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In many ways, it is difficult to believe that my library has been circulating iPads in the children’s library for almost three years. Despite the continued discourse on the role of tablet technology among pre-readers, there is no question that children and families have continued to integrate such devices into their lives. In our community parents look to the librarians to guide their app selections, or at least point them towards the resources that can assist in discerning which purchases to make.

It first began with the preschool set, as our library made the decision to circulate Early Literacy Kits. The idea was to infuse tech into what we as children’s librarians were already expounding to parents and caregivers about the practices they can master in order to cultivate a reader. Now after so many parents have expressed that their child has already “Spot the Red Dot,” so to speak, what’s next?

After the debut of our nonfiction reorganization we began thinking of ways to market the collection glades and showcase other resources that reflected these areas. Time and time again we kept hearing requests to circulate tablets for school-age children. Some of our initial concerns stemmed from the prevalence in the community of iPads in the home. Was there even really a need with most families already owning at least one device? We realized that this wasn’t the case for all families, and if anything a lot of the feedback has been that patrons look to our curated list of apps as the main draw. With this encouragement, why not mirror some of the same subjects we wanted to point kids to in redefining how we navigate nonfiction? Our focus would be to highlight apps that inform, engage, and are used to create. Looking to a previous attempt at providing tweens with circulating devices that dissolved, we knew that we could give our Tween Tabs new life.

The method of circulating, updating, and restricting the devices would match the process of the early literacy tablets. Due to other initiatives we wouldn’t be able to roll out six iPads at once, but decided to test-drive the service with two tablets. Instead of the 5 Early Literacy Practices, we would be dividing our apps into the new nonfiction glades: Facts, Traditions, Create, Sports, Self, Fun, Animals, STEM, Then & Now, adding Bio and Languages to round it out. Compiling some of our favorites from the past few years, which we have demoed in programs and sometimes spontaneously in the stacks, the total list included over 70 apps.

From homework help apps like Stack the States, Prezi, and the American Presidents for iPad, to brainteasers like Rube Works and American Girl Doll Trivia, the reception has been quite astounding. There are currently over 20 holds on the kits, while pitching the new offering has purely been accomplished through word of mouth. Families are eager to use language resources like Gus on the Go: Mandarin and Rosetta Stone Kids Lingo Letter Sounds, and STEM picks Motion Math: Match, Hopscotch, and Oh No! Fractions. Personally, my heart tends to gravitate towards apps that give kids the ability to produce art digitally, like Easy Studio, Photogene, Bloom HD, and Auryn Ink.

Whatever new technologies are making waves, let’s continue to make sure we are providing these services for a variety of age groups in the community.

Claire Moore is a member of the Digital Content Task Force. She is also Head of Children’s Services at Darien Library in Connecticut. You can reach Claire at [email protected].

Visit the Digital Media Resources page to find out more about navigating your way through the evolving digital landscape.

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My first post back in July was about how to get tablets for your library. Now I present to you the basic set-up and results of our new service from the glorious benefits to those pesky pitfalls.

Once our proposal was approved, we got the ball rolling with (1) publicity, (2) setting up security restrictions, and (3) downloading apps onto the iPad. We approached publicity in a variety of ways. First, we set up teaser signs at the Apple Stand to promote the up-and-coming devices. We then printed out our Apple Stand rules just to give people an idea about how to interact with the iPads (these would then stay up when the iPads were available). We sent a press release out to the newspapers and we put an alert in our newsletter.

Are you ready to get your iPads ready for public use?

1. Set Up Your Apple ID—Then sign in each iPad to your new apple ID.
2. Set restrictions (Settings–>General–>Restrictions) to secure iPads from wandering fingers. Although patrons can still access your settings menu, there can be no permanent damage done, such as accessing your account, purchasing apps, or setting up an email.
3. Gather admin apps into one folder and put on second page. Unfortunately, you cannot delete these apps from the iPads, but, once your restrictions are set, even roving fingers won’t be able to do any damage to them.

