how to reduce our impact next year. Our weakness seems to be in use of paper, packaging and snacks. Shipping is also of concern with a great deal of our items.

You can visit our Flickr site for picture updates.

Summer Recycling Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:54:00 +0000

This summer we are going to do a variety of recycling and product drives in order to highlight ways to think beyond just one use. Though the ultimate goal is to reduce the amount that we use, recycling is a wise choice for the benefit of our earth.

You can see our decorated boxes rarin' to go, and we have an Eagle Scout volunteer set to box, deliver or ship our collected items. Though our program doesn't officially begin we've already collected about 100 eyeglasses, two pounds of crayons and 20 old phones. Each box was designed to fit neatly on the end of a shelving unit so it is visible yet out of our traffic paths.

Recycle Crocs
Croc shoes will be recycled through SolesUnited. This is unique program that recycles Crocs into a new product then distributed to countries in need (Haiti for example) for free. You may bring Crocs that you would like to recycle to the Library and place in the appropriate bin. Please note that shoes must be washed and clean before place in the bin.

Recycle Electronics
We will be collecting phones, PDAs, and other small electronics through Collective Good. Proceeds from our efforts through Collective Good will be donated to the Captain Planet Foundation, dedicated to creating environmental programs for children in grades K-12.

Recycle Glasses
We will be collecting eyeglasses to recycle through the Lions Club International. Glasses will be recycled and used to aid people in developing countries that have little or no access to eye care.

Recycle Crayons
Bring us your tired stubby nubs of crayons yearning to live again. We will be collecting crayons to send to a crayon recycling company called The Crayon Bin. For every pound of crayons we recycle we will receive a unique set of molded crayons that will be given away as a prize. Crayons are made from paraffin wax, a petroleum product. The less in landfills, the better!

Eco-Libris

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Mon, 19 May 2008 21:21:00 +0000

I was contacted by a business called Eco-Libris, and after researching their information I'd really like to draw a little attention to them for all of us book folks. They strive to promote "sustainable reading" which essentially means planting trees to help replenish what we readers use in our book habits.

From their website:

Books are everywhere, just look around: on bookshelves at home, in college
students' backpacks, in the mail from the book club or in that pile in your room
right now. For some people they’re for education, for others they’re an
entertaining escapade and for some, reading is really a passion. Eco-Libris is
for everyone. It is a green business that enables people to do something
reasonable, affordable yet with an impact: plant one tree for every book they
read. We believe that taking responsibility for the environmental costs of the
books we read is only natural.

They also have gift card programs, swaps with Book Mooch and more.

Explore the site! It is a great concept for book lovers everywhere.

Handmade Prizes

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:14:00 +0000

Handmade gifts from our Etsy vendors are arriving to many oohs and aahs. Featured above is two handmade Memory Match games from MyShell of Craft-Crazy Thrift Spinner. The memory match games will go into the weekly drawing for the smaller program called "The Pebbles."

MyShell also made two incredibly cool bookbag/purses. The craftsmanship on these items is just amazing!

After kids complete the general program we will continue to have weekly drawings for our "large" prizes. MyShell's bookbags will be placed in this category. They are pictured to the left with one of our adult volunteers- - -but they are cut for the size of an adolescent.

We would like to take the opportunity to say thank-you to this very talented seamstress! She worked with our timeline and gave us a very deep discount on prize products.

Part of the goal of our program prize selections was to also go beyond our traditional offerings. This prize selection utilizes the talent in a small business and supports individual creative endeavors. Many of her fabrics are also refreshed, re-purposed or found through thrifty means.

Here is another view of a celestial themed bookbag. Enjoy!

Prizes and Reading Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:31:00 +0000

We've settled on simplifying our prizes this year and offering ones that are made of natural elements whenever possible.

We are dividing our readers into levels as they "Rock" around the world. Each reading group reads a certain amount of books to reach their goals.

