Day in the Life...

So, many Librarian Bloggers are logging their days at work to show how multi-faceted our jobs are. Though I am starting this project waaay late, but it's better late than never. I needed an excuse to keep blogging... and I never know what to say about this place, everyday seems the same in the summer. So a day by day would be good for me, just to get me back in the habit, if nothing else. I haven't added my info to the wiki yet, but I will tomorrow :)

10:00-11ish: Walked into work with coffee in hand (on time!), and I see something in my mailbox. I have 2 printouts from people's cards with problems. One recently had a child, and I mentioned to her in passing that I would help her out with renewing the toys if she thought would forget. Well, she didn't take me up on the offer, but now that she has fines on her card she wants them cleared. Great. The other printout was much easier; toys had been brought into the library but not returned in the computer.

See a pile of toys that were returned over the weekend, bring toys from circ desk to the toy library. Halfway back boss lady starts a conversation with me. Asked her about medical emergency and waiving fines... And I got a hesitant yes. Walk into toy library with toys, try and put some away, put others into an over flowing bucket of toys needing to be counted. Still deciding If I want to count toys in bucket or now.

Log onto computer, take care of patron problem #2, check e-mail and see nothing. Meaning I don't see a response about a grant I worked on, received the money, put a toy order in and never received toys. Annoying. I then get distracted on facebook looking at pictures. It’s a good thing I can’t played bejeweled at work… listen to a couple songs on yahoo as I clean up desk.

11:00ish: Over an hour in and still quiet in toy library. Begin an e-mail to woman with overdue toys. Construction and maintenance guys come in to work on the hallway. I will actually miss the guys when they finish up, they have been kind of fun to have around.

Toy Doctor comes in to drop of toys he’s fixed. He left grumpy because a tractor he had just fixed, broke again. It was my fault, couldn’t even blame it on a kid. I took it out of the bag and dropped it on the ground… wheel broke right off. Ooopsy.

11:30: Group of children comes in with a provider. She immediately walks out to bring something to her car, while gone 2 girls need to pee and they’re all whining at each other. Whine to children’s librarian about patron problems.

11:45: Open up Google reader and read Unshelved comic. Very amusing. See Day in the Life of a Librarian blogs from a couple different people, get inspired and begin writing. 12:15: Take a break, get my water bottle and make iced tea. Coffee really isn’t doing it for me lately. Weird. Decided to work on donations while I have the quiet time... It would be nice to clear off some shelf space.

1:15: Class from the attached school comes in. While finishing up the small batch of donations I chat with the teachers.

2:00: 8 kids come in without parents and play games. 10 minutes later I leave for a lunch break. I left a page with the kids... Poor Aderlin.

2:40: I come back from lunch and I am impressed...the room is in good order. 8 more boys are in here playing basketball with a summer camp.

2:45: Hear a camp counselor tell a kid he wants to choke him. Great. I want to start another project but there are too many kids in here now. It's distracting. 5:30 Room emptied out around 4 from the summer camp. I attempted to put a few toys together that were missing pieces. Boss lady walked in around 5 and commented on how quiet it was. NEVER say how quiet it is. Within 20 minutes a group of 6 children came in. They are kind of rowdy but they aren’t doing anything bad enough where I could kick them out. They’re mouthy. 5:52: Got the kids to somewhat clean. I’m done working for the day… unfortunately there are still a few minutes left….

Progress...

The Wall is Gone (Part 2)

The hall before...
The wheel is now in limbo, we're deciding we're to put it.



No more wall...
Side view, the two rooms at the side are now one.

And then the wall came down...

Getting to work today was a bit of a hassle. I'm tired and I was kind of running late as it was, then I couldn't find a spot in my lot because of a bigwig staff meeting so I had to park on the street. Coffee in hand I walk in kind of confused... a wall was missing. This is the funny part about working for a library in such a large system. You plan things for years and years and they may or may not happen. There are meetings every week and brainstorming and the moving of furniture and books. And then you wait. For a very long time... you wait for the plans to fall into place. And then all of sudden you walk into work and the wall is gone. So I knew this was happening eventually, but I had no warning it was going to happen today... It feels like the whole world is upside-down-turned-around.

There was a wall that created a hallway leading to my toy library. That wall is now gone to make more room for the teen center. Next they will move my doorway into the middle of the wall... maybe about 10-15 feet to the right. I think that I'll have more visibility to the library so all in all its a good change.

