We got programs up the wazoo! This year we combined programs to be more family oriented. The following programs are being put together by our library:
Ani-Mazing Anime Programs: A continuation from before summer, bi-monthly anime showings with discussion. Three episodes shown and patrons can vote for the next episode.
Cosplay Your Heart Out: My good friend and awesome cosplayer will be showing cosplay techniques and thrifty shopping to create a cosplay based on your favorite pop culture character!
Darin Miyashiro and Co. Japanese Koto Performance: Local Koto musician Darin Miyashiro will be doing a Koto performance for patrons of all ages.
Every Body Rocks Family Talent Show: Families can sign up to sing or play musical instruments for an audience!
Family Craft Time: Family members (caregivers and teens/children) are able to sign up to do crafts together! The Children’s Librarian is in charge and taught me how to do the craft so to be in charge of a class out of three classes. I’m not a crafty person (my origami cranes are sad cranes) so this gives me hope.
Musical Movie Mondays: Every Monday at 3:30 pm, we’ll be showing a musical-themed movie. So far we have Sing, La La Land, Pitch Perfect 3, Moana, and Coco. All movies are up to PG-13.
So here and I doing my thing. It’s the last meeting for the Teen Library Council. Unfortunately all but one teen couldn’t make it. So here I am, one on one with our Teen Library Council, asking for feedback and reflect on the past year. This member is a huge anime and manga fan and is very good about suggestion which series are popular among friends and classmates in high school. We’re talking story, it’s a very chill atmosphere, and I drop my “official” demeanor and let slip some of my fangirl persona since we’re discussing a topic we mutually like.
We must have been very relaxed because the member mentioned how I act like Retsuko of Aggretsuko fame. At the time I wasn’t familiar with the character, only knowing the anthropomorphic red raccoon was a new character amongst the cute Sanrio characters I knew of when I was a kid. Essentially the conversation turned to how, as a librarian, you present yourself professionally then you let loose with your favorite hobby. The Council Member is a huge fan of the Netflix series and encouraged me to watch it to understand how Retsuko acts. As I watched the series later that night, Retsuko is a salary woman working in accounting for a big firm. She deals with the day to day with a calm demeanor then unleashes her stress and rage at night in her own private sanctuary: a karaoke room.
Self-reflecting on our conversation, I got this thought (and please feel free to comment). That we present ourselves as professionals to the public. My Teen Library Council had asked me questions about the job: Do you need a Master’s degree? What kind of experience would be good to work with the public? Now I look back a question I’m sure they had since it was the same when I was a kid which was How can you keep your composure? Just like Retsuko singing karaoke, my outlet is reading manga!
We all have our different ways of expressing and releasing stress from keeping a professional composure. How do you reflect your professional life? What are ways you do to release stress?
Ideas! I’ve been brainstorming ideas to hopefully build a book club for the library. Been meaning to have one but I admit, I feel like I’m trying to put all these ideas into play in so little amount of time. It’s time to sit down, focus, and breathe. Make a 5 year plan. Not a 1 year “do all the things” plan!
Here’s to 2018, a new year filled with adventure and goals! I’ve been keeping a bullet journal consistently since mid-2017 and found that it has helped me a lot. It got me thinking, teens could get into this as well! When I was in school, I wasn’t keen on my school planner but with bullet journaling, I can create and mold the planner to my lifestyle. For school, I’m a few years too late on that boat. Not too late for the teens though!
Number of participants: 2
Total: 5 (parents included)
We went over what a bullet journal is and the basics of what it entails. We watched a quick video by Buzzfeed (~4 minutes) on starting a bullet journal. Understandably we did talk about how the video wasn’t geared towards teens. That’s okay though because we made it our way!
Then we showed off supplies!
Each pouch had:
4 binder clips
1 washi tape
1 multi-colored pen with 6 different color ink
1 black gel pen
1 double-sided tape dispenser with whiteout tape on the other side
Each participant can choose between a grid notebook or a blank notebook (dot/lined was not available)
We went over the handout, from bullet journal basics to supplies then to steps.
First we made a key. Second we made an Index. We all made a weekly page together to try our hand at making a template. Afterwards the participants were free to brainstorm and create for their journal. Some pages that were created:
Favorite book genre page
Art page
Favorite sticker page
Overall the program was a hit with the kids and the parents. We extended the time by half an hour so the kids can create more. We had a couple books available for everyone to read through, one of which was listed in the handout.
What I should have done:
Change signage to read open to 6th – 12th grade instead of 7th – 12th grade.
Have blank template examples ready to look at/to take home. I’ve seen some journals where they print their template out, cut and tape inside their journal.
Make it more teen friendly. I know I listed template ideas but let’s discuss/brainstorm ideas and ask the teens themselves what would be an essential template for them. Also mold templates for “adulting” such as expense tracker to teens, such as turning it into an allowance tracker.
I would definitely do this program again. I would move it to December so that participants can brainstorm and create their bujo prior to the new year starting. As someone who has been attempting to be organized, I found that creating a bujo has helped in both the personal and professional arena. I’m able to keep better track of my readings, errands, and thoughts that would otherwise be a pile of Post-It Notes, scribbles in my notebook, or lost in my file cabinet monster. I hope that teens will be able to use this technique to organize themselves in this rapidly changing world. Here’s to a new year, new you!
*Note: Jennifer F. of The Artist Librarian took pictures of the program but sadly they couldn’t upload correctly. I wanted to give a shoutout to her for coming in and observing! ❤️
The Radical Rubix Cube Program was my first program that a high school student helped plan and execute. J.W.* is interested in Rubik Cubes, specifically Speedcubing. The planning took 3 months and in the end, it was worth it!
The program was for 5th graders and up. Parents and caregivers were welcome to show up to learn more about the Rubik Cube. First we started off with a slideshow created by J.W. on the history of the Rubik’s Cube. From there we went into solving techniques, then going into detail on Speedcubing. We watched videos of peoplespeedcubing in seconds and that go the crowd going. Free Rubik’s Cubes were given out to youths on a first come, first serve basis as we had a limited supply.
Since J.W.’s goal was speedcubing, he created a tournament for interested youths to enter and attempt to solve their cubes in a speedy fashion. While the tournament was going on, on the other side of the room we had families and youths practicing, talking story, and getting to know one another over this 3×3 brain teaser.
We had a total of 50 people show up. The program lasted 2 hours with an enthusiastic crowd. Would I do it again? Yes! Definitely. Am I able to solve a Rubik’s Cube on my own? Not yet… But this is encouraging.
Did you know that it is spelt “Rubik” and not “Rubix”? Something to remember when going on Jeopardy.
*Initials to protect privacy
Books to Read (Found in Library System)
Handbook of Cubik Math by Alexander Hamilton Frey and David Singmaster [512.2 F]
Inside Rubik’s Cube and Beyond by C. Bandelow [512.2 B]
Notes on Rubik’s Magic Cube by David Singmaster [793.74 SI]
Mastering the Rubik’s Cube: The Solution to the 20th Century’s Most Amazing Puzzle by Don Taylor [793.73 T]
Speedsolving the Cube: Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step Instructions for Many Popular 3-D Puzzles by Dan Harris [793.74 HA]
Island Librarian 