Saturday 15 September 2012
Saturday 8 September 2012
Justin Da'th - Children's author
Yesterday our lovely Teacher Librarian at GCCC did a fantastastic job of getting a very successful children's author Justin Da'th to come and chat to the children. I don't know what it is but I get so excited when I meet a successful author I get a little star struck and I'm not sure if I am asking intelligent questions. He was so charming and the children just loved him. Check out Justins Extreme adventure stories if you have time, he told us that they are looking at making them into a TV/ Film version and not an animated version either but with real characters - very exciting!
Sunday 2 September 2012
Libraries and Dementia
After 28 years of working in various libraries as a Library Technician that included Westmead Hospital NSW, The University of Western Sydney NSW, The Royal Blind Society NSW , Councils and Schools both Private and Public, in Qld & NSW. Currently I am curreently working at a lovely Christian School in Qld. My library skills and experiences are extensive and yes while I catalogue copious amounts of reading material. I also believe in thinking how best to make a great impact on the people coming to our library. As a library Para -professional a Library Technician not a Librarian- how do I help the public to get the most out of coming to a library? what makes it a memoriable experience that people wish to keep coming back for?.
I have had wonderful opportunities to promote new and interesting ideas in Libraries that do not always revolve around reading. I firmly believe that Libraries play a vital role in the community they are established in and I also believe that while our collections ares valuable it is not always about The Book! - that may shock some of our library enthusiasts! I am an ideas person always have been and it is to the many Librarians I have worked with over the years credit, that they give many of my ideas a try.
I have supported and established reading groups for our very young, building up "Story Time" sessions in Council Libraries so that our little ones enjoy having the simple pleasure of a book read to them, finding the local Play groups and inviting them to specific story time sessions each week.. At the same time I Incorporated signing for the deaf - because I also thought what about the children who can't hear? why should they be excluded -can't they enjoy a story as well?. The signers loved it as students they had to build up their signing hours and what better way to do it! and I found it was not always the child who could not hear- but the parents who were hearing impaired also had the opportunity to participate in sharing the experience of having a story read to their child as well.
Working with our deaf and blind patrons is enormously challenging for Library Professionals and it was my pleasure to work with these wonderful people. It encouraged me to get a grant for one Public Library for a Poet - the technology enables a client to place the page of a book or a letter onto the machine where it is then read to them. How great to go and choose a book yourself and make the selection yourself, This simple act of empowerment -the ability for you to choose a book you would like in a sightless world where a lot of well meaning librarians think they know what stories you should like to read.
I encouraged dance groups - belly dancing in a library! as well as established a musical group of elderly gentleman now well known in the community!- to use an under utilised room attached to the Library, this lead to tai chi and sporting groups using it as well. I encouraged and invited the local High School to display their year 12 Major Art Works, and encouraged local artists to also display their work weekly, monthly and annually. Meeting rooms were established and before long well over 1,000 people use this room attached to the Council library. These rooms are used for breast screening and for informational sessions on environmental issues in the area, which lead to major displays going up in the libraries.
My next aim would be to encourage Council Libraries to have a "Memory corner" for our aged with Dementia. The memory is a funny thing and now with my 81 year old dad suffering dementia. I know that while our young benefit from having stories read to them - so do our elderly. Why not just for fun invite professional actors to do the reading, after all they do it for our talking books for our visually impaired- how much more stimulating would it be for our elderly.
I am no longer working in Councils, I currently work in a wonderful school Prep to Year 12, where I have started making the Life of our one and only live plant called Dewey come alive and go on adventures throughout the year. Recently he dressed as Jack and the beanstalk for Book week. Every child that borrows I carefully examine their choices - look at them appraisingly then say - Let me know if you enjoy this one - great choice!!. (The smile on the face is the reward I get - all ages from prep to Year 12).
I never know where my career may lead me as a Library Technician or which Library I get to share my experience and skills, but I do know that Libraries are an ever changing evolving place where like minded minds meet and journeys begin from the pages of lessons learned.
I have had wonderful opportunities to promote new and interesting ideas in Libraries that do not always revolve around reading. I firmly believe that Libraries play a vital role in the community they are established in and I also believe that while our collections ares valuable it is not always about The Book! - that may shock some of our library enthusiasts! I am an ideas person always have been and it is to the many Librarians I have worked with over the years credit, that they give many of my ideas a try.
I have supported and established reading groups for our very young, building up "Story Time" sessions in Council Libraries so that our little ones enjoy having the simple pleasure of a book read to them, finding the local Play groups and inviting them to specific story time sessions each week.. At the same time I Incorporated signing for the deaf - because I also thought what about the children who can't hear? why should they be excluded -can't they enjoy a story as well?. The signers loved it as students they had to build up their signing hours and what better way to do it! and I found it was not always the child who could not hear- but the parents who were hearing impaired also had the opportunity to participate in sharing the experience of having a story read to their child as well.
Working with our deaf and blind patrons is enormously challenging for Library Professionals and it was my pleasure to work with these wonderful people. It encouraged me to get a grant for one Public Library for a Poet - the technology enables a client to place the page of a book or a letter onto the machine where it is then read to them. How great to go and choose a book yourself and make the selection yourself, This simple act of empowerment -the ability for you to choose a book you would like in a sightless world where a lot of well meaning librarians think they know what stories you should like to read.
I encouraged dance groups - belly dancing in a library! as well as established a musical group of elderly gentleman now well known in the community!- to use an under utilised room attached to the Library, this lead to tai chi and sporting groups using it as well. I encouraged and invited the local High School to display their year 12 Major Art Works, and encouraged local artists to also display their work weekly, monthly and annually. Meeting rooms were established and before long well over 1,000 people use this room attached to the Council library. These rooms are used for breast screening and for informational sessions on environmental issues in the area, which lead to major displays going up in the libraries.
My next aim would be to encourage Council Libraries to have a "Memory corner" for our aged with Dementia. The memory is a funny thing and now with my 81 year old dad suffering dementia. I know that while our young benefit from having stories read to them - so do our elderly. Why not just for fun invite professional actors to do the reading, after all they do it for our talking books for our visually impaired- how much more stimulating would it be for our elderly.
I am no longer working in Councils, I currently work in a wonderful school Prep to Year 12, where I have started making the Life of our one and only live plant called Dewey come alive and go on adventures throughout the year. Recently he dressed as Jack and the beanstalk for Book week. Every child that borrows I carefully examine their choices - look at them appraisingly then say - Let me know if you enjoy this one - great choice!!. (The smile on the face is the reward I get - all ages from prep to Year 12).
I never know where my career may lead me as a Library Technician or which Library I get to share my experience and skills, but I do know that Libraries are an ever changing evolving place where like minded minds meet and journeys begin from the pages of lessons learned.
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