On another note... 1 week until school lets out. I am not prepared in the least (mentally or physically). I still have to clean up the shelves so old mess doesn't get in the way of new mess. I still have 100 bags missing pieces. And then last but not least I have many donations to put into the system.

I need an IV of caffeine.

New Toys!!!

The Toy Resource Center has new toys!!!

Over the last couple months we've received 2 large donations from The Pirate Toy Fund. We have a lot of new outside toys for those hot summer months coming up and a brand new batch of games for the icky rainy days. Come in and take a look!!!

Games

300 WISHES GAME

LITTLEST PET SHOP GAME

ZIG ZAG

SPEED STACKS

APPLES TO APPLES- TO GO

CRANIUM-CADOO

SCRABBLE JUNIOR

HI-HI CHERRIO (NEW)

MONOPOLY TOWN

IMAGINIFF

HORSE SENSE

RUSH HOUR

IN A PICKLE

DOINK IT DARTS

TARGET DARTS

KLUTZ BOOK OF MARBLES

GRAB & GO MEGA MARBLES

BOOBY TRAP

OTHELLO

TIP-IT

MAGNETIC SNAKES & LADDERS TABLE

PICTIONARY JR

NEW YORK STATE IN-A-BOX

PAYDAY

SPIROMANIA

ZINGO

OCTI FOR KIDS

SCATTERGORIES

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL TWISTER MOVES

DIAMOND EDITION SCRABBLE

3 STONES

DELUXE BINGO CAGE

LP BINGO WITH EDDIE

MINITURE BOWLING

ZIGITY

DUCKS IN A ROW

SNOUT

SLAMWICH

SNAP

CHESS & CHECKERS

LABYRINTH

Outside Play Toys

OCTOPUS WIGGLE

HOVER DISC-SPONGE BOB

RING TOSS

T-BALL WITH HOME PLATE

LIGHT-UP BATON

PACKAGE OF 3 SPORTS BALLS

FOOTBALLS

JUMP ROPES

FUN BOWLING

FOAM BAT & BALL

T-BALL SET

NERFOOP

DELUXE GOLF SETS

JR. LACROSSE

GALAXY BOWL- JUMBO FUN GAME RUG

BOXING GLOVES & PUNCHING BAG

SOCCER BALLS

2 PC PLAY SOFT BALL

Other

MARBLEWORKS-WILD RIDE

CHUNKY PUZZLE-CONSTRUCTION

3D WORD PUZZLES

PLAY PEGS- ON THE FARM

BUSY POPPIN PALS

POPTUNES BIG ROCKERS GUITAR

TUMBLE TREE TIMBERS

LINCOLN LOGS- ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANCH

MOBILO

PHONICS TILES

SPELL & MATCH

Workshop?!?

I was approached recently by a woman in charge of UPK programs in the Rochester area. I believe we had talked before. I would love to say I remember the conversation, but I talk a lot with everyone who enters this room, so I don't. I must of made an impression because she came in asking if I would do a workshop for teachers. I explained to her than I had no education background what-so-ever... that I was just a librarian. I just play with the toys, I joked. I attempted to further explain that there was someone else who could better do it, but she seemed prettty keen on me speaking. I am enthusiastic apparently.

Two realizations came out of that conversation, one was already known, but it was nice to be reminded. This place is important and what I do is important. I should never say again "I'm just a librarian..." Because I am more than that here. Every person who has worked here as left their imprint, I am lucky to be leaving mine.

I watch these kids grow up! I saw a little girl walk for the first time the other day. The mother pointed it out excitedly for me to see. I rememeber when the mother first told me she was pregnant. I remember the first time she was brought in... I have many stories similar to these. There are two little girls who come in and they are so shy, they barely look at me, let alone speak to me. Their mother told me that they each have dolls named after me. Lately I have also been getting presents from a little girl. First it was pictures of horses and the latest is a beaded bracelet with my name on it. It is sitting on my desk around the neck of a Jack Sparrow smal plush doll. It makes me giggle :)

The second realization was... it would be good for this place to have workshops again. It would be good for me to get out there and speak about this place. I have horrible stage fright, unless I'm talking about something I love... It's easy for me to talk about this place, what it does, what I do, because it is so natural. I don't have to write things down or awkwardly say "um..." every 3 seconds. I would need help to fill in the blanks about the whole education value thing though. Everything I know, I taught myself here.

