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Meeting Minutes

08/24/06 Exeter Public Library 10:00 a.m. Coffee at 9:30 a.m.

Next meeting: Thursday, October 26, 2006 at the Dunbarton Public Library

Discussion of program ideas for NHLC in May: 

Copyright issues came up as a topic that would be of interest to a broad range of librarians.  It seems each publisher has a different method for requesting permission to adapt books for puppet shows, use books on local cable programs, and other ‘public performances’.

The Hillstown Co-op recently had a program on graphic novels lead by Robin Brenner(?), the owner of the No Flying, No Tights website.  Ann will find her contact information and recommend her to the conference committee.

Internet safety, especially as it applies to popular teen sites such as My Space, is also a topic of interest.

Summer Programs:

Amy Friedman, Hudson, reported on the Sam’s Club literacy grant her library received.  The grant is very restrictive and must be used for literacy programming and materials.  Amy has used the funds to hire an English teacher to conduct a guided reading program for 9th and 10th graders who need help with their required summer reading.  Amy also held programs on duct tape crafts, make-your-own sundaes, beading (which did not work well with the large group, all needing assistance), a magician from the American Society of Magicians (they often come free, or for gas money), and an Anime/Manga art program with an artist who participated in the Anime Boston convention.

Hampton teens read their way to a $100 donation to the SPCA, and also enjoyed a few book discussions over the summer.  Merrimack showed the original Pirates of the Caribbean the night before the new one opened.  They also offered prizes of $10 gift cards.  Derry YA librarian Tim challenged the teens to read an average of 2006 minutes each during the program.  They pulled it off, and Tim spent a day with orange hair.  He also held an anime convention which included an art contest and anime movies.

Exeter had 50 readers contributing to the candy jar.  The winner received 581 pieces of candy, and a toothbrush…and her grandfather is a dentist!  Jean had 3 double coupon weeks, where teens got double the normal coupons for books read that week.  Prizes included gift cards to the bookstore and music store.  Successful programs included Dungeons and Dragons, a Manga art workshop, two cooking programs, and a spa program.  One of the teens put pictures from all the events into a scrapbook for her, and there are pictures on the library website.

North Hampton used “Surf’s Up at the Library” as a theme, giving away palm tree pins and lei bracelets at sign up.  Raffle tickets were awarded for each 50 pages read.  They had movie passes for the weekly raffle and bigger prizes at the end.  Teens in North Hampton have also enjoyed a “Get Real” program with a police detective demonstrating how a bank robbery was solved.

Hampton Falls held a book discussion group for grades 5 to 8.  They had a hard time scheduling programs due to so many teens being at camp or on vacation throughout the summer.  They have done a series of craft programs and discussions on “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”.  The first summer they made cushions from the tops of old jeans.  The next summer they made jean journals, and this year made small purses or cell phone holders from the pockets of old jeans.  They had the NERD reptile people again this summer, but “Outback Bill” is no longer available, and the owner seemed a bit too laid back about controlling the snakes.  Hollis was very happy with their program from Wildlife Encounters.

Dunbarton had a successful teen program, including polymer clay sculpting, t-shirts decorated with iron-on fabric and paint, wind chimes from old silverware and broken dishes, and a live version of Clue.

We also discussed how to get older teens and adults to participate in summer programs.  The key seems to be catching them at the circulation desk.  If you can offer them an immediate prize for writing down the book they just read, they are more likely to record other reading.  Getting them to scheduled programs often involves a phone call a day or two before to remind them.  A calendar of all library events for the summer, which can be posted on their refrigerator, also seems to help.  The calendar format, including all the days of the week, works better than a list of dates.

Halloween at the Library:  North Hampton had teens plan a Halloween party at the library, including a haunted walk and spooky stories.  Hudson has had John Fisher teach special effects make-up during Teen Read Week for the past two years, and is planning to have him again this year.  (Halloween make-up seems to fit the TRW theme very easily.)

Recommended books:

Chew on This, by Eric Schlosser

A Novel Idea, by Aimee Friedman

Students Across the Seven Seas series: Getting the Boot, by Peggy Guthart Strauss

Raiders Night, by Robert Lipsyte (note: very realistic, may be too real for some readers.)

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz

Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock