Tweens and Teens

As usual, the more we have going on, the less time I have to blog about it! With the re-carpeting project moving to the adult side, we were able to start our actual Summer Reading programs the week of June 23rd. From babies to teens, we have 10 programs a week to add to the usual giving-out-of-prizes, so it's safe to say things picked up a bit for us. Attendance has started out pretty low, which was to be expected with the changes in scheduling, but it's kind of nice to ease into things that way! A few pictures from our older groups, the tweens (run by Mr. Cliff with his lovely assistant Sherri), and teens (run by yours truly):

The tweens started off by killing a librarian, which I find only slightly disturbing.

Seventeen 4th-7th graders inspected clues,

discussed the evidence, 

and made their accusations.

 Turns out, it was me. Okay, not really, but like I'm going to tell you the answer!

The next week, they found out what it might be like to lose use of different parts of their bodies.

Now, there's a line-up for you!

I'm not entirely sure what they are doing here. But they are smiling.

Ditto.

Aha, this one I know! The 'cuff' making it impossible to bend one's arm, each person on a team had to eat a goldfish cracker. Not a single team figured out that the rules never said they couldn't feed each other, so much hilarity ensued with crackers being tossed every which way. (P.S. - the girls won).

The teens ( grades 8 and up) haven't had quite the turn-out - those darn jobs getting in the way of fun!

Our first week, they ate pizza and talked about books - no pictures there. Last week, we held a Minute to Win It tournament. Small tournament - just five girls - so it was fortunate that none of the games had to be done in teams!

For the first challenge, participants had to transfer pasta to a bowl using a pipe cleaner and no hands.

Not as easy as it looks at first!

Long hair is definitely not a plus, here.

Next up was blowing a plastic cup across the table with a straw. It had to start off touching one edge, and go off the other edge - off the side meant you had to start over. 

We did this two at a time, with the others counting how many times they got it back and forth in a minute.

Then, while we still had the straws handy, we tried sucking instead: there were bowls of chocolate candies, large and small, and they had to suck one up with a straw and deposit it into their own bowl. Bigger candies were worth more points. If I did this again, I would make them travel farther, but it was so much fun to watch I didn't get any pictures!

I also don't have pictures of the "In Your Face" game, which involves placing a cookie on your forehead and trying to get it into your mouth without using your hands. I do have several extremely hilarious videos, but I am not going to post them because...um...well, I never said you couldn't use your cleavage. 'Nuff said?

I do, however, have video of the final game, where you transfer cotton balls from a plate to a bowl with your nose. You are supposed to put Vaseline n your nose to make the cotton balls stick, but I couldn't find my Vaseline. All I could find was a jar of very old, rather musty-smelling peanut butter. We decided it was safe to apply topically, but we won't be eating any of it.

A fairly quiet game, but still fun to watch!

Library Re-Carpeting Part 12 1/2

Just some quick before and after pictures of the area they started yesterday. These guys are fast!

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After. The copier is back! Just not plugged in. Sigh.

The photos don't really do the dinginess of the old carpet justice, but IRL it's a whole new area!

Library Re-Carpeting Part 12: Yes, Still.

The biggest part of the adult side is almost complete and things are slowly being moved back into place.

This is where the public computers go, so there has been a bit of a nationwide panic for the past couple days. I thought about passing out copies of Library Lil, but I don't know that everyone would get it.

Computers going in and out means lots of trips for Facilities (which is short a couple people right now), and MIS, but they have been good sports about it.

 Next up is the staff work area, in two parts. First all the desks are being pushed into the back reference area, and anywhere else they will fit.

I realize most people have never seen this area, so you'll have to imagine what it normally looks like. The processing area, where books are mended and new books are prepared for the shelves:

and the office area, full of desks and shelves and computers:

And the copier, which is what hurts me the most:

Back out in the stacks, we can't unpack the books and put them back until the shelves are in exactly the right place, and stable. 

It would kind of be a bummer if a whole stack tipped over and squished someone. Plus, then all the books would be out of order. Not to mention blood on the new carpet. In the meantime, summer reading programs have started, so I am of no help whatsoever. So, please bear with us just a little bit longer! There is a light at the end of the tunnel, we promise!

Library Re-Carpeting Part 11: Really???

At the beginning, the decision was made to keep the library open during the entire re-carpeting project. We looked at circulation statistics as well as what information is most readily available online, to decide which books would be most useful and which could be packed away temporarily. 