Unsupervised Children

I read an article in my local newspaper yesterday about children being unsupervised this upcoming week since they're out of school for February recess... At first I was a little annoyed, but after looking at it again I think I made peace with it. The first thing I see is a headline about "unsupervised children" and then a picture from the area that I work in. It was from a rec center down the street from the library. I think that it over-generalized which population of children were being left alone to wander the streets. And then I was kinda peeved that this is not news. This is not a new thing that just started happening- kids being unsupervised all over the city and needing some place safe to be. Then today when I looked at it again I took a step back and realized that maybe this is news to some people.

"It's not a world where kids can be playing outside like they used to. ... Unsupervised after-school activities are not leading to anything productive."
---YMCA President and CEO George Romell

Read the article here...

I have been working in this neighborhood for over 3 years, so not a whole lot surprises me anymore. I may joke around about being an overpaid babysitter often, but I wouldn't have it any other way. For example I opened the Toy Library at 11 AM on Saturday. By 11:10 I had 10 children in here ranging from the ages of 4-10, and I was the only adult figure in the room. This is pretty normal for me and the other staff at the library. People ask me where their parents are all the time. And the simple answer is "Not here". They don't get it. Neither do I, sometimes. But at least they are here and not freezing their butts off outside, or getting into trouble, etc. And that is the bottom line for me. Even if it does mean that I "babysit"

Just a little of this and that....

• I just told a boy to get off a car that he was standing on (to get a toy off a higher shelf) and he told me I was causing trouble. This kid has the ability to twist it around every time I discipline him. Like I am the one in trouble! It is half defiant, half guilt trip. It is truly is amazing. I don't know where these kids get it from, the lack of respect. I want to know where the respect went. I had the fear put into me when I was a child. You never talked back to an adult, EVER! And it is not just at this library or in this neighborhood... I have noticed it everywhere.

• I am receiving a grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation to buy new physical active toys for the library. I had a volunteer who is grant savvy help me apply for it. She did an amazing job, as did the grant writer in our main office. I wouldn't have been able to do it myself. So I get to buy stuff to give away to families, centers, schools and providers PLUS I get quite a bit of money to buy new items! I spent it in approximately 5 seconds through Lakeshore. Yea! More tricycles!

• I love that I am getting new toys that promote physical activity. The whole reason I was so passionate about applying for this grant was because I have noticed a high energy level in kids after they have been in school all day long. They need to be able to release it in a safe place, out of the cold and off the streets. The library is it. So I have begun to try and clear some space for kids to run around more. They are pretty much allowed to do whatever as long as they’re not getting hurt, they’re not hurting someone else, my collection, the shelves and they are genuinely being respectful of the room (and me).
  

Actual Conversation

Girl: "Why does this toy keep talking to me?"

Me: "Because you keep pushing the button"

Girl: "I think it's mental. Maybe it needs to go to the hospital"

Article from Babble Magazine

Toy Libraries: An Idea in Need of a Comeback?

Posted by Amy Kuras

Since we’re apparently – at least here in the cradle of the car industry – blowing right past “recession” into raging depression (in every sense) I think toy libraries are an idea whose time has come again.

In San Diego, a toy library started in 1937. Works Progress Administration workers (part of Roosevelt’s New Deal) cleaned and repaired 2000 toys that had been collected by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Many of them came from a department store that had burned down.

The first toy library opened at an elementary school in the city, and soon there were 9 within the city of San Diego and 14 around the county. More than 5,000 children were registered. There was no charge to join, nor were there overdue fees or damage fees. Instead, if a toy was badly damaged or overdue, children lost borrowing privileges for a certain time. In between uses, workers would clean and sanitize the toys for the next user. A certain number of toys retuned on time earned children one toy that they could keep.

The idea was that being responsible for the borrowed toys helped build character. It was also thought to lessen juvenile delinquency, because children would not steal what they could borrow.

This was back in the day where children didn’t have very many toys, unlike today’s kids. I think in this economy, this could really help families ot save – after all, how often do you buy your kid a toy that’s their favorite thing for like a day and then just sits? This would be a great way to try out toys and see what’s worth buying, and would be so great for families that can’t afford high quality toys for their children.

Donations

So yesterday I began the process of cleaning off the donations shelf. I had bins there from a month ago and after I looked through them, I remembered why I was avoiding them. I probably had 2-3 boxes of random pieces, a few games and Elmos.

