SEPTEMBER 2009

Programs

• In celebration of Mexican Independence Day, we offered an evening mariachi performance and a display of Hispanic heritage books. Gladly, our Mexican Independence Day mariachi event was on the cover of the La Puente Highlander! Check it out: sgvtribune.com/highlanders/lapuente/ci_13453708. Resources that published the announcement include Get Pasadena Events, Eventful.com, the County of Los Angeles Public Library Web site/Twitter, San Gabriel Valley Tribune (http://www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders/lapuente/ci_13307973), and experienceLA.com (http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/eventmore.asp?key=25166).



• The La Puente Library offered 5 Teen Tuesday gaming events this month, attracting 53 young adult patrons.
• About 170 persons enjoyed 4 family gaming programs and 4 family movies.



• We provided 5 family story times with art activities, and 4 toddler story times with art activities, engaging 155 persons.




Team-Building Saturdays
We emphasized team-building this month. Employees of the La Puente Library were encouraged to participate in team-building activities on Saturdays in September. The first Saturday, team members worked together to clean the two refrigerators. We also celebrated two birthdays with cake and song. Another fun team-building activity: a cosmetology student provided makeovers on her lunch break to staffers who eagerly spent their break time getting beautified.
























Teen Volunteers

The La Puente Library virtual volunteers read and reviewed books for the library myspace site. In-house volunteers prepped for the mariachi event, attended young adult gaming programs, made signs, assisted children in creating art activities for story time, and more!

Swiped YT Booktalk by: Monica

How to make your own pipe cleaner jewlery

AUGUST 2009

Programs
• The La Puente Library offered four teen programs this month. Each class had room for seven teens, all of whom created fun jewelry items. Class led by library page and local artist, Ms. Blanca Aranda.
• The library also offered four art classes for kids this month. Children created art using sand paper, crayons, and India ink. Class also led by Aranda.
• Families were entertained by 3 special events @ the library --- Elisa Blackman, of the girl scouts, discussed water safety mid-month.
• We also offered several family gaming programs and one family movie, which engaged about 146 persons.
• The La Puente Library participated in the contest promoting Cloudy with a Chance of Meat Balls.

Volunteers
The La Puente Library teen volunteers read and reviewed books for the library myspace site, aided with summer reading program sign-ups, prepped for family events, attended young adult programs, made signs, cleaned and displayed books, watched/made videos about how to volunteer at the library (myspace.com/lapuentelibrary), and helped children create art activities for story time.

Born to rule booktalk by: Paula Vo

JULY 2009

Outreach
Pleased to be selected to present at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago. Flew in on a red eye, took a nap in the lobby, and gave a speech about Dia de los Muertos @ La Puente Library (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ccMPUwkcXQ) to 175 of my colleagues. Following this opportunity to present and participate in a panel discussion, attended informative sessions, and networked with colleagues.

Programs

• The La Puente Library offered four teen programs this month. Each class had room for seven teens, all of whom crafted distinctive bowls to decorate their bedrooms or kitchens.

• The library also offered four art classes for kids this month. Children created multimedia, three-dimensional wall hangings in vibrant colors. These programs attracted 56 patrons!

• Families were entertained by two special events @ the library. The Wildlife Company provided a discounted program (as we’d planned in coordination with West Covina Library). The program engaged 70 patrons, all of whom lined up to pet a boa constrictor after the show. Two weeks later, 50 folks were amused by the free insect program provided by San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control (including the library manager and myself! How cool are insects?)

• Approximately 20 adults, children, and young adults continued to participate in three distinct California Library Association Art Exchange programs, according to age. The art was mailed to the Lemon Grove Library (children’s art), Valencia Library (teen art), and Hoopa Branch Library (adult art).

• We also offered six family gaming programs and one family movie.

• The La Puente Library offered two special story times in late July featuring books about safety, followed by an art activity in which the children created entries for the Just Be Ready Art Contest sponsored by Los Angeles County.