The Reading Groups

Infants are The Pebbles (unique prize list TBA)

Read-to-Me's are Arctic Explorers

Beginning Readers are Mountain Climbers

Jr. Chapter Books readers are Rainforest Readers

Novel Length (150 pages or more) readers are Savanna Stars

We will be beginning registration on June 9th, and will award prizes from June 16th onward. The reading level is up to the patron, free choice. I'm actually rather lenient about registration, but do require a library card and that the books be checked out of our Library to count for the program.

Prizes

The prizes have been harder to work out this year as we needed to stay on a reasonable budget yet meet goals of eco-friendliness. I'm definitely not going to say that it's a perfect job, but like many new things it is a strong start. Our biggest "offender" if you will may be the jump rope. Although it is rope and wood it comes individually packaged and in a plastic wrap so that in itself is a waste.

I found precious few places to order toys of natural elements in bulk that would meet our needs. I did wind up using Oriental Trading and U.S. Toy with a bit of teeth gnashing, but stuck to items that were not made of plastic and would have a greater element of use of longevity. I'm hoping next year there may be more options springing up both locally and online.

But for the most part, much more eco-friendly and no plastic, less chemicals and no paint issues. We are spending about the same amount, but aren't giving away as many trinkets.

Goal #1-On the Forest Floor

Fair Trade Chocolate Coin from Fair Trade Online

Pencil with a world map imprint

DuPage Dragons Baseball Ticket

Goal #2-Lower Canopy
Bug Clicker (yes, annoying noises in the Library)

Windy City Thunderbolts Ticket

Pizza Coupon from a local shop

DuPage Children's Museum Ticket

Goal #3- Upper Canopy

Planting Table (kids will plant sunflowers---the Garden Club is sponsoring- - planted into peat pots featured above that they will color and then plant)

A recycled book of their choice (I save donations all year long)

A Kirschbaum's Cookie (a yummy local bakery they can walk to)

Goal #4 - Emergent Trees

A Jump Rope

Snackers Ice Cream Cone (a yummy shop they can walk to)

A coupon book put out by various vendors

Into the Atmosphere

After the kids reach all of their goals they can continue to read until the end of the program date. Each week we will draw a name from this pot for big prizes! They include:

Tickets to the Art Institute of Chicago

Cernan Space Center

Morton Arboretum

Coming soon: Shannon and Uma appear as Librarian Jones! World explorers in search of the perfect book! We're working on our script that will wow and astound all of the schools we visit in May.

If you look to the right I'm featuring more info about the program with a list of performers and other information. Expect another update featuring our contests and info on our Explorer Table.

Almost Done Preparing!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:41:00 +0000

This summer it’s all about the amazing planet that we inhabit with our theme of Earth Rocks @ the Library. Our Earth is an amazing place of varied ecosystems, geography and natural wonders. Get ready to go exploring with our theme that will encourage an appreciation and respect of Earth’s resources and encourage sustainability in a fun way. A full brochure with all the details will be available in our Department in mid-May, so get ready to explore your world at the Library.

Registration for all summer events will begin on June 9 in-person at the Library. You must have a valid Library card to register for the program, and registration for the program is a requirement for any program attendance. Weekly programs, storytimes and events all begin on June 16 and will run for an eight-week session through August 8th. The last day to report on books and receive prizes will be August 11.

Register for the program, grab a booklog and start reading for great prizes. This year we will be giving away fair trade chocolate, crayons, books, jump ropes and other prizes that are safe, biodegradable and eco-friendly. Our little one program will also feature handmade item giveaways from individual Etsy sellers like canvas totes, organic snuggle dolls, cloth memory match games, re-purposed fabric pants and more. It’s a new page for us in how we award prizes, and it’s prizes that our Earth can live with and kids will like too.

A highlight of our program will be the prize of a planting table sponsored by the Western Springs Garden Club. Other perks include prizes of coupons like ice cream at Snackers, pizza from Luminati’s Pizza, or DuPage Children’s Museum Tickets. Extra weekly drawing prizes will include tickets to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cernan Space Center and more. Take your young players to local sports teams like the DuPage Dragons and the Windy City Thunderbolts. Stay tuned for more details as our program progresses. Our finale pizza party will be held at Enchanted Castle on August 14.

Beginning June 9, kids can pick from four reading groups: Arctic Explorer (read-to-me), Mountain Climbers (beginning readers), Rainforest Readers (jr. chapter books) or Savanna Stars (novel length). Little ones including infants and toddlers can select to be in the young program and be a Pebble reader and earn prizes specifically for them.

Look for exciting activities all summer long like a prize and contest table, plant displays, our series of Monday Movies, Friday craft tables, performers and a science themed workshop series. Check our webpage at www.fordlibrary.org to download our brochure or pick it up in the Children’s Department in May.

The Scouts Come Marching

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:26:00 +0000

I'm excited to say that more sponsors have jumped on board including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Cernan Space Center. Hooray!

Today I brainstormed a project with a local troop of Scouts that would involve work for an Eagle Scout award. We are discussing the possibility of the Eagle's putting together Outdoor Adventure Packs that people could check out. Ideas included fishing packs, birding guides, looking at trees and more. Stay tuned! We will meet next week to get the gears rolling.

We're also going to book them in for a Scouting Adventure travelogue program where the Eagles would talk about outdoor camping and adventure and bring along some of the gear involved. I think I may have many a kid excited to see this one.

One of the parents of the scouts read about our program and started brainstorming........so another hooray for community involvement.

I also now have extra manpower for all these strange and mysterious things that we will be collecting with a troop involved with helping to package and ship them, and my teacher volunteer is already working steadily on neato collection boxes.

And so we plod along!

Fair Trade Chocolates

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:19:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:51:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:02:00 +0000

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.

Considering Crayons

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:39:00 +0000

One of my fantastic patrons has recommended a program to me that I believe I'll use this summer. The Crayon Bin is a unique crayon recycling company that accepts donations of stubby crayons the world over. You can read more about how they handle donations on their website, but it seems like a fun way to encourage recycling.

I believe I'll fashion a fun crayon collection tube and encourage parents and kids to bring in their crayon remnants. For every pound of crayons that are collected we can receive a set of the Recolor the World crayons to give away as a prize. I think it would be fun to see how much we can collect through the summer.

I think every parent I know has a bag or two of crayons floating around that you aren't quite sure what to do with. It seems a shame to throw them out, but you can only shave and melt so many of them for crafts. I've had several parents ask me if they can give me a bag to save, but sadly I wind up just storing bags of forlorn crayons. I think a second life for them sounds like a nice idea.

Reducing Lamination

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:39:00 +0000

We are now being very, very judicious in our use of the laminator. I think most librarians like their signage to look very nice, but I realized that we were laminating things that would really only be used for a very short term period.

A rule of thumb is simply a modest five years. Before I laminate something I determine if this item will have a clear and definite use through at least five years. Will this sign, prop story, or rhyme have a use through five years? Is it worth it? I’d like to hope for ten at least.

Many times the answer is no when you apply this rule. A sign for a door or a program direction will look nicer when it’s laminated, but unless it has a valid use through five years then I don’t think it’s worth the generations that it will take to degrade. A short term use is not worth the impact for generations.

I also have absolutely no idea if this type of plastic can be recycled.

On a side note, realize that the film also costs the Library about $225 plus shipping per roll. By reducing our output we are also saving money in the long run. I think I’ve probably reduced my lamination by about half the amount that I used to do.

Creating a Bibliography

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:10:00 +0000

We are currently evaluating all of our materials on fuels, alternate energy, green technology and environment. It's turning into a bigger project then I initially imagined as much of the information as we know it seems to have changed in the past few years. A book published on coal energy from 10 years ago may still have relevant information, but information on its use and impact has truly changed as more scientific information has come to light.

I don’t know about other folks, but I have had several science teachers approaching the Library for fresh books to use in the classroom.

My first wave was to get in new information on emerging technologies and clean energy solutions. The second wave (in process) is to go through all of our books, one by one, and evaluate them for content and timeliness. The third wave will be finding information on all the topics that need fleshing out to a greater extent.