I can't decide which of them wins on the obnoxious scale... but both make me giggle. The Elmo Loves You has these sweet little heart eyes that light up when he sings. The second one is called Check-Up Time Elmo and it kept asking me to check it's boo-boo and help him blow his nose. It freaked me out a little. I have seen infants with toys like these and they seem to share my hesitation with them. Even my dog (a very fierce Shih Tzu named Murphy) knows better. But older children (a little older than the toy's intention by the way) love them! This is why I have a small collection of talking/ laughing/ singing Elmos behind my desk. I can only take so much. There is already a Sesame Street toy that sings the character's songs that I put up with. I hear them in my sleep.

Anyway, back to the point. Donations. Last year around this time a woman came in with her 2 children and about 10 months pregnant with her 3rd. This was only her second time there and she brought her father with her. A couple weeks later she came in again bringing in 2 of the 2007 Hess Trucks, saying that her father was so impressed by the place he wanted the library to have these. I was so completely touched by the gesture. It showed me that there really are just good hearted people out there, especially around this time of year. A few weeks ago the woman came in again after not being here since last winter. She gave me a hug and re-introduced me to all three of her children including the newly walking infant Daniel. She brought her father in again with her and with him he carried the new fancy 2008 Hess Truck. I got a giant smile on my face and was again reminded of the simple nice deeds that we can do for others around us.

I love that people care enough to give back to the community and give me their children's old toys for the library. They are giving away part of their childhood and it will be recycled over and over again into someone else’s childhood memories. That’s fantastic. And then there are the other people who give me pieces of toys. I have a large bin on wheels for people to carry out items to their car. It is big enough to put a Cozy Coupe and a teeter totter in, so it’s pretty big. It was full of miscellaneous pieces and toys. I cut it down to about 20 pieces in a small bin. I just threw away a large box and am giving away 3 smaller boxes to boss lady for giveaways. It was so much work to go through them though and I would never say it isn’t worth it, because sometimes I find those odd little treasures. But honestly, and I say this with the best opinions at heart, it was crap. It was pieces of toys that my OCD brain could not handle. But you know what? Children that come in here, that my boss will give these to, will probably love them.

Now only if they would take the Elmos away.....

Karma

Two mothers came in the other day with their (combined) 5 children. They have been coming in for at least 2 of the 3 years I've worked here so I know them reasonably well, enough to joke around and begin random conversations. Anyway, one of them has a little girl and she just cracks me up. Maybe she reminds myself of me when I was that age, or how I imagined myself to be... I'm not sure. But she's cute as a button, has no fear, climbs on the tops of tables or shelves when she wants something. So I laugh, every time. Just like when the kids come in from the school next door... they come in running and screaming and every single time I crack up.

Karma is going to kick my butt one day, I guarantee. I am going to have children one day and since I have spent the last 3 years laughing my butt off at kids, mine are going to be sooo naughty. I just have a feeling.

I must go grab toys now for a workshop being hosted here this evening. And by the way I found out about it yesterday... Somehow me and one of the pages got this entire room clean and beautiful!!!
((It won't last)) Ha!!!!

Let's try this again

I always think about continuing to write in this blog but quickly get lost in piles of toys (work). So I am officially attempting to put effort in. Instead of cleaning up the room, I sit here in slight disgust with my OCD twitching and catch up on the happenings of being in a toy library.


It has been busy. VERY busy. But the circulation doesn't show it. All I know is this place is always a mess and I can't keep up with the donations, returns and straightening up. I try. I drink my red bull and try.


There is a new group of children coming into the library after school and on weekends. I like to call them the naughty bunch; individually I call them all trouble. I may be adding to their complex... I'm not sure. All I know is that they come in here and disrespect every other child and adult in here, myself included. After telling a child to get off a bike since he was too big for it he told me he was going to punch me in the face. I go home twitching. Officially. It's bad enough that the Elmo song is stuck in my head a majority of the time, but now every time I hear a crashing sound I look up in despair hoping that one of my shelving units isn't lying on top of a child.


The point is... I want to know when children became so disrespectful. When the adults stop caring? I don't mean to generalize, because I have met plenty of great parents and children. I have moms who come in here that I absolutely adore, children also. But then there are some days where I am amazed I didn't have a conniption fit in the middle of the room and crumble to the floor crying. That is dramatic. I am trying to teach these kids that I am indeed not the enemy. I just have rules in the toy library because I have to. Because I don't want them to get hurt, I don't want my toys to get hurt and most of all I don't want to yell at kids because they feel the need to climb all over my shelves.