Volunteers
The La Puente Library teen volunteers assisted with summer reading program sign-ups, prepped for family events, attended young adult programs, made signs, cleaned and displayed books, watched/made videos about how to volunteer at the library (myspace.com/lapuentelibrary), developed craft ideas, and helped children create art activities for story time.
Literary Notes

• The Library Instruction Cookbook, a text to which I contributed, was launched, and shortly sold out at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago.
• Edited NextReads picture book and young adult lists:
• Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Picture Books. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=191408
• Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Teen Scene. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.co/=m/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=193895
• Read numerous children’s books, and, of these, I read the following books at story time: Bee-Wigged by Cece Bell, the tale of a child-sized bee who uses a Peruvian guinea pig as wig, and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, which features a self-explanatory title, by Mo Willems.

Committee Work
As a member of the Holiday Breakfast Committee, I assisted in the decision-making process, as we continue to consider locations for the breakfast.

Teen volunteers assist with the creation of paper giraffes, elephants, and crocodiles.



Silk-painting for young adults


Great book trough illustrated by a teen volunteer, featuring books selected by teen volunteers!

The librarian and the wildlife expert

The Wildlife Company visits La Puente Library

San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control

A fun free show!

Book display by library kids!

Art classes for teens and kids

swiped YT booktalk by Cynthia Moran

Teens booktalk YT collection books

Teen recommended YT collection books

Metamorpgosis: How to make an ipod cozy from grocery bags

MARCH 2009

Programs
The La Puente Library patrons enjoyed several programs this month. Five family gaming and five family movie programs attracted a total of 133 persons. We provided six young adult programs this month --- photography for Teen Tech Week and gaming. These programs employed the It’s My Life Digital Camera Kit and Book, purchased in 2008 using CDBG monies. The teens began the work of compiling this into a Shutterfly.com book to be purchased for the teen space at La Puente Library. In total, 51 teens participated in teen activities this month.
Outreach

• Spoke with author, Paula Yoo, about a summer teen book club using Good Enough.
• One elementary school visited the library.
• One adult school visited the library.

Collection Development

• Ordered/purchased over $10,000 in fiction and non-fiction titles using CDBG monies.
• Weeded over 1,000 non-fiction titles (001-912), in order to better select non-fiction CDBG books.

Merchandising & Visual Display

• Magic School Bus display.
• Faced-out new non-fiction books among NF books (weeding created more space).

 
Trainings & Meetings

• Participated in labeling committee meetings at East Los Angeles Library.
• Attended the Summer Reading Program Kick-off in Pico Rivera.
• Contributed to children’s librarian meeting at the San Dimas Library.

Volunteers

• One César Chávez adult volunteer assisted with book displays and marking books withdrawn.
• The La Puente Library teen volunteers assisted in the weeding of books, attended YA programs, made signs, and helped children with art activities at story time.

Books Read

• Read young adult selection, Good Enough, by Paula Yoo.
• Read a number of picture books, including Spring is Here, Where are Baby’s Easter Eggs by Karen Katz, Rabbits by Graham Tarrant, and Easter Bugs by David A. Carter.
• Edited NextReads picture book and young adult lists:
• Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Picture Books. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/

Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=167663

• Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Teen Scene. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/

Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=162104

Professional Development:
Delatte added to her publishing credits with a piece published in the Cool Teen Programs on a Shoestring, edited by Jenine Lillian describing Dia de los Muertos/Teen Read Week @ La Puente Library.

FEBRUARY 2009

Collection Development
• Ordered using CDBG monies from B&T, spending over $4,640 on children’s materials.
• Completed adult book order from B&T, spending @ $1,100 on AV, YA, ethnic, and adult materials.
• Completed children’s book order from B&T, spending @ $200 on children’s materials.

