Early Learner Service Proposal Elizabeth Johnson LI 829 November 2011

Table of Contents
OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................................................................4 DEMOGRAPHIC STATISTICS:................................................................................................................................4 LIBRARY STATISTICS:........................................................................................................................................4 DESCRIPTION OF EARLY LEARNER SECTION:.........................................................................................................4 STAFF:............................................................................................................................................................5 CURRENT STATE OF EARLY LEARNER PROGRAMS...........................................................................5 DESIRED STATE OF EARLY LEARNER PROGRAMS.............................................................................5 STORYTIME:.....................................................................................................................................................6 SPECIAL PROGRAMMING:...................................................................................................................................7 SUMMER READING PROGRAM:............................................................................................................................8 WELCOME BABY BAGS:....................................................................................................................................8 LITERACY WORKSHOPS :....................................................................................................................................9 MARKETING & ADVOCACY..........................................................................................................................9 FIRST TIER:......................................................................................................................................................9 SECOND TIER:..................................................................................................................................................9 THIRD TIER:...................................................................................................................................................10 FOURTH TIER:................................................................................................................................................10 Results...................................................................................................................................................10 PROMOTION OF PROGRAMMING............................................................................................................10 VOLUNTEERS...................................................................................................................................................10 COLLABORATION...........................................................................................................................................11 THE LIBRARY HAS SEVERAL COLLABORATIONS WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE COLLABORATIONS
PERTAINING TO THE EARLY LEARNER DEPARTMENT ARE DETAILED BELOW .................................................................11

TOTS TO KIDS...............................................................................................................................................11 ARTS CORPORATION ......................................................................................................................................11 BUDGET..............................................................................................................................................................12 TOTAL ALLOCATION OF FUNDS: $6400..................................................................................................12 EVALUATION STRATEGY............................................................................................................................12 ATTENDANCE:................................................................................................................................................12 DIALOGUE BETWEEN STAFF AND CAREGIVERS/CHILDREN:......................................................................................13 OPTIONAL CAREGIVER EVALUATIONS:................................................................................................................13 STAFF EVALUATIONS:......................................................................................................................................13

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Overview
Stokes Public Library is a small, independent library with one location in downtown Stokes, Washington. The library receives funding through grants, real estate investments, and generous contributions from patrons. The library has been a vital part of this community for the past 34 years and is committed to providing continued, excellent service. The childrens department of the library is usually crowded and noisy as children play with toys and read books. Despite the constant traffic and high program attendance, there is always room for improvement. The opportunity to grow and adapt to the needs of library patrons has been provided via a $7,000 grant provided by the Eliza Dresang Early Learners Foundation. As a result of this generous gift, the youth services department has created a three year strategic marketing plan for the early learners department of Stokes Public Library.

Demographic Statistics:
Race: 85% Caucasian, 15% Hispanic Strong tourism and agricultural industries 1 elementary school (Pre-K-5th grade), 1 middle school (Grades 6-8), 1 high school (Grades 9-12)

Library Statistics:
Service population: 6,480 Circulation: 70,612 Programs offered: 413 Program attendance: 6,265 Reference questions: 9,358

Description of Early Learner section:

Toys: soft toys, cars, doctor kit, puppets, dishes Small table and chairs Large alphabet rug Low shelves (8) containing picture books Bins with a collection of board books and concept books

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Staff:
1 Youth Services Librarian 2-3 Staff members (typically available for programming, but otherwise working as general library assistants)

Current State of Early Learner Programs

Current Programs Storytimes Special programming Method for Evaluation Attendance Attendance Current Performance Average 20 patrons (10 children, 10 caregivers) per storytime Average 40 patrons per program

Storytimes have always been a foundational program at SPL. Currently there are two storytimes offered on a weekly basis, one for toddlers and one for preschoolers. Special programming occurs on a seasonal basis. Programs from the past include: Teddy Bear Picnic, Handy Manny Workshop, Pumpkin Painting Extravaganza, and Christmas Cookie Decorating. These events have been highly attended in the past, with enthusiastic response from both children and adults.

Desired State of Early Learner Programs

Programs Storytime Frequency of Program 4 times a week Method for Evaluation Attendance Recurring attendance Staff evaluations Optional caregiver evaluations Dialogue between staff and caregivers/children Attendance Surveys Dialogue between staff and caregivers/children Staff evaluations

Special Programming

6 times a year

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Summer Reading

1 time a year

Welcome Baby Bags N/A Literacy Workshops 1 time a month

Amount of summer reading booklets handed out and turned in Response from caregivers End of summer surveys Amount of library cards created Response from caregivers Attendance Discussion after the workshop staff can ask patrons what they liked and did not like Staff evaluations

Storytime:
We believe that storytime is foundational to literacy awareness and development. We believe that by reading age appropriate stories, singing songs, and incorporating whole body movement we are helping to shape the development and literacy intelligence of children, ages 0-5. It is also our goal to educate caregivers so that the activities and methods utilized during storytime can be replicated throughout the week in individual homes. The early learners department would like to increase storytimes from two times a week to four. The storytimes will include: Lap sit (0-18 months) Toddler (18-24 months) Preschool (3-5) Spanish (0-5)

In an effort to provide the best possible service to the families in our community, the storytimes will be offered on different days and at different times. A few of our patrons speak Spanish as their primary language, so we have included a Spanish storytime once a week. A translator will also be available during the other storytimes if needed. Tuesday: 10 am (Lap sit) Wednesday: 10 am (Toddler) Thursday: 6 pm (Spanish) Friday: 10 am (Preschool) 6

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(There will not be any storytimes during the summer months due to special programming and the summer reading program.)