So we had chosen our list of apps and now I needed to get them onto all 5 devices. From my first time buying apps (and a few revisions later) I created a detailed record of the steps I took (document found on my personal blog). I did this because I would be sharing the responsibility of purchasing apps with 2 other team members.

So we finally made it! All our apps were bought! All our settings were set to maximal! The mounts were newly gleaming and ready! But would people actually like them as much as we hoped? Would parents sit with their children and be engaging with their children and the iPads?

At my library, patrons were quite appreciative of the new activity to do in the library. We have three mounted in the Early Ed room and two behind the desk for in-house use only. The mounted ones are definitely the way to go. Our iPads behind the desk have only checked out 6 and 7 times since August 1, but the mounted tablets are used all the time, oftentimes having all three in use.

There were a few unexpected trials to test our diligence and our patience but we continue to persevere. These included:

• Creating an iPad troubleshooting document for staff to use (if the problem is not too complex)
• Dealing with unattended children at the iPads. This is a tricky situation. There are usually three situations with three responses:

1. Sometimes the child might be completely unattended in the library and she finds a fun toy to play with while her caregiver is off in never never land. It is explained to the caregiver that they need to be with their 7 and under child at all times while in the library (a long established rule). They must also sit with their child while at the iPads because the devices are expensive, they could unintentionally alter the settings, and we encourage parent-child interaction.
2. Other times, the child may be old and responsible enough to use the iPad alone while his caregiver is looking for books in the same room or doing a puzzle with the younger sibling. So far, we have had no problems with children mishandling the iPads. They are typically entranced and respectful of the technology. Also, the way the devices are mounted discourages shaking and dropping (because you have to reach to touch it and it is not in your lap and you don’t have to hold it up).
3. If the child is toddler/preschool size (size works, quizzing everyone’s age all the time does not) then we identify the parent and explain to them that the devices are expensive. They can also unintentionally alter the settings so they need to sit within touching distance of the child. And look! There are headphones for you, too!

Unfortunately, for the times a child plays with the tablet by herself (while the adult is nearby), this does ignore the purpose of the iPads as educational tools to be shared between child and adult. We encourage shared time when we can but we are not a police force and choose to pick our battles.

So, what will you have to do to maintain this service? Your monthly duties will include (1) buy your apps, and (2) update iPads with current iOs software (about quarterly). An overview of your weekly duties include: (1) clean screens with alcohol/water mix, (2) manually close all apps, (3) delete all pictures and reset background & lock screens to default picture, and (4) ensure that all apps are in their folders.

It’s honestly not too bad once you set it up. My biggest piece of advice is staying organized and keeping detailed instruction sheets. Keep at it, I belieeeeeve in you! Please ask me about any of the particulars and you can find more details and documentation on my personal blog at www.librarybonanza.wordpress.com.

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Kelsey Cole is a youth services librarian at the Fremont Public Library in Mundelein, IL. For more details on this process, visit her personal blog at www.librarybonanza.wordpress.com for more than you can imagine.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

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So, we did it, you guys! We got past summer and summer library programs!!! The Slog Days have been conquered, we may even have had some weeks of no programs and *gasp* vacations. School is back in session and we are turning our minds to our fall initiatives and fun.

When we are in the midst of summer library program with huge crowds, double staffing, many programs and busyness amplified day after day, it's hard to remember that we can react or plan for anything that isn't happening  RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. It feels like dark and endless days sometimes. Creativity - gone. Energy - depleted. Blog posts - ha!

When we hit the first week of September it is truly like a new leaf turning over or the sun coming up over the horizon in the morning. We breathe a sigh of relief and look at the adventure of a different rhythm coming to the fore. One that allows us to enhance the services and initiatives we offer our families and kids.

I knew we were there in the last two weeks when I looked around the department and saw all the amazing stuff the team has been putting together that has come to fruition. Like what?

