Youth Services Advisory Committee

Youth Services Advisory Committee October 14, 2011

Attending: Ellen Reynolds, Kathryn Riedener , Sarah Matthews, Dorothy Morehouse, Liz O’Toole, Tanya Thompson,

Excused: Jenny Goodemote, Mary Ferris, Mary Conable, Sheila Koeberle

Absent: Dawn Goodman, Brandy Olsheski, Deb Dennis

Balance of 2011 - Agenda review

Dorothy shared that Catilyn (at NEW) goes into the community for programming. We need to spread the message that we need to bring programming wherever the kids are and not be locked into the idea that the kids must come to the library.

Ellen expressed regret that Youth Yak hadn’t been held more often. Having a scheduled topic made it easier to plan and promote the meeting in the past. Some people also indicated directors liked to know what topic was being discussed as opposed to just having an open discussion. Ellen is asking for a schedule & topics for Youth Yaks in 2012. Discussion ensued about how best for format the “yaks”. Try to invite “buddies” from other libraries to help mentor them in order to facilitate collaboration between communities. The suggestion was made to take the buddy-system idea to a system meeting to explain the importance of the idea to that audience. Dorothy and Liz and Sarah and Tanya will present at the November System Meeting pending approval from PLS.

Tentative Youth Yak for 2012 – Following System Meetings

January – Professional development/support and bring 3 narrative non-fiction titles to share for bibliography

April - Conference Extravaganza! Following YSS Spring Conference and PLA. Presentations by those who attend those conferences.

September – Fall planning/Summer Wrap-Up Extravaganza!

November - Whatever is left over that needs to be covered; different types of literacy was suggested

Blog results on Summer Reading Wrap-UP

17 posts – most ever!

Ellen will put together a list of the comments from the blog for review. (Change in plans – Read the blog!)

PLS Youth Services Blog

http://plsys.blogspot.com/

Mary Fellows Workshop December 2

Mary Fellows, Manager, Youth and Family Services/Upper Hudson Library System, is coming Dec. 2 (Fri.) to do a workshop. The topic will be Positive Partnerships. The program will be similar to what she did a couple of years ago at YSS focusing on collaboration. Concerns about youth participation being down, fewer kids coming into the library – Solution might be the need to move outside the library more to reach youth where they are.

Morning workshop (9:30-10:00 start time) – Publicity materials will be sent to Ellen soon. It should be exciting. It’s time to really get this topic out and talk about different ways to reach out to youth today.

Help with OverDrive selection

Ellen had been doing 90% of the purchasing but she needs to find time to do other jobs. If she put together selection lists for the committee to review, would people on the YSAC help? Everyone said they would be happy to make selections.

2012 Focus

(see above notes re: collaboration)

1. age level
2. programming
3. collections (narrative non-fiction)
4. training needs (professional support)
5. possible collaboration with 4CLS, STLS, FLLS (shared training opportunities – funding sought)
6. Mary Conable suggestions – different types of literacy: visual literacy, math and science, changes in early literacy focus
7. Other There is a new Every Child Ready to Read kit but there are currently no funds to purchase for professional collection. The focus is different; skills are different. This goes hand-in-hand with shared professional support theme. Ellen shared an idea that goes hand-in-hand with the collaborative professional support theme. A group that serves Ontario, Livingston and Wayne County is trying to start a program to offer provide diapers/crib to help reduce child abuse and improve infant safety. If libraries offer to serve as a place to hold programs where supplies can be distributed at the same time, we can promote and offer early literacy opportunities to this population.

Summer Reading Planning 2012 Friday, March 2^nd

• When? Who? Planning Meeting time?
• Ellen will put in out on Doodle for suggestions from the YSAC. Ideas gathered will become the agenda for the day.
• To meet the 2^nd Goal, below, we need to come up with ideas how to organize ourselves to reach the schools – Ellen will survey libraries about her making personal contact (phone) with each district superintendent to put something in the district newsletter about the importance of summer reading and that the local public library is a fine place to start. If library directors are willing, all the better.
• Teen Video Challenge (deadline is in March – time to organize is now if we want to do something)

Achieving the Goals from NYS Youth Services Consultant

Ellen shared that a letter was sent to Jeff Cannell (Deputy Commissioner, Office of Cultural Education) stating the libraries are critical to meeting the education needs of children

1. Ensure that either local youth service providers or system youth consultants reach out to every school system in chartered areas to provide literature, promotional material and/or information regarding Summer Reading at their local public library by June 2011.

2. Ensure that either local youth service providers or system youth consultants reach out to every school system in chartered areas to promote in person Summer Reading programs and the role of their public libraries as a learning environment by June 2012.

Next Meeting scheduled via Doodle

Meeting was adjourned 20 minutes early!

Minutes recorded by Kathryn, edited by Ellen