The city rented a gigantic pod which is parked in front of the building, and staff and volunteers spent days packing and numbering boxes of books to go into it. Books to be kept out have been moved 2 or 3 or more times, as we try to stay a section ahead of the carpeters. This means a lot of sore bodies, chapped hands, and broken fingernails. It's 106 outside, so even with our AC working hard, we are hot and we stinketh.

We are keeping a good attitude, joking about the ever-expanding meaning of that line about "and all other duties as required". Most of our patrons are very understanding, and happy that there are still at least some books and computers available. They compare the ever-changing routes through the library to the local grocery chain's marketing techniques, and take finding the DVDs as a weekly challenge.

Some even pitch in and help!

 But, then there are the patrons who stand in the middle of the library and loudly complain, or those who grumble just loudly enough to make sure we hear them, that we should just be closed.  

???

Okay, I get it. Really. It's hot, so you are already feeling out of sorts. You have ten other errands to run, and this was supposed to be a quick stop.  Maybe you like knowing what you are doing, and were comfortable with the library as it was, and suddenly you feel like you have entered a foreign country. Maybe you're used to heading towards a certain shelf for your favorites each time, and now today that shelf doesn't even exist. Change is hard for some people. Even librarians - you don't hear some of the meltdowns that happen behind the scenes, but trust me, we've had some doozies! 

The thing is, there is only so much we can do. You can't rip old carpet up and put new carpet down without taking everything off the floor. When I was in high school, and our city library was remodeled, the entire collection was moved to a different building for a year. We did not have that option (and, let me tell you, the move back was a nightmare I don't ever want to repeat!), so all we can do is box and shift and move and move again.

In the meantime, we're trying to make sure you can still get to where you need to go,

and we're putting things back together as fast as we can,

while still trying to keep everyone safe.

We'll provide as many services as we humanly can, and if the walking is too much I'll personally go grab your book for you. Closing completely, so nobody gets any services at all? Not on the agenda.

Library Re-Carpeting Part 10: Just an Update.

FYI, the library is not a quiet place right now. You can't move metal shelves silently, and frankly, we aren't even trying. We are also too tired to walk over and whisper to someone that we need that hammer. We're just yelling across the building. Sorry. But not really.

This morning we needed to move the metal shelving back onto the part of the adult side that was finished. Those shelves are REALLY heavy, and we couldn't pull them across the new carpet the way we callously pulled them across the old. One of our pages developed a system based on the Egyptian pyramids, involving long boards and pieces of PVC - which worked really well, and which I completely failed to photograph.

To move each shelving unit, we had to take all the shelves off. Then, once it was moved, we had to put the shelves back on. Fun, eh? Fortunately, a few brave members of the city's finance department came over to help in the two hours before we opened:

Hooray for tall people!

Making sure everything is even.

So far, I have only dropped one metal book end on my foot. This was probably not the best day to wear sandals.

Heave!

Is there a librarian anywhere who does not loathe these things? Who has not almost lost an eye when one popped out at them? Unfortunately, they are not in the trash can because we are throwing them away, they are just here for storage.

99% of our patrons have been wonderful and understanding. There are, of course, those who can't understand why you won't let them walk under unstable shelving to get that DVD they just have to watch, but we're going to be sticklers for safety that way anyway.

Now we get to clear out the next section to be carpeted. It's getting there! Thank-you to those 99% for your patience!

Going on a Pic-a-nic

*Note to self: find copy of Yogi Bear cartoon, because the kids have no idea what I'm talking about.

For Father's Day, Daddy requested a picnic. An advantage to living up in the mountains is that you can find places that aren't overrun by people with the same idea.

My nephews, who now have their own toddlers, once played on this swingset. The slide is a bit off-kilter, but it's still sturdy enough for climbing!

Now, where did Christopher go?

A hand...

A foot...

Found him!

The old folks chose to relax rather than climb.

I include myself in that, of course.

Shane will be up a tree as soon as he gets that crawling thing worked out.

For now, he had to make do with exploring the foliage at ground level.

Does everyone's children use dinosaur jawbones as guns?

We're thinking it was a velociraptor.

Found the spine!

And put it together: 

We were done eating there anyway.

Did someone say, "Eat"?

Where there is water, there will be kids.

A rock! A wet rock! Who'd a thunk it?!

A leotard and tutu are of course the preferred outfit for playing in a muddy creek.

I don't think so, little boy.

Too much fun for me!

Great idea, Daddy! I think I picked the right guy, snoring, bad jokes and all. Happy Father's Day!