Hangin' with kindergartners

My colleague Maureen and I spent our Saturday being the face of Children's Services at LAPL for hundreds of brand-new preschool graduates and their families at Los Angeles Universal Preschool's annual Ready for Kindergarten event.

While kids colored simple die-cut bookmarks (and I'm here to tell you that little kids still love to color! Computers and video games are all very well, but there's nothing like a piece of paper and some markers), Maureen and I chatted to their parents about summer reading club, Read to Me LA, Live Homework Help, GAB, and the wonderful fact that all our branches are air-conditioned. We handed out 250 bags filled with family-related library information before we ran out of bags, and then managed to give away all the rest of our literature as well. A very good day, and one that will hopefully result in at least a few families visiting the library for the first time. Wonderfully, many families were already regulars at their local libraries, and smiled in recognition when I mentioned their children's librarians by name.

Maureen and I don't work with the public in our current jobs, but once a children's librarian, always a children's librarian - we always jump at the chance to represent LAPL at festivals, to visit schools, and to present storytimes. Training, advocacy, collecton development, and program coordination are all very important - but the kids and their families and caregivers make it real.