Whatever you think a library is, trust me, it is more.  Experiencing a library as both a patron and a librarian makes it clear that books are only a small part of a library.  Walking through the library doors, you can feel a sense of community, inclusion, knowledge, safety, help, and welcome.  And those are very good things.

The Golden Ticket program has seen a resurgence since the new Willy Wonka movie released.  This program is very customizable to suit the needs of each library.

Ballet Folklorico!  This troupe performs around 60 times per year and they certainly delivered.  Showcasing dances from different regions of Mexico, the dancers were enthusiastic and engaging.  This was a spectacular kick off to the entire event.

Story time outreach can be a bit like entering the final frontier!  You only have a vague idea of what you will find when you get to your destination.  So be prepared! Go long? Shorter? Song? Your story time toolkit must be fully stocked for outreach.

Programming requires a librarian to stretch a budget within an inch of its life!  Ordering prize books through Scholastic nets more books due to earned points for money spent.  The books may not be the newest or most popular titles but can certainly help fill a prize shelf.

Eek! I'm so excited about this wackadoo party!  And now I have exhausted all of my knowledge of Bluey.  I have missed out on this cultural phenomenon and am apparently worse off for it.  Summer plans now include binge watching Bluey along with Dr. Who.  #BingingGoals 

Renee Kirchner, Youth Services supervisor for the Lewisville Public Library.  With over 15 years of public librarianship experience, Renee has been an invaluable resource for a practicum supervisor!  Calm and collected, she does it all.  No water at the library- no problem!  She is on the case.  Suddenly having to pack up an entire office, work area, and the entire youth department for new carpet and paint?  No problem! Renee has a plan.

If librarianship has a zeitgeist it may be "It takes a village and brainstorming is the way"!  Floating ideas, adding or subtracting bits, working together are some of the defining terms in programming.  Things work when everyone knows how they work.  Clear communications is key and nothing beats a good spreadsheet!

Kickoff to Spring Break activities include the "OMG My Kids Are Driving Me Crazy and They Need Something To Do!  Right!  Now!"  event.  The library steps up with programming on Day 1 of break with crafting.  Creative chaos reigns supreme as multiple self directed craft stations draw patrons in for 2 hours. 

The Adult Services Desk where . . .well, if adults or teens actually asked questions I am sure lots of things would happen here!  Typically a quiet area, adult service librarians are always ready for any question.  But ask them a question that means they get to flex their librarian skills?  You have now unleashed Super Librarian who WILL help you with All The Things!

Moveable display shelving create reader advisory opportunities anywhere.  Effective displays spark interest and offer information while eliminating the (sometimes onerous) need to consult with a librarian.  Teens hate nothing more than having to ask for help!

The Story Stroll program brings literacy to the park!  With 19 stations, a story is displayed with extension questions or activities posted below the image.  Outreach programs are always trying to bring the library to the community in one way or another.  While this is a very time intensive "passive program", how fun would it be for a child to race from one page to another, so excited to finish reading the story?

The Spanish section of World language reflects both the demographics of Lewisville as reported by the Census and patronage of the library.  Usage data indicates that Spanish language picture books are in high demand while Spanish language Non-fiction is not.  The shelf space dedicated to each is adjusted accordingly.

A cart load of worn picture books is a normal sight in the children's department.  These books have seen things!  Not all worn books will be discarded.  Librarians using the CREW Method will make the final determination.  

Family Craft Night occurs once a month and is largely self directed by the patrons.  This come and go event has regular attendees and is a big hit with the both the children and their parents.  

Programming is finalized months in advance.  Then the marketing begins!  Each librarian event coordinator designs, prints, and displays all marketing for their event.  

The Caldecott Medal Award is an annual award celebrating exceptional illustrators.  This section is usually kept as a continually growing collection with all the previous award winners.

Charissa Stewart is the glue that holds all the pieces of the library together!  Her custom spreadsheets keep the staff aware of budget, ordering procedures, and timelines while also keeping data organized making it easier for the director at yearly budgeting meetings.

I prepared two different story times to practice.  Hearing the story out loud helps when deciding what age group would respond best to the story, what works and what doesn't, and to develop the flow of story time. 

Daisy is the Old English Sheepdog puppet Renee uses for Toddler Storytime.  Daisy and Renee usually tell a simple joke at the beginning of story time.  Simple jokes are a great way to introduce a call and response such as "knock knock, who's there", introduce the concept of multiplicity of meaning for language, and acts as a marker for story time, letting the audience know where they are in the story time sequence and what they should be doing.

Not every patron likes to ask for help.  Teens notoriously do not like asking for help!  The Youth Department offers passive reader's advisory information in as many ways as possible.  

The amazing RFID sorting machine (which I will call Big Mama McSorts-A-Lot) is fascinating to watch!  Books are dropped into the Return Shute onto a conveyor belt.  They will pass under the RFID scanner again at the top of the belt.  The books are then pushed onto roller bars and "popped" into the correctly sorted bins.  

The hexagonal wooden tiles were created using the equipment found in the Hive Maker Space.  The tiles show examples of the 3D Printer, Laser cutter and engraver, Carvey CNC milling machine, Sublimation, and other Maker Space equipment.   

The LPL has a lot of librarian resource material to work with.  In addition to many reference books, the librarians may utilize flannel board materials, crafting materials, Big Books, puppets, and music when creating their events.  I spent some time looking though story time books and materials.