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Ontarian Librarian

Professional sillyhead and community enthusiast

Tag: Experience Advisory

Librarians and “Experience Advisory”

“In order to be really good as a librarian, everything counts towards your work, every play you go see, every concert you hear, every trip you take, everything you read, everything you know. I don’t know of another occupation like that. The more you know, the better you’re going to be.” ― Allen Smith I… Read More Librarians and “Experience Advisory”

July 2, 2014March 4, 2016 Karissa Fast - Children and Teen Librarian1 Comment

Who is this library lady?

Karissa is a Children's and Teen Services librarian at a public library in Ontario with a soft spot for crockpots, e.e. cummings, Canadian indie music, comics, flash mobs, and people who bring her coffee.

Here you will find programming outlines for children, teens, and new adults; book reviews; readers advisory tools; information literacy presentations; and lots of ideas.

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My coworker and I (Mrs. Claus and Jingles the Elf) put on a sweet little singalong holiday concert yesterday and it was really fun. A wig and a dress and poof! I'm Mrs. Claus. With a purple ukulele 🤣💜 I know in the library world holiday programs are a controversial topic, and I can see both sides. I will say this program was one of many we offered this season, and most were not holiday themed. It was registered with limited spots (it filled so quickly we had to run a second session!). And I had some new Canadians in attendance and they were so happy. Even though Mrs. Claus was there, the focus was subtly on musical literacy. And because Mrs. Claus was there, the kids were extra engaged, and way more people came than would have otherwise. The city has a huge tree in their portion of the building which we used for photos after the program. All in all it was a successful little program. As I've said before, when it comes to holiday programs, you know your community best. However, not ALL of your programs should be Religious-adjecent. Here in Ontario I've noticed almost all libraries run Chistmas or holiday events - even the more progressive libraries. I'd love to hear how other librarians are engaging (or not engaging) with the winter holidays.
I cannot say enough good things about this middle grade dystopia novel by @phdowding. Every library in Ontario probably has it already because it's a Forest of Reading book, but libraries everywhere should consider it! The story takes place long after an apocalyptic environmental collapse wiped out most of humanity. Some humans survived, and now live a farming and scavenging life amongst the piles of garbage left by humanity. All bees and fruit have become extinct. In the middle of a rundown city is a giant pearly globe. 1000 children live inside, raised by robots called Mothers. They have no knowledge of the outside world. But they do have a seed library, and real fruit trees. What will happen when the two oldest children discover a door to the outside? Similar to The Giver in quality, content, appeal, and originality, Oculum really is children's literature. It's written beautifully, simply, and thoughtfully, and covers subject matter that is not common enough in Middle Grade. Every scene can be pictured in vivid detail, and readers of any age will be desperate to learn more about this strange world. This is the 101st book I read this year, and it is UP THERE on my top favourite list. Librarians, you might not have seen this book on any lists yet. It's a hidden gem! And so easy to promote to kids. Be the one who brings it to your community. #oculum #forestofreading #librariansofinstagram #canadianlibrarian #canadianliterature #canlit #philippadowding #bookstagram #middlegrade #middlegradenovel #bookblogger #readthis #librarian #ireadcanadian
"Oh gentrification. The inevitable machine, the mysterious monster, the impossible crawl. A lot of the time when powerful people talk about gentrification, it sounds the same. Repackaged spooky vagueness, either diminishing the issue or shifting the focus. Variations of “there are so many factors at play it’s impossible to pin down,” or “it’s an issue every city is dealing with and no one has the answers,” or “we’re working on some stuff.” Although everyone is talking about it, no one seems to care that much. People might say “gentrification” with a knowing nod or a obligatory sad smile as if showing compassion to the word will help their vulnerable neighbours." Read my full post on Libraries and Gentrification on the blog. How is your organization showing awareness of this issue in your city? #librarylife #librariansofinstagram #childrenslibrarian #librarians #publiclibrarians #gentrification #canada #canadianlibrarians #canadianlibraries #publiclibraries #cityplanning #blogpost #librarianblogger
One of my tasks in my new role is designing all the displays at the branches! I do book bins, promotional bistol board signs, and bulletin boards. We've planned out all of 2020 so far, and thanks to my trusty Cricut, I'm able to get a head start on some book bins! Does your library do book bin displays? What are some of your most popular themes? #librarylife #librariansofinstagram #childrenslibrarian #librarian #cricut #librarydisplays #librarydisplayideas #libraryideas #publiclibrary
It's another busy, exciting day in Library Land! Today I have 2 grade nine class visits and a toddler storytime. AKA time to go into performer mode. I LOVE book talking for tweens and teens. Today I've made lists of books from 2019, 2020, and then other books they may have missed from recent years. Every student gets a handout with summaries to follow along and mark their favourites. It's a bit of an art, creating these lists. You've got to have variety in genre, reading level, and tone, as well as diversity. I'm pretty happy with my lists today. What's up for you today in Library Land? #librarylife #librariansofinstagram #canadianlibrarian #childrenslibrarian #teenlibrarian #booktalks #onthecomeup #dayinthelife #library #librarianblogger
💙🚨NEW BLOG POST 🚨💙 I might be the biggest fan out there for Big Block Blocks by @imaginationplayground. So I decided to write a blog post about it! I've used Big Blue Blocks in so many different ways: Big Blue Building events, an activity at outreach events, and for smaller challenges during larger in library events. If you're interested in bringing big body play to your library, check it out! 🔗 to the blog in bio. #librarylife #librariansofinstagram #childrenslibrarian #librariansofcanada #canadianblogger #librarianblogger #bigblueblocks #imaginationplayground #powerofplay #buildingblocks #libraryideas

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