Teen Librarian…Extraordinaire!

I’m a little behind the curve here (better late than never…), but I wanted to take a moment to continue to congratulate Amanda Hirst, Redmond’s Teen Librarian. 

Amanda was honored by the Lake Washington School District Parent Teacher Student Association in February for her service to the community.  Each year, during their Founder’s Day Luncheon, Lake Washington PTSA honors individuals from the community for their outstanding work with children and youth. Amanda facilitates much networking and programming with the Redmond High School and faculty nominated her for the award.

Want to catch Amanda in action?  Visit the Redmond Library and check out a teen event!

Jaime’s KCLS Jaunt #24 and #25: Woodmont and Des Moines

I think this trip epitomized more than most how I never know what delightful experiences I’m going to have when I visit a new library!  Chris joined me for trip number 14 – visits to the Woodmont and Des Moines libraries, both located in Des Moines.

 

My last-minute-morning-of map printing troubles non-withstanding, we easily found the Woodmont branch as it is conveniently located off the Pacific Highway in south Des Moines.  “Jewel of a building” is something I’ve heard a lot when this building is mentioned, and it’s so very true! The library was expanded and renovated in 2008 and like most recent libraries has plenty of natural light and soaring ceilings. Rachel, the Teen Librarian, was kind enough to spend a few minutes with us before we looked around.  A recent Alice in Wonderland party with film viewing was a success and the weekly Game On series continuously proves popular with visiting teens at Woodmont.

As Chris and I wandered around admiring some of the artwork, I saw a familiar face – Xiomara, the Spanish Story Time storyteller that Doris and I were so enthralled with when we visited the Kent library! (Yikes, three months ago now!)  With smiles all around, we chatted with her for a few  minutes.  Woodmont is one of the 6 KCLS libraries that she visits.

As we parted from Xiomara, a patron at a terminal next to what appeared to be lockers, caught our eye.  The patron scanned her card, scanned a DVD case, and out popped the disc from the machine!  Automated DVD checkout!  KCLS is piloting this system, by Integrated Technology Group, at Woodmont.  Heather, another KCLS staff member, showed us how the system worked from a librarian’s perspective.  I’ll be interested to see how the pilot turns out!

We took the scenic route to the Des Moines branch, along Marine Drive that gave us views of the Puget Sound.  And fittingly, as we got out of the car, we could smell the “sea air”.  Outside of the library building, there is a wonderful sculpture of a turtle, with a relief map of Puget Sound carved in its shell.  Since it was raining, water was filling the map, and it was quite neat.

Once inside, we were lucky enough to receive a library tour from Pauline, the Cluster Manager.  Also renovated in 2008, this library contains an abundance of natural light (of course!) and has a children’s area that seems to take up much of the library.  There was much discussion on how awesome and popular the Caspar Babypants programs are for children.  Now, I really want him to visit a library that’s still on my list! 

We took our leave from the Des Moines branch and headed just a few minutes away to lunch at Wally’s Chowder Broiler House.  Sadly, the weather was not cooperating and we didn’t get to dine on their patio.  However, my fish and. . .onion rings. . .were delicious, our server was super friendly, and the conversation was lively.  There’s too many books to recommend and discuss over one short lunch!

2009 Summer Reading Program is a Hit!

The King County Library System's 2009 Summer Reading Program has ended, and what a success it has been!

Throughout the KCLS member libraries, 43,549 pre-school through elementary-aged children signed up. Of those, 2891 were from Redmond. Children who completed 1000 minutes of reading time will receive a certificate of achievement, a coupon for a mini-pizza, and an art supplies kit. In addition, they were eligible for a drawing to win a laptop computer!

During the summer, each library offered a variety of children's programs. In the video below, master magician Jeff Evans amazes the kids at the Redmond Library with his magic show "The Creative Conjuror":

Teen Reading Programs
Teens have been participating in their own Summer Reading Program events, Read 3 Get One Free and Read.Flip.Win, a video book review contest. The grand prize winner’s video is based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:

Tron: A Classic Movie from the Redmond Outdoor Movie Series

On Saturday, August 29th the classic 1982 movie, Tron, will be shown at Idylwood Beach as part of Redmond’s free Summer 2009 Outdoor Movie Series. Other movies being shown are Hook and Kung Fu Panda. Hook will be shown at Idylwood Beach on Saturday, August 1st. Kung Fu Panda will be shown at City Hall on Friday, August 14. All movies start at dusk—around 9:30 pm. These movies are presented by the City of Redmond Teen Programs. For more info, contact rypac@redmond.gov, or call 425-556-2358.

Tron
Tron is a 1982 science fiction film by Disney. It has a distinctive visual style, as it was one of the first films from a major studio to use computer graphics exclusively.

You might recall that the Master Control Program (MCP) is the main villain of the movie. It was a rogue artificial intelligence that ruled over the world inside ENCOM's mainframe computer.  During the rule of the MCP, many programs were enslaved and forced to play games against its henchmen, led by Sark. Memorably, the MCP would end most of its conversations with Dillinger and Sark with the phrase "End of line".

Enjoy this blast from the past!

I (Heart) Harry Potter

Like millions of adoring HP fans, I anxiously awaited the Half Blood Prince and had movie tickets in advance to view on opening day. The theater was packed with young and young-at-heart alike. I have seen midnight showings, stood in line at midnight for books, and even once had a Canadian concierge deliver a book because we accidentally scheduled a weekend trip on a book release day. (She was also getting one for her daughter at midnight, so it wasn't too terribly inconvenient!) JK Rowling creates a world that mirrors our own in many ways, but has just enough of the fantastic to create an unforgettable coming-of-age epic.

At its most basic, it's a good v. evil costume drama saga (my favorite kind of book and/or movie!), where nearly everything imaginable is possible through wizardry. Plus, the Quidditch effects improve with each film! I am unconcerned with deletions or additions in the translation from book to film - it's a completely different medium for artistic expression so I let a little interpretation here and there slide by. The last books are very dark at times and I was glad to see that the movie doesn't sugar coat the events. (Two of my favorite "evil" characters below.)

Besides the books and movies, one of my favorite elements of the franchise is the variety of industries that also create tie-ins:

• Want to view the first 5 movies? Redmond Library showcased the preceding films in the run up to opening week.
• Want to read about special effects? View this article from Popular Mechanics.
• Want to try a few inspired recipes? Palate Sensations (in Singapore) offered a Harry Potter cooking class.
• Want to see props and learn more about Potter science and technology? Visit Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry exhibit.
• Want to take a vacation? In the next few summers visit Florida's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

With the Deathly Hallows split into 2 movies, there will be a couple more years of anxious anticipation before I have to say goodbye (again) to "new" Harry Potter adventures.

Be Creative @ Your Library: 2009 Summer Reading Program

Beginning June 15, all 44 KCLS community libraries will host summer reading programs with the theme, Be Creative @ Your Library. There will be activities, books, and adventures targeting three age groups:

	Babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers can participate with their parents in special pre-reading activity games.
	Kids in elementary school have a full array of programs and events to accompany their reading, with prizes for reaching their reading goal.
	For teens, KCLS has a Summer version of the popular Read Three, Get One Free reading program with books for prizes.

To learn more about this KCLS program, see Summer Reading Program. For info on reading activities at the Redmond library, see Schedule of Events.

About the Be Creative Artwork
The whimsical, creative kids and critters are the innovations of illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow. He has illustrated more than thirty books and one film, Horton Hears a Who. He was a long time cartoonist for the Springfield News Sun (Ohio). He now focuses entirely on books for children and movies. For an entertaining visit to this gifted artist’s world, see Catrow.com.

Read. Flip. Win.

More proof that good books make good "TV". . .the King County Library System is again hosting its summer contest for teens - Video Book Reviews. The King County Library System Foundation sponsors this event. Middle/junior high to high school students are invited to read a great book and then create and post a short (up to 3 minutes) review or trailer to the book. Grand prize winning teens will take home Flip Video Cameras!

A selection of recent entries are posted as they are submitted in June and July - check out the 2008 winners! KCLS embraces Web 2.0 technologies like Facebook and YouTube to host this event - a great way to "partner" with other free services to make participation in this event as easy as possible.

Complete rules for entry are on the KCLS website.

Create the Next KCLS Library Card!

The King County Library System (KCLS) is sponsoring a Library Card Contest for school-age children. Elementary, middle school, and high school students are invited to submit designs for a new KCLS library card. Three winners, one from each age group, will have their design featured on a library card! Each winner also receives a $100.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble.

Contest Details
Submissions may be in any medium, such as photography, crayon, marker, and pen and ink. All photos and illustrations must be original works and free of copyright restrictions.

Entries may be submitted from April 1 to April 30, 2009. For more information, see Library Card Contest.

 

 

KCLS Video Book Review Contest: Great Animated Entry!

Read.Flip.Win
The July 31st deadline for submitting entries to the Read.Flip.Win video book review contest has passed. This contest, which was open to teens 13 to 18 years old, required contestants to shoot a short video (up to 3 minutes long) and post it to their YouTube account. Click here to see all the submitted entries on YouTube. The grand prize winner of the contest will win a Flip Ultra Video Camera! Runner-up prizes are Creative MP3 Players. Winners will be announced later in August.

Wendelin’s Animated Entry
Here’s a video contest entry that features a great animated book review by Wendelin:

Catch the Reading Bug at the Redmond Library!

Catch the Reading Bug is the theme for the 2008 Summer Reading Programs at King County Library System. All 43 KCLS community libraries, including the Redmond Library, will host bug-themed programs, activities, books and adventures in three age-based programs:

	Pre-schoolers can participate with their parents in a special pre-reading activity game.
	Kids have a full array of programs and events to accompany their reading, and prizes for reaching their reading goal.
	For teens, KCLS has a Summer version of the popular Read Three, Get one Free reading program with books for prizes.

Redmond Library Programs 
For more information about Redmond Library summer programs, see the Redmond Library Schedule of Events. Here are some upcoming programs at the Redmond Library:

La Cucaracha  7/21/08 at 2:00 PM Hear stories and songs about spiders, butterflies, mosquitoes and, of course, cockroaches! This Spanish/English program introduces basic Spanish language skills in a fun and engaging way.

Thumbelina  7/25/08 at 2:00 PM Thumbelina is no bigger than a bug. Colorful shadow puppets with live music played on electric guitar and hammer dulcimer tell the story of the original flower child.

Waiter, There's a Fly in My Song!  8/5/08 at 2:00 PM Meet Sticky the Fly for a musty, moldy and very musical game of Old Fish. Silly songs, six-legged stories, puppets and props make for a high-participation sing-along, dance-along music concert.

Meet the Beetles!  8/15/08 at 2:00 PM A group of beetle friends dream about becoming rock stars. This story is brought to life with colorful puppets and original songs.

Reading Bug Art 
The Reading Bugs are created by illustrator and cartoonist Harry Bliss, a cartoonist and cover artist for New Yorker Magazine. Downloadable bug graphics are available for use in media stories about the KCLS Summer Reading Program. More about Harry Bliss.

Redmond Library Video Filming Event

The Redmond Library will host a video filming event for teens on Friday, July 18th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. You can use the library’s camera for filming and a laptop for editing so you can create an entry for the KCLS Read.Flip.Win video book review contest. You must sign-up in advance to use the camera and laptop. For more information contact Amanda, Teen Services Librarian, or call 425-885-1861.

Read.Flip.Win
The Read.Flip.Win video book review contest is open to teens 13 to 18 years old. Shoot a short video (up to 3 minutes long) and post it to your YouTube account. Click here for more details. The grand prize winner of the contest will win a Flip Ultra Video Camera! Runner-up prizes are Creative MP3 Players. The contest runs through July, so please enter videos anytime between July 1 and July 31, 2008. Winners will be announced in August.

City of the Beasts Video Book Review
Here’s a video contest entry that has been uploaded to YouTube that features a book review on Isabel Allende’s City of the Beasts:

Chat with a KCLS librarian

You can reach a KCLS librarian online, by phone, and in person for help with reference requests. Your online options include Live Chat and Email. For the complete list of ways to contact a KCLS librarian, see Ask a Librarian.

Live Chat
This service provides up to 20 minutes of live chat service for your question. The main focus of this service is to provide quick information and referrals using online sources, including KCLS online databases, the library catalog and the Internet. For information on how to use this service, see About Live Chat.

From the beginning, the Ask a Librarian live chat service attracted a growing numbers of students needing math and science help — this type of help was extremely difficult to answer in a traditional chat environment. To solve this problem, KCLS started an online tutoring service for students in grades 4-12, and began to transition students from the Ask a Librarian live chat service to the new Live Homework Help service in 2005.

Students in grades 4-12 and those taking introductory college courses can receive up to 20 minutes of specialized help per session with homework assignments in math, science, English, and social studies. Both these chat services are only available to KCLS cardholders. If you do not have a library card, you can apply for one online or in any KCLS community library.

Fast Facts: Since online chat services started in 2003, the volume of requests has risen:

Email
Ask a Librarian also provides an E-mail reference service available to KCLS cardholders. Note that you can search the library collection, place holds, and even renew items yourself by using the KCLS Library Catalog.

What types of questions do people ask?
KCLS librarians receive questions about all sorts of topics. Here’s a sampling of questions asked:

Q: Where can I find free images to use in a presentation featuring historical photos of dams, hatcheries, and salmon?

Q: Where can I get statistics on the number of people traveling abroad for business and vacation?

Q: Where can I find information on how to build a hydrogen generator that converts water into hydrogen fuel?

Teen Zone

The Teen Zone is a resource for events, programs, reading, books, and homework help. Check out the Redmond Library Teen Zone page on MySpace.

The Study Zone is a great place for students to study, do homework and get help with their questions. Volunteer tutors provide free homework help during Study Zone hours. Students can find help in all subject areas, including Math, Science, and WASL and SAT test preparation.

To find out the latest Study Zone schedule at the Redmond Library, click here. Then view the calendar under the Programs, Classes & Events heading.