Just launched:
Ipads in the Early Literacy area
Last fall's fundraising letter (our director sends out project-centered appeals in spring and fall that typically generate $2500-$500) was for ipads to give kids and parents a chance to interact with curated content. Our new colleague Brooke took this project on and we debuted the ipads this week to general delight of kids, parents and staff.

Book discussion kits
We have had grant-funded kits with ten books each kept in a closet (ask for it please) for about twelve years. Almost no action.  So Sara took this project on and developed fifteen new kits of interesting contemporary fiction, graphic novels and non-fiction - 5 books in each with suggested websites and questions. Best of all, we found a place to house them in the room. They too debuted this week. Our plan is to add to this collection rather than let it stagnate.



Welcome Candy Bars to teachers
We deliver rotating book collections to many of our Headstarts and daycares during the school year. Included in these bags are often posters for the parents or information on events for the providers. And this year as a little surprise, my colleague Sherri is including a welcome-back candy bar with a wrap-around she created to thank the teachers for their participation.  It's a sweet treat for little investment.

High School lunch hour
We have been taking some baby steps to do more outreach in our high schools. But this year, with a new high school librarian of two years (who also just became a library board member!), the ice was broken. My teen librarian colleague Linda will staff lunch hours on two different days, chat up the library and library card sign-ups and hand out go cups to new registrants, kids who have their library cards or (smart people that they are) those who can recite their card number.

Dinosaur vs. Libraries Field Trip Adventure
Each school year, we like to create a theme around which we build our field trips for preschool-early elementary children. In previous years, the character has been Pete the Cat, Spot and Emma Dodd's dog. This year, Dinosaur is the star. Colleagues Sara and Brooke developed a script around this raucous roarer and the debut last week with our first group of the year told us we have a hit on our hands.

Early Literacy Poetry
We have long wanted to include rhyme and poems in this corner.  Colleague Sherri had the poetry bug hit and created a series of poetry posters that will now be rotated in and out near the "parent" chair. We will be listening for some reciting to tots!




Fire Up with Reading
Yes, I made a contribution despite being hip-deep in administrative work! Our fall firefighter-themed stealth program rewards kids for book check-out by offering them a chance to enter a raffle for some ALA posters, books or a chance to spend two hours at the fire station with the firefighters.  That has the kids interested!  We have long wanted to partner with our fire department and picking up the phone this summer was a simple solution. Our colleagues are just as fired up as we are!

Alot of the work and preparation on these efforts (with amazing support and wizardry from colleague Celine) happened during summer or in the months leading up to SLP. To see it all roll out in just a short two weeks really speaks to me of staff resilience, determination, effort and teamwork.  And it tells me, that the sun does keep rising on our work and efforts.

Sunrise photo courtesy of Pixabay

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The weeds have overtaken my garden.  The rabbits are eating my peas.  Daily, I fight creeping clutter and still, while I sleep, chaos slinks ever nearer.  AAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Gene and Bill - over at Unshelved - have a GREAT contest for libraries.  Check it out.  Send your funny or amazing or creepy library stories to the publisher and your library could win 4 iPads for circulation.  (Among the staff is what I'm thinking but....)

Storytelling Thursday:
The Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild rocked the tent on Monday at Mayfair.  Totally.  From Larry Sceurman with his diddley-bow, through Mary Wright, Chaz Kiernan, Tina Fowler, Robin Reichert and moi-meme, we were awesome - if I do say so myself.  Several of us also graced the Kids Stage.  Many thanks to the awesome sound people and stage managers at the Kids Stage and the Esplanade Stage.


Check the Storytelling Page for What's Up Next!

Storytelling Website:
Dianne de Las Casas has a delightfully appealing website with games, advice, books and fun!  Dianna tells in the Louisiana area and writes colorful picture books as well.  Check out her blog to find out what she is up to now.

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