Kathy Barco, Children’s Librarian at the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System in New Mexico, presented the lively morning session highlighting the 2012 summer reading program theme of night time at all 6 sessions. Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) members Jana Ackerman, Lisa Chipouras, Laura Baldassari-Hackstaff, Melissa Depper, and Becky Campbell offered informative, useful afternoon sessions on early literacy, including an overview of the newly revised Every Child Ready to Read program.

Handouts from the workshops are available, including Becky Campbell’s early literacy presentation.

Some comments from workshop attendees:

• It was so helpful to start thinking about summer reading ideas and talk to other youth librarians in the area.
• I love getting ideas for activities plus meeting others and getting their input.
• Both of the presenters were fabulous! They were entertaining, enthusiastic, and really held my attention.
• This year was a great balance between SRP ideas and very appropriate Early Childhood ideas.
• Worthwhile content–Ideas, conversations, motivation. Thank you!
• I really enjoyed tying books to early literacy skills.
• Extremely helpful. The SRP theme seemed difficult until the workshop and now has become clear.

For more resources, tips, and research about early literacy, check out the CLEL website—or better yet join the group; it’s free!

To learn more about the 2012 summer reading program, visit the Collaborative Summer Library Program website. With the overall theme of night time, program slogans will encourage children to “Dream Big—Read,” while teens will “Own the Night.” Adults can interpret their slogan, “Between the Covers,” in a variety of ways, but we hope they’ll be encouraged along the way to read over the summer. Watch for more information and opportunities on the CYS-Lib listserv and here on this blog, and attend the summer reading program session at the CLiC Spring Workshops 2012!

Download flyer (PDF)

AGENDA:

• 2012 statewide summer reading, presented by Kathy Barco: “Dream Big – Read” (children), “Own the Night” (teens)
• Lunch and networking
• Early literacy: Fun in the library for babies and new parents
• Update on Colorado youth services initiatives
• Distribute Summer Reading manuals and Highsmith catalogues

DATES and LOCATIONS (register at least 1 week in advance):

• 10/20/2011 – Rifle
• 10/21/2011 – Eagle
• 11/02/2011 – Pueblo
• 11/03/2011 – Englewood
• 11/04/2011 – Boulder
• 11/10/2011 – Dolores

REGISTRATION: All-day program, $20 per person. Includes breakfast, lunch, and materials. Register now!

QUESTIONS: Michelle Gebhart, 303-866-6894

Download flyer (PDF)

AGENDA:

• 2011 statewide summer reading programs, presented by Kathy Barco: “One World, Many Stories” (children) and “You Are Here” (teen)
• Lunch and  networking 
• Table talks: issues and discussions
• Update on State Library youth services initiatives
• Summer Reading manuals and Highsmith catalogs

DATES and LOCATIONS (register at least 1 week in advance):

• 10/21/2010 – Parachute, CO
• 10/22/2010 – Vail, CO
• 10/27/2010 – Pueblo , CO
• 10/28/2010 – Colorado Springs, CO
• 10/29/2010 – Fort Collins, CO
• 11/4/2010 – Durango, CO

REGISTRATION: All-day program, $20 per person. Includes breakfast, lunch, and materials. Register now!

QUESTIONS: Patricia Froehlich, 303-866-6908 or Michelle Gebhart, 303-866-6894

Image is property of the Collaborative Summer Library Program.

Connect children and youth with your library’s space science resources! Join us for a FREE NASA-supported workshop designed to help you bring space science to your programs through hands-on activities.

Harmony Library
4616 South Shields
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
September 2-3, 2010

“Explore! Hero Moon” will acquaint you NASA’s investigations into the ongoing saga that has shaped our Moon. Discover our scientific, cultural, and personal understanding of Earth’s nearest natural neighbor. Scientists and educators from the NASA Lunar Science Institute and the Lunar and Planetary Institute will share space science information, resources, hands-on activities, and demonstrations developed specifically for you to infuse into your programs with children and youth ages 8 to 13 and their families.

The workshop is FREE. A $150 stipend is available for 30 participants. A stipend request form will be emailed to participants on a first-come-first-accepted basis.

Space is limited! Register by July 16, 2010.

View flyer (PDF)

Andrew Romanoff, current US Senate Candidate and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, will be providing background on current Constitutional fiscal restrictions and how they hinder legislative action in Colorado.
Rich Jones, Director of policy and research,  Bell Policy Center will discuss the fiscal impact on Colorado if the ballot issues are successful.
Jamie LaRue, Director of the Douglas Library District, will be discussing the impact on libraries and action we can take to prevent their passage.