The What I Did This Week Post

All of these things probably happened in the last week. Honestly my days are consistently blending togther more and more. With my hectic schedule, I can't remember what i wore yesterday.

I am finishing up my MLIS in 3 weeks. Right now I am taking two classes. Both professors seem to think that we don't have lives. Oh well, 3 weeks left of the summer of schooling. I wanted to say hell, but I genuinely like being in school so that wouldn't be accurate. I just bombarded myself with stuff.

Not only am I busy with school... it is summer here at the Toy Library. It hasn't reached chaos yet, but it has had its moments. Summer camps come in in addition to the centers, families and providers that already come in. So there is large massive groups... then silence. I have watched counselors/ teachers/ babysitters (whatever they would like to call themselves) be completely engaged with the children as much as I have watched them completely ignore the kids. I try and just sit here and not interfere. It isn't my place.

Anyway, here are some memorable moments:

• Providers (women, both in their 50's) play pictionary until they realize the kids made a horrible mess. Upon me saying they might need help because they dragged kitchen sets across the room, they did finally help the kids out. This makes me happy.


• I pretended to be a Teen Librarian, talk with 10 kids about what books they like to read or want to read. One 13 year girl says she likes to read Junie B Jones. She was embarrassed and nervous when I talked to her.


• I was probably pretending to be cool when I was talking with the teens. I got nothing to back it up though.


• I am working short days (9-1 instead of 10-6) and I fear that I am missing out on some patrons coming in. I genuinely miss them.


• I can't find the $1 bills for the Dogopoly game.Or the $10 bills for the Astronomy Monopoly.
  


• After putting the food sets back together for the third time I officially took it off the shelf until fall. I'm over it.


• I cleaned up the games, it felt good to see straightened shelves for a day.


• A counselor (grown man) came in for state toys, "do I have a Mexico puzzle?"
  

What I did today

A lot of people don't understand my job. Sometimes it is my fault, I act like I go to work and play with toys. That is only because it is the fun and simple way to describe it. It gives people the better idea of what a library is (or could be) if I tell them I play.

Let me tell you about the things that have been happening lately. Some of these things may or may not of happened on the same day, but they definitely could of, none of them are random occurences.

Beginning of the day....
Come in with coffee in hand, within 10 minutes a teacher and a group of parents come in unannounced asking for a tour. I gave them the most lively one possible considering I had to put my coffee down.

I check the guestbook and make sure it matches up to my memory the day before, this lets us know exactly how many people use the library and who they are (Family Child Care Providers, Teachers, Parents, etc....)

Within a half an hour I hear a child's screech from the hallway (there is a Child Care/UPK center next door...) The children then run in even though they were told to walk. I laugh at this every time. I take my poptart and red bull out of my purse, it is officially breakfast time.

A volunteer may or may not come in and help me count up and shelve toys, this is sometimes a lengthy and tedious part of my day depending on what kind of busy we are.

Some days I'll see up to 45-50 kids and their adults within the next 2 hours. My average is about 20 kids/morning depending on the day. Either way, I don't leave my desk, it would send my OCD a little over the edge.

There is always a lull around 11:30. This is usually when the ADD kicks in, when it is quiet. When the afternoon session begins at the center next door they come in again, usually only about 10 kids, they play and I chat with the teachers, eat goldfish crackers and check in with blogs. I am addicted to quite a few... Mo Willems consistently entertains me with both his picture books and doodles, and Annoyed Librarian always gives me a chuckle. There are many others on my subscription list to keep me reading.

Before my lunch at 2 i usually try to get something accomplished besides making sure all their toys are counted up (and chatting of course). This varies from processing new toys, sorting through the miscellaneous bin of mess and dealing with toys that are missing peices. Depending on the importance one of these things (how big the pile is, annoyance level, boss complaining that my desk is a mess, etc) at least gets started before I leave for the day.

After lunch coincides with the time that children are beginning to get out of school. The afternoon is either insane or quiet depending on the day or people who come in. There is rarely a happy medium. I do have to say that parents are the majority visitor in the afternoon. And this is often my favorite time of my job because I know them. I typically know all their names if they have been in more than twice.I talk with mom's about children and toys and whatever else may come up.... they're my mom friends. They welcome speaking to an adult for the first time all day and I enjoy getting to know their family.

If the children know my name, i will probably hear it approxiamtely 100 times over the course of the day. Depending on the child they may or may not put my into overdrive. I mean really, how many times can you hear your name in a day and not go crazy? The questions that follow are equally and mind bending... I need that toy with the 3 balls you can see through?... i need the toy with the elmo... why can't i play with the basketball?... is this a ball?... how about toys that start with the letter Q?... Some how I come up with answers to each of these.

Clean up is my least favorite part of the day. I will only do it once a day. I wait until about 5-5:30 depending on the mess, I'll finish shelving and clean up at the same time most days. This is so when I walk in the next day there is nothing to do but begin. When I say clean up by the way, it means cars that kids can ride in are usually straightened up and there isn't bags dumped out on the floor. This is the minimum, I either have to have a lot of time of a OCD fit to clean up much more than that on a daily basis. You just can't... It will only get messy again, after about a year I figured it out. As long as I am able to find the toys and walk straight too them it's good enough. About once a month I hit each of the sections though to give it a thorough cleaning, making sure the toys on that particular shelf belongs there, straighten up, etc.

I leave 8 hours after I came in... turn off the lights and put the toys to sleep.

Job Appreciation

There are little things that float around in my mind after I leave work at the end of the day. Later when its quiet I'll think about them and this silly smile will appear my face. Its little things that happen that make me appreciate this room and mostly what it does for people.

• A little 3 yr old girl who I've known for almost 2 years but just started speaking with me 2 months ago came up to my desk with her mother and simply said "como estas?" when i replied "muy bien, y tu?" she was a bit taken back. She was so happy I understood her. Later I showed her mom the new spanish puzzle cards, maybe it will help.
• A classroom came in for the first time last week. The children impatiently sat in front of my desk as I attempted to explain the rules. One little boy stood and showed me the toys in his pocket while his other class mates sat there murmuring to themselves "I have toys at home..." I love it. They made the connection.
• I have large sets of legos in tupperware containers. These sets don't get counted, they just float in and out. One boy will check out the sets and return both the set and then on top of the set in a seperate bag is what he built. He likes it when i put it on display.

Once in a while these things happen all in a week and I know that this room makes a difference, I'm just helping it along.

What Librarians Need to Know

http://www.brandtobedetermined.com/brandtobedetermined/2007/10/gn-what-should-.html
I thought this post was pretty awesome, as a soon to be librarian it’s nice to hear what we will need to know in the future.

One week in a Toy Library

“Toy libraries must drive librarians crazy…all thetypes and parts with no real way to organize thecollection. Maybe that is what we should use to testnew DLIS people coming into the program. If they canwork one week in a toy library they will be allowed inthe program. Hum? ;-)”
-John Ellison
I recieved this remark today from a professor on an assignment. I had to take pictures and make atleast 10 reccomendations for a non-book service as part of a library. It was hard considering i made recomendations for the place i worked-I was judging the rooom at the same time i was judging myself as someone who is in charge of the room. It’s hard to be objective.
I believe what he wrote though, this room is chaos personified. Everyone should have training in an non-book environment, all LIS students should have to see the oppisite of a library before they work in one. This room is everything a typical library isn’t.
Perhaps I’ll post the assignment later on.

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non-book unbelievers

I attempted to find smart articles to put in here, i went through one database and came up with basically nothing. I was disheartened.

I read one article about how great this children's room was at some unnamed library. It was great now only because it had gotten rid of their toy collection in the library. They had done this by choice, you know because toys had too many pieces, there was a constant mess and the librarians had become over paid babysitters. I have these thoughts every day i walk into this room, but its part of the library, now its part of me. That sounds corny, but I care.

The perspective the article was in was a printist perspective. She was happy to get rid of the toys because they weren't books. It's a library, people should read. Thats what she thought. But what about 1 year olds? They can't read, they can listen, but the words have no meaning, they would much rather be shaking a rattle.

There is an attitude towards non-book materials. You can see it in how the collection is handled. Unless they are movies and cds, they are hidden in corners or in filing cabinets. Look around the library, my room is the corner of the library, no one knows its here until either their children run back here, or there is a sign by the hallway leading to the door. Maps and pamphlets are hidden in drawers, art work put into a corner, the list could go on. There is little or no budget, the collection depends on donations and volunteers. The only way to prove themselves is with use, videos have done it, toys are next.