Special Programming:
We believe that special programming is an opportunity for fun and play. We believe that by playing make believe, eating good food, and laughing together that we are increasing literacy intelligence and teaching caregivers how to play with their children. Our goal is that each program be created with an awareness of the targeted age, their needs and current state of development. The early learners department would like to increase the amount of special, onetime programs from four times a year to six. The tentative programs are as follows: February: Make Your Own Valentine o Ages: 3-5 o Objective: To encourage childrens writing and creative abilities. o Description of Activities: Children will decorate valentines and eat heartshaped cookies. April: Lets Go to Africa Safari o Ages: 3-5 o Objective: To encourage childrens imagination and the art of play, and to encourage narrative skills. o Description of Activities: Children will go an imaginary safari and find stuffed animals hidden throughout the library. There will be a brief story, followed by a craft (animal face masks) and snacks. June: Water play o Ages: 1-3 o Objective: To play with water and have fun. o Description of Activities: Children can play in a small, roped off area behind the library with a water sensory table or they can walk through sprinklers. Popsicles and goldfish crackers provided. August: Play an Instrument! o Ages: 3-5 o Objective: To expose children to different kinds of instruments, and to encourage their musical creativity.

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o Description of Activities: Children will learn about different instruments, which they can try out (drums, maracas, penny whistles). Afterward, they can make their own shakers by decorating a yogurt cup (or similarly shaped container) and filling it with beans. October: Pumpkin Painting Extravaganza o Ages: 2-5 o Objective: To encourage childrens creativity and provide an activity that connects with the season. o Description of Activities: Children can decorate small pumpkins provided by the library. Materials will include paint, stickers, and markers. The librarian will read a story about pumpkins. December: Christmas Cookie Decorating o Ages: 2-5 o Objective: To have fun at the library and celebrate the holiday season o Description of Activities: Children can decorate (and eat) sugar cookies. The librarian will read a Christmas related story and everyone will sing easy Christmas songs. (There will be an additional program, probably during the summer, which is put on by the Arts Corporation, but it will incorporate a wider age range.)

Summer Reading Program:

We believe that early learners should be exposed to fun and silly ways to engage in literacy acquisition. Every year SPL provides a summer reading program for children and young adults, ages 6-18, but this year we would like to include early learners. Two booklets will be created, one for 0-24 months and one for 3-5 years old, with age appropriate literacy activities. Activities will target literacy skills such as print awareness (reading books), narrative skills (encouraging kids to tell their own made up or true story), and vocabulary building. Caregivers will need to be actively involved in this with their early learner.

Welcome Baby Bags:

The library will be creating Welcome Baby Bags, which will be filled with two concept board books, a library card application for the baby and mom, and some informational brochures on literacy. The bags will be printed with the librarys name and logo, and will be distributed to new moms during their hospital stay by hospital staff. The bags will be available in English and Spanish.

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Literacy Workshops:
We believe that in order for children, ages 0-5, to acquire literacy skills such as, alphabet knowledge, print awareness, writing ability, and phonological memory that the caregiver should be equipped to teach these skills. While storytimes offer an opportunity for caregivers to learn how to impart literacy skills to their children, we believe that additional instruction and attention would also be beneficial. Literacy labs meet once a month and teach caregivers easy ways to include literacy skills in everyday activities. The class will use the resources provided by the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL), which can be found at [http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/] The class will be held on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 pm in meeting room A.

Marketing & Advocacy

Before any of the above programs or initiatives was created, we asked caregivers what they thought about library programming for early learners. While we believe that we understand our community, we also believe that we will never grow or improve without the input of the people we are serving on a daily basis. The youth librarian, along with 3 other staff members, constructed a 4-tier plan of action for acquiring feedback from caregivers.

First tier:
Staff initiated conversations with caregivers after programming in order to find out what they liked and did not like.

Second tier:
Brief surveys were stacked near the self-checkout and reference desks. Questions on the surveys: a. b. c. d. How often do you attend storytime or other types of 0-5 programming? Do you think your child enjoys coming to library programs? Do you enjoy coming to library programs? Do you think the stories and activities are appropriate for your childs development? e. Would you tell your friends about library programming and encourage them to come too? f. What programming would you most like to see from the library? The caregiver could answer each question by circling one of the following: All the time,

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most of the time, sometimes, almost never, and never. The last question had space to write a more detailed answer.

Third tier:
Caregivers were invited to an informal discussion about services to early learners.

Fourth tier:
For several months the library website displayed a link to a detailed survey. If a patron completed the survey they were entered in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card.