We will be building a bibliography that we can use in our program, on our website and beyond as we link it to our Library catalog and to Amazon. It's going to be used by our patrons and also go to the Chicago Wilderness Society to be used for educational purposes. I've never linked a bib to Amazon, but it seems the thing to do in order to help others find book recommendations, reviews or ISBN information.

I'll be posting books I'm ordering to the right under "Wildly Reading." It may give others a few ideas of new and cool books I've found to add to our collection. Stay tuned; it's going to be a long ride on this project.

Why Ban Plastics in Programs?

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:57:00 +0000

We've all heard information to varying degrees on what plastics and plastic bags are doing to our environment. On a global scale you can see China and Australia have banned free bags, and there is a global movement to ban their use all together. You can click HERE for an interesting article on the topic.

I'm banning giving away plastic bags in my programs, and I think it's a good moment for Friends groups around the nation to sell or give away canvas bags to their patrons. I have about 20 plastic bags left that are a holdover from another program, and I'll use them up for "sick kid" bags I put together. After that I'm going to have to explore other options for bags, as I don't think it's really eco-responsible to keep giving them away.

But why ban plastics in toys? The Oregon Toxics Alliance has from very concise information to give you a few ideas on why we should ban them from toys.

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice also has specific information on PVC: The Poison Plastic and the use of it in toys.

One difficulty in selecting prizes for Summer Reading Programs is that most plastic toys are not labeled with their plastic code and few toys sales companies list the ingredients in their description. Compound the problem with international standards and the outsourcing of toy manufacturing and there may be little or no information for us to make a judgment call on.
It would be a conundrum too. If it's a "safe" plastic to use for play, it may not be a "safe" plastic for recycling.

I'm also completely noting that it isn't necessarily our job to deem what is "safe" for the general public. Our role is one of providing information for the public so they can make an informed choice in their lives. I do think that our role tremendously shifts when we are giving the items away. It transitions beyond our norms and standard mission, as we are responsible for making sure it’s worthy items to award.

This leaves us with an incomplete picture for health, safety and recycling. As a nosy Librarian that thrives on information, I'm uncomfortable with ordering any plastics for children at this point as I believe in a full diet of information prior to making a decision.
To quote Carla Morris from The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians, "That's just how librarians are."

ALA's Task Force for the Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:54:00 +0000

I was intrigued to find that there is a Task Force for the Environment from the American Library Association. I'm linking them to the right for easy access. They are part of the Social Responsibilities Round Table and this unit was formed in 1989.

From their website:

TFOE Objectives

- Promote awareness for environmental issues within ALA
- Unite librarians and information professionals for mutual benefit and support
- Provide TFOE members with opportunities for career development, skills enhancement and leadership experiences
- Facilitate networking among peers and professional associates
- Provide services, programs, and publications that assist TFOE members and others in their careers, work places, homes, and in their communities.

I know I'm going to Anaheim this summer and it will be a good opportunity to check into what they have to offer. I'll be crossing my fingers for some new breakout programs on Green libraries and practices.

By the way, those traveling to ALA might want to check into TerraPass. Though it isn't a perfect plan by any means, you can purchase clean energy options to offset your flight. I'm going to offset my flight and donate about $10.00 to fly carbon neutral.

Compost vs. Recycle

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Food seems to be an important part of several of my programs. I give away popcorn on Movie Mondays and drinks during special events. The tons of plastics or paper cups going out the door can rather astonish me, yet I don't have enough of dishwashing space to consider investing in a longer term product.

I'm currently weighing two food service options. 1) Recycling and only getting paper cups, plates and napkins a la Seventh Generation style that are made from recycled paper and will be recycled after we're through with them or 2)Biodegradable in trying something really funky like the new corn and sugar cane cups that are biodegradable and/or compostable.

Featured above is a picture from World Centric of a ten ounce biodegradable cup. The compostable does make me a bit nervous as the only commercial composting facility I've found is in Peoria, and I think it isn't too much of an environmental savings if they have to be shipped here, used, then shipped there to dispose of them. I'm building my own composting bin in the spring, but I don't think I could handle that much going in on the get go.

Maybe recycled products that I further recycle are the way to go. They also seem to be a bit more cost effective which would work with my budget better. Any thoughts?