Programs
La Puente Library users enjoyed several programs this month. Eight family programs (movies and gaming) attracted 142 patrons. We provided two young adult socialization opportunities, including both art and gaming. In the first event, we created Valentine’s Day brooches (12 boys and girls participated). At the second event we worked together to create and document an exciting, musical Mardi Gras story time and parade (with authentic Louisiana king cake and beads).

Program Planning
Signed up immediately for the ALA Dia de los Niños Web site, and was pleasantly surprised upon receiving $185 for a program. Swiftly collaborated with Live Oak librarian, Margie Garza, and negotiated with an excellent vendor (who has previously charged $300 a show) to procure a $180 show for each library. Also spent the remainder of her regular (and science) 2008-2009 performer monies, scheduling two vendors, Blue Submarine & David Skale.

Outreach
La Puente Library services and programs were promoted at a Chili Cook-Off at La Puente High School

Merchandising & Visual Display
• Created the March calendar. Developed a sign for a March Teen Tech Week event.
• Displayed new children’s books in trough.

Trainings & Meetings
Presented at the county-wide youth services training --- sharing a PowerPoint and describing how one person can successfully provide both teen and children’s services.

Volunteers
The 19 teens who volunteered in February assisted in double-checking that CDBG books on order are not already available at the library. They also attended YA programs, made signs, organized videos, and trained new volunteers.


Books Read
Delatte read the many new picture books received this month, including Mixed-Up Fairy Tales (which easily became a flannel board story), Dinner Time by Pienkowski (another story time winner), and Ducks Don’t Wear Socks (gave story time attendees a good belly laugh).
• Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Picture Books. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx? SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=161121
• Delatte, M. (Ed.). (2009). Teen Scene. NextReads Web site: http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=bb9919d2-8923-4f93-a94d-63b73df56656&N=162104

JANUARY 2009

Programs
The La Puente Library patrons enjoyed several programs this month. Five family gaming programs attracted a total of 87 patrons. We provided two young adult programs this month, both included art and gaming. In the first event, we made bookmarks, in the second event we created miniature backyards (with pools!) based on the book Micro Minis by Linda Goossens. In total, 29 teens participated, and more boys joined in creating miniatures than did girls.

Outreach
The children’s librarian visited one school (three classrooms) and was visited by two schools (three classrooms each).

Collection Development
Ordered/purchased over $3,000 in books using CDBG and other monies, and visited LHQ to read and review the books under consideration for the month of January. Also weeded several dozen magic, science, and fairy tale books in the children’s stacks.

Merchandising & Visual Display
Reinventing the children’s book trough by merchandising the oversized and new books, increased circulation of oversized picture books by 100% (see link to photographs). Volunteers were trained in the art of remerchandising this display.

Volunteers
The La Puente Library volunteers assisted in the weeding of books, attended YA programs, made signs, organized videos, aided in the quantification of flannel board stories, and helped set up for class visits.

Professional Development News:
Added to publishing credits with an article published in the Young Adult Library Services Journal describing the grant-funded Teen Tech Week @ La Puente Library.
• Delatte, M. (2009). Teen Tech Week: Find it! Shoot it! Shop It! Young Adult Library
Services Journal.

Over twenty Twi-hard fans colonized @ La Puente Library to create tees honoring the premiere of the newest teen vampire flick, Twilight. (Also attached: Halloween/Magic Wayne pix)

SRP Continues @ La Puente Library (Isn't it Fall, Yet?)

In the first couple weeks of August, our young patrons enjoyed gaming, Science Experiment Day (hosted by teen volunteers), and a discussion with La Puente author, J. R. Gonzalez. This evening, teens met for gaming, to participate in the Uglies book club --- courtesy of Teen Services --- and for story time volunteerism (What can't we do with pipe cleaners? See video blog @ myspace.com/lapuentelibrary).

One of our favorite teen volunteers, Wendy Villalobos, is spotlighted in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune today! She tells of volunteering to assist with story time crafts and the grant that she helped to write/win for the La Puente Library.