Results
After all the data was compiled it was possible to redefine and recreate the services and programs offered for early learners. The most requested program was age specific story times.

Promotion of Programming
The library will promote new programming for early learners via:

Flyers: Stacks of flyers will be available in the childrens section, at the reference
desk, and the library foyer. They will also be distributed to Tots to Kids (a local day care center), the community center, indoor playgrounds, Whole Foods, and the coffee shop near the library.

Posters: These will be displayed in the library and will also be distributed to Tots
to Kids, the community center, indoor playgrounds, and the coffee shop.

Newsletters: The library newsletter & Tots to Kids newsletter Web: The library website, Facebook and Twitter Newspaper: The local newspaper, The Stoke Daily, has generously offered to
give the library a small amount of space on the community page to advertise for programming.

Volunteers
The library would be unable to provide an increase in early learner services without the help of dedicated volunteers. Previously, people have learned about volunteer opportunities by word of mouth, but SPL has made it a priority to set up a volunteer page Johnson, Early Learner Service Proposal, LI 829 10

on the library website. The page contains information about current volunteer opportunities, job descriptions, and weekly/monthly time commitment. The early learner department has several current volunteer opportunities listed on the website. Requests for volunteers are also listed on Facebook and Twitter. We still rely heavily on word of mouth recommendation and referral, especially through Tots to Kids. The library does background and criminal checks for every volunteer so we are assured that the environment we are creating for children and caregivers is as safe as possible. Volunteers are needed for each of our special programs, during summer reading (to staff the summer reading table where booklets are handed out/received and prizes are given out), and to deliver Welcome Baby bags.

Collaboration
The library has several collaborations with organizations in the community. The collaborations pertaining to the early learner department are detailed below.

Tots to Kids
The staff at Tots to Kids regularly brings children to the library for storytimes, and once a quarter, the youth librarian meets with the staff to discuss early learner services, and how the library can partner with them to provide literacy services for their center.

Swag Bags
Swag Bags is a local manufacturer who hand-makes all of our Welcome Baby bags. They have generously offered to cut the cost by 20%, so the library is able to afford quality, canvas bags with the Stokes Public Library label printed on each one.

Arts Corporation
The Arts Corporation, located in a nearby city, is committed to providing access and resources to the arts (i.e. music, paintings, sculpture) for children who would not otherwise be exposed to it. This collaboration extends beyond the early learner department, but the library is hopeful that at least twice a year the Arts Corp. will be able to come to the library and put on a special program. Their programs incorporate local musicians and art, and each program gets the kids involved. The Arts Corp. has offered to provide this type of programming, at no cost to the library, as part of their, Art for every child sponsorship.

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Budget
Earlier this year, the library received a generous donation from the Eliza Dresang Early Learners Foundation fund for $5,000. The following is the proposed budget for the early learners department for the next three years.

Program
Storytime

Resource
Craft supplies Puppets Bubbles CD player/CDs Flyers/posters Craft supplies Toys Food Flyers/posters Booklet Prizes Flyers/posters Board books Brochures Bags Handouts Flyers/posters

Price
Estimated overall cost: $2000

Special Programming

Estimated overall cost: $1500 Estimated overall cost: $1700 Estimated overall cost: $800 Estimated overall cost: $400

Summer Reading Welcome Baby Bags Literacy Labs

Total allocation of funds: $6400 The remaining funds will be used as needed. The department wanted to have some money set aside in case any of the programs required more money than initially planned.

Evaluation Strategy
The early learner department is committed to continual growth and development, and this is only possible when time is given to evaluate the services offered. There are several strategies used for evaluation.

Attendance:
At the conclusion of each program a staff member will record the head count. Two totals are recorded, one for children and one for caregivers. We will have a sign up sheet for programs that happen on a weekly basis, so staff can keep track of any recurring attendance. This lets us know if people like the program enough to keep coming, and if Johnson, Early Learner Service Proposal, LI 829 12

someone stops coming we can ask them about it.

Dialogue between staff and caregivers/children:

Before and after each program, staff will try to talk to as many caregivers as possible. This is an informal way to find out what caregivers liked and did not like. We believe that this is a wonderful way to build relationships with our patrons and show that we care about their opinions and needs and want to format our programming to their preferences.

Optional caregiver evaluations:

After every program staff will hand out optional surveys for caregivers to fill out. On the survey there is always a question for the child to answer, such as: what was your favorite part of the program? These surveys are also available at the reference and checkout desks. A few times a year the library website posts a detailed survey on early learner services, and when patrons fill it out they are entered into a drawing for a gift card to Amazon.

Staff evaluations:
We believe that it is important for staff to engage in personal evaluation at the conclusion of each program. We believe that this type of examination helps to clarify the successes or failures during the program. Staff will fill out an online evaluation at the conclusion of each program. Questions range from, what do you think was the most successful aspect of the program (and the least successful) to, what would you do differently next time? Staff will also have quarterly evaluations with a supervisor. All of the online evaluations will be compiled from that quarter, and the staff member and supervisor will go over them and talk about methods for improvement.

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