Brainstorming

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:42:00 +0000

I'm considering ordering a couple of these style bags as a large draw-your-name bonus round prize. These are hand produced by seamstress MyShell from Color Your World Craft Crazy.

I do think that my community would appreciate a couple of these as a bonus prize. High quality handmade goods are always in demand, especially if they are funky enough for the tweenie group of readers.

I think the uniqueness of the book tote would make it attractive, and they'd probably use it so much longer then a Library-esque looking bookbag. I've awarded these, but never see them in action a later time.

I'm also in touch with a few folks that are producing handmade goods and featuring them on Etsy. I'd like to see if I could talk some of them into a lower cost or donation in order to highlight the cause of eco-friendly programs for children.

I'm not really a fashion maven, but I do see eco-fashion coming "in." I'd like to play on this trend for a few little items in our bonus rounds. Hum, maybe I could pick just a couple "hip" eco-products to give away just to showcase some of what is out there. Thinking........

Remembering 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:42:00 +0000

Last year I gave away THIS PRIZE. I remember having a moment of "what the heck am I doing!" I was dressed as an astronaut to promote our SRP 2007, Mission Read: to the Library and Beyond! and as I spoke to hordes of kids it dawned on me that there is a direct connection between the prizes I give away and our contribution to the safety and well being of children. I had selected this theme in order to promote science and learning, but hadn’t quite learned the lesson myself as I used tons of plastics, blow-ups, and other trinkets to reward children for reading.

2007 also gave us a year of lead painted bendables and other toy recalls, reason enough to question what we do. Add in major concerns about our landfills, environment, and climate and I think we have more then a few reasons to adopt practices of conservation or at least better selection. Shouldn't I apply some of the same well thought out selection practices for a collection to our toy and prize offerings? I can honestly say that I got very lucky with the bendable issue in that I’ve never purchased them because I find them creepy in an odd sort of way.

I think that in order to promote a program of eco-friendly practices it must be just that, friendly. It can't be about what we "can't" do, or what we are "giving up." It has to transcend some of the gloom and doom and truly be about being "lighter" and about being a fresh start.

If you are jumping aboard and feeling not so eco-friendly, you aren't alone. This is a new adventure to me and every effort will count. Don't beat yourself up if you haven't been eco-friendly, just turn to a new chapter and move forward with what you can do.

Research Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:18:00 +0000

Today I've spent some time gathering ideas. The greatest challenge in creating a program that is eco-friendly is also creating one that is budget friendly. What is worth more costs more money, this we know. What costs more is usually beyond my budget, this I well know.

I think part of the reason for the trinketizing of programs has been directly tied into the available funds we can spend for prizes. Without ordering blow-up balls, whistles and the like I'm a bit thrown.

I did find some unique organic cotton totes that we could afford today and some very cute ideas from Progressive Kid. I've found just surfing the eco-toy sites give me ideas for things I could do myself for a fraction of the cost.

I think I may have a take-out "Terra Kids" pack where kids could chose a tree planting pack or a flower planting pack. This would be a simple home grown idea of a recycled brown bag, an information card, a fun cloth fingerpuppet, a little scooper and seeds. I'll need to price it out.

Earth Rocks @ the Library

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Halikias) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:52:00 +0000

This announcement is going out in our newsletter:

This summer we will be doing Earth Rocks @ the Library, an earth sciences and plant theme for our Summer Reading Program. We are shifting our focus to conservation in that we won’t be distributing plastics, trinkets, or toys that are of questionable safety and would instead like to focus on safe, eco-friendly prizes or ones that inspire sustainability. After all, we’re a role model in our community and would like to promote positive practices that will endure with our community’s children.

We are currently recruiting sponsors for our program; so if you would like to contribute prizes or fund our program, please contact Mz. Shannon in the Children’s Department at (708) 246-0520. This year we would like to give away plants, seeds, geology projects, crafts, or even handmade goods for larger prizes like canvas bags or book bags. Just let us know what ideas you may have. Thank for your support as we begin a new journey in our Department.