Three ballot issues aimed at drastically reducing the taxes and fees required of Colorado’s residents will mean extreme cuts to all tax and fee-funded Colorado institutions if they are passed in November.  Every sector of Colorado’s economy and government will be affected by their passage.  As citizens, librarians need to be aware of the potential effects of their passage on education (pre K-12 and higher education), businesses, and municipal, county, special district, and state governments. How will corporate, school, academic, and public libraries continue to serve their communities if they are passed?

The Bell’s analysis on proposed ballot initiatives.

Where & When?

University of Denver Driscoll Center North Gallery and Ballroom

5:30–6:30pm Networking Reception & Vendor Showcase, 6:30pm Dinner, 7:00-8:30pm Presentation

Register here.

$25 for students, $35 for sponsor group members, $45 for non-members  (CHECKS ONLY) (Student scholarships will be awarded by drawing, register by March 26th)

Colleague Connection is an annual event sponsored by Colorado library organizations to encourage networking and learning among students, paraprofessional staff, librarians, trustees and friends of libraries. Anyone interested in libraries and the future of libraries is welcome to attend.

Questions? Please contact:  Tamara Phalen, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, TPhalen@BHFS.com

Posted on behalf of Lynne Fox – AMLS, MA, AHIP, Education Librarian
Health Sciences Library, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado Denver

Welcome to 2010, the year when Colorado added THREE new Movers and Shakers to the inductee ranks. This annual honor is sponsored by Library Journal. Congratulations go to CLiC’s own Judy Van Acker (who also blogs here regularly on Colorado Libraries, in her “free” time…), Matt Hamilton at Boulder Public Library, and Steve Lawson at Colorado College.

“They are nominated by their colleagues, friends, bosses, or just plain admirers; these innovators are shaping the future of libraries. They hail from all corners of the library world and several nations. With this year’s group of 50, they now number some 450,” says Library Journal.

For a full geographic look at how all the Movers & Shakers over the years are distributed, see this LJ web page.

Colorado has good fortune to be considered the stompin’ grounds for the likes of fantastic people like Judy, Matt and Steve!

Beginning Feb 1, they will all use the same web-based customer-support and communication technology, InstantService.

In the last few years, libraries have seen an explosion in online communication tools available for reaching and serving patrons. The use of IM, text messaging, online chat and related technologies are becoming embedded in the fabric of libraries’ online service offerings. Given this changing landscape in technology and the evolving need for libraries to flexibly serve their patrons, the AskColorado community and AskColorado Steering Committee have endorsed a migration to this new software platform, InstantService.

AskColorado

On February 1, Colorado’s statewide virtual reference provider will begin using the software developed by InstantService. In addition to serving some well-known companies across a range of industries, InstantService is currently used by Florida’s AskALibrarian virtual reference service. The Florida AskALibrarian service, which has 102 participating libraries of all types, has been using InstantService for nearly a year and raves about the company’s service. The AskColorado Software Selection Committee, which was comprised of library representatives from public, academic and school libraries from across the state, chose InstantService after reviewing several vendor options.

InstantService offers the expected, basic function of live chats with a librarian, but the (NEW!) integration of email to provide patrons with a communication option if the AskColorado service is busy or closed for a holiday IS A SIGNIFICANT improvement to the former software system.

Additional features and functions:

• fully integrated staff service module, which will allow libraries to offer different communication channels to their patrons while interacting with and responding to patrons at a single service point;
• entirely web-based, compatible with more operating systems and browser platforms than the previous software;
• works on both PCs and Macs;
• the ability for participating libraries to add an embedded IM widget box within their web sites, similar to Meebo.

Looking forward to the spring…text messaging will be added as an option so that patrons can communicate with the AskColorado library service using a handheld device like a cell phone.

If you have any questions, or would like further information about joining and supporting the AskColorado Collaboration, please feel free to contact Susie Whiteford [swhitefo@denverlibrary.org]of Denver Public Library, currently Chair of the AskColorado Steering Committee.

And if your library is already a member of AskColorado, welcome to a bright new era of virtual reference service and sophisticated electronic communications with your patrons!

• * Share with you the latest services and resources we can offer Colorado libraries
• * Hear how libraries have transformed your lives

CSL at CAL 2009 – Schedule (PDF)

In the morning, Kathy Barco from the Albuquerque Public Library presented ideas for 2010 summer reading, including decorations, crafts, celebrations, activities, refreshments, programs, and more. The themes are “Make a Splash @ Your Library” (children) and “Make Waves @ Your Library” (teens).

The afternoon included discussion of after-school programming, a report on the LSTA Early Literacy (CLEL) Storytime grants, an update on State Library youth services initiatives, and of course distribution of the 2010 statewide summer reading program manuals.

Here are some of the photos I took during the day. Enjoy!

Kathy Barco presenting an activity (making fish headbands out of balloons), and some of the participants enjoying their new looks.

The fabulous staff at the College Hill Library in Westminster.

Attendees working on and proudly presenting their completed summer reading craft activities: