Hey, have you tried this? : Site visits by children's and youth services staff

Pam Saunders and YACINN (Youth and Children's Inner and Northern Network)

In mid-2003 ten Victorian Children's and Youth Services Librarians participated in a program of library visits and mentoring. This was an initiative of the YACINN (Youth and Children's Inner and Northern Network), to encourage Children's and Youth Librarians to extend their knowledge and skills by observing and shadowing another librarian in a similar role at a different library service.

The aim of the visits was to share ideas and build on the relationship the YACINN group had already established through its program of developing Summer Reading Club support materials. By encouraging site visits to other public libraries and by staff being given specific time to do this, it was hoped that the enthusiasm of all staff would be enhanced. Limited funding was received from the StateWide Training Project (VICLINK) but participating libraries absorbed the majority of the costs. The program was highly successful with all participants returning highly motivated and positive. Other library staff are now requesting similar exchanges, in fact the cry 'When can I go?' is constantly heard!

The program ran over two months, and involved 10 Children's and Youth Librarians visiting another library service for two days. Each library service nominated a co-coordinator and an overall coordinator acted as the central contract point for the whole project. Each visit attempted to include visits to more than one library branch. All staff involved had to observe a pre-school storytime and Children's or Youth activity. Time was also made available to discuss issues such as coordination and promotion of children's activities and programs, collection development and integration of Children's and Youth Services into the libraries vision and charter.

The results from the program were extensive and each participant was asked to write a one-page report, with the resulting reports collated and summarized below. In the original report most librarians mentioned more than one program, but I have chosen only one from each library service, emphasising something apart from the standard pre-school storytimes/after school clubs. Staff have also been providing feedback to their own library services and presentations to other libraries in Victoria.
The following are a sample of some of the innovative and successful programs the participating staff commented on:

Darebin Libraries

Sponge club

Darebin Libraries Youth Team is innovative and visionary in their program delivery. They are not afraid to try new and exciting ideas and experiment with new initiatives. The Sponge Club is one such example. Children join The Sponge Club and join in the interactive internet site, with monthly installments to its adventure story and also participate in regular events and competitions. Darebin Library has created an alternative opportunity for children to explore the fun of reading and learning. The Youth Team has recognized the changing trends in library services and the need to adapt to the community.

Hume Global Learning Village Library Service

The world's biggest picture book

There are creative ways of involving children, young adults and other members of the community in shaping our collections, services and youth areas. The creation of the Worlds Biggest Picture Book at the Broadmeadows Library was a great way of establishing partnerships with local primary schools. They contributed the artwork to this book, which will feature in the 2004 Guinness Book of Record.

Moonee Valley Library Service

Bilingual storytimes

Reflecting the multicultural community of the Moonee Valley Library Service, bilingual storytimes were introduced and are now held once a month: English - Vietnamese/ English - Chinese. They are held at two libraries and attract 20 plus children and adults. The storytimes are planned and presented by two library staff, one speaking in English the other in the alternative language. Books are read in both languages and much use is also made of props. The adults attending these sessions actively participate, joining in the songs and seem to enjoy the sessions as much as the children.

Moreland City Libraries

Moreland reading project

Moreland Library Service and Moreland Council have formed the 'Moreland Reading Project' (MRP), which funds programs and activities run in the branches to entice the public into the library, and hopefully encourage reading. Recently they had an after-school talk by Morris Gleitzman. The session was free and it resulted in over 200 children and parents attending. Moreland Library Service provides each new baby with a calico library bag, board book and reading lists, which are distributed by the Maternal & Infant Welfare Nurse when they visit the new parent at home. It is an excellent way of encouraging new mums to come to the library.

The Coburg Library also support this program further by having 'Rhyme time', designed specifically for babies up to 18 months. This is not a storytime session but a 30 minute action song and rhyme session held weekly.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library

School liaison officer

Yarra Plenty Regional Library has participated in the TRIP (Teacher Release into Industry Program) program in 2002 and 2003. A teacher works at the library as School Liaison Officer (SLO), from February to November. Their role is primarily to increase school awareness of the public library, its web site, and many resources available for students. This is done through contacting all local schools, compiling a contact information database for CYS staff to access, editing a monthly electronic newsletter to be sent to all schools, working with students either in schools or on visits to the libraries. The SLO also provides professional development sessions for teachers about the resources and services that YPRL can offer. This has also reversed with the SLO providing professional development to Yarra Plenty CYS staff about schools needs. This job is extremely labour-intensive and if the TRIP funding had not existed this program would not have occurred.

Yarra-Melbourne Regional Library Corporation

Homework clubs

Yarra Melbourne has two homework programs operating in its libraries. One program is co-coordinated by The Brotherhood of St Laurence and involves 2 paid co-coordinators with volunteers (university students) who work as tutors with secondary students. The promotion of this program is largely by word of mouth. The other program is run twice a week, again with volunteer tutors and the Youth Librarian as co-coordinator. She advertises for tutors with maths and english experience. They are interviewed and then matched to participants. The program is targeted at local, underprivileged youth who require assistance with homework. Three to five library computers are blocked out for Homework Club, enabling participants to use the computers for searching or word processing. Free photocopying/printing (up to 5 pages) is also available for students at Homework club. Funding is from the City of Melbourne (Local Government).

Pre-school storytime resources

To maximize preparation time and resources several of the YACINN libraries have some form of shared pre-school storytime materials. At Yarra Plenty it is a system of 12 circuiting storytime kits. These kits are housed in large plastic tubs which were prepared by CYS staff and circulate around library branches. The kits include books relating to 8 themes, a folder of resource ideas for craft, songs etc and sometimes puppets/props. Each tub is circulated once a term and is continually reviewed and added to. At Moonee Valley Library a similar program operates with each staff member preparing 9 themes and these circulate for 12 months around the four libraries. Darabin and Yarra-Melbourne also has a similar program but Yarra-Melbourne has expanded theirs to also include rotating thematic displays.

All those involved in the exchange program wrote how refreshing it was to visit, observe and talk with other staff in a similar role. These words from Anna Gebhardt of Moreland City Libraries summarise the general feeling of those involved:

The opportunity to be involved in the YACINN site visit program has been a very rewarding and stimulating experience both professionally and personally. My knowledge and understanding of Children's and Youth Services in Victorian Public Libraries has developed and expanded as a result of the program.

I have also been inspired by the breadth of work that Children's Librarians are involved in, their enthusiasm for the field in which they specialise, and their willingness to share and exchange ideas and knowledge. The site visits demonstrate the benefits of co-operative and collaborative work between different library services, which is a core principle of the Library profession... Working in Children's and Youth Services can be demanding. Delivering weekly rhyme time and storytime programs and coming up with ideas and preparing for holiday activities and children's activities can lead to burnout and creative fatigue! I found that participating in the visits and sharing ideas and practices was a mentally invigorating experience. I am re-inspired and re-energised!

Any enquiries regarding the site visit program may be directed to Pam Saunders, please remove '.nospam' from address, at Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service.

References

Darebin Libraries Sponge Club.

Hume Global Learning Village Library Service The Worlds Biggest Picture Book.

Moonee Valley Library Service Bilingual Storytimes Moreland City Libraries Moreland Reading Project.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library School Liaison Officer.

Yarra-Melbourne Regional Library Corporation Homework Clubs.

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