Calvin librarian Lois Dye, a self-proclaimed "foodie," founded Books in the Baking this year after learning about the International Edible Book Festival, a similar contest that has been celebrated worldwide on April Fool's Day -- or as they like to call it, Edible Book Day -- since 2000.
Seems to me this could be a delightful inter-generational program. Think we should try for it next year?
Folks are doing lots of imaginative and fun things with technology for this including:
* using iPhones to play virtual golf around the city * The Urban Disorientation Game: Players are challenged to find their way back to the headquarters after being blindfolded and driven to remote parts of the city. Players will be asked to create maps and explore their surroundings as they make their way back to the starting point. * Human Scale Chess Game * IPhone Drum Circle
I don't imagine many of our teens have iPhones, but what sorts of fun and challenging events can we come up with that use the technology they do have access to? I've already gotten requests for more game tournaments and digital photography scavenger hunts. I'd love to see some innovative ideas for Teen Tech Month. The YALSA theme is Learn, Create, Share @ your library. What could we do that would help teens learn new skills, create cools stuff and show it off through our website?
Looking for a easy, silly fun program idea for that busy back-to-school month between Teen Summer Reading and Teen Read Month? Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th!
Find out how other people celebrated last year, or just get some pirate advice. Perhaps you could have a program on tying knots, show Pirates of the Caribbean, or find a local history expert to talk about our own pirate history. Or maybe get some of the Seafair crew? Looks like The Seattle Knights has a pirate division now, too!
Anne and I attended Sakura-Con way back on April 12th, and I've been meaning to share a bit of that experience, but couldn't think of the right way to approach the random information. And then I was thinking of ways to improve this blog, and realized this was a perfect place to download this sort of info. Especially after I spent a little time yesterday playing with the Flip video camera software and made a tiny movie with the footage we shot there!
Sakura-Con is all about celebrating anime and manga, plus the culture that surrounds them. I went with the main objective of coming up with programming ideas. I contacted a number of young artists, and unfortunately did not find many who were excited about teaching classes at the library (most were sweetly quite shy and inexperience in dealing with the public). Here are a few possibilities:
Elie and Rae - Above*Rain are based out of Lake Stevens. Rebecca Barnes - Washington state - Bluessence Rich Schleifer - Schleifer Studios - Bothell
Costumes are a huge part of Sakura-Con! One of my favorite parts was when they would have Cosplay photo gatherings scheduled, so kids who dressed as characters from the same anime would come together in one big group for photo ops. (Anne always has great photos). Probably wouldn't work as a library program, but maybe a cosplay party?
We attended an awesome Gothic Lolita fashion show, and afterwards I spoke to the presenter, Aimee Skeers, who said she would be willing to do her PowerPoint at a library for a program, and might be able to get her Lolita group to do meet-up as part of the program. (She is part of a Lolita convention in Bellevue this August) My idea is that the library could throw a tea party for them and the teens who attend. Could be fun!
Another organization that might be worth talking to about doing something in the library is the Japan-America Society. They have a Japan in a Suitcase program they offer for young elementary school students, and Japanese Language and Culture Visits they do for secondary school students. Perhaps they could do a mini-immersion program for your anime group, or as a program?
Another both I checked out where the folks seemed interested in doing programs at the library was TsubomiSeishin Kan Dojo - Japanese Martial Arts & Culture. They are located in both Shoreline and Everett adn teach Aikido and Iaido (Japanese swordsmanship!) They are part of the PNBA (Pacific Northwest Budo Association) who coordinates instructional programs on Japanese language and culture, including meditation, calligraphy, bonsai, flower arranging and tea ceremonies!
One final program idea that would be cheap and fun is to have a classic console gaming night. Borrow ancient Atari 2600, Nintendo 64, etc...from your staff and friends and let the teens experience the glory that is old school video gaming!
This is a fresh idea I saw on GNLIB, from Susan Bohn of Hononegah High School :
Our high school library has a library advisory group and they help me plan events for the library. We recently had "ani-May-nia" and one part of the program was a drawing contest. The students submitted drawings inspired by their favorite manga characters and the kids at the program voted for their favorite. I had them turn in their entries prior to the day of the program so I could scan them and make them into temporary tattoos which we scattered on the tables for the kids to take during the program.The tattoo paper I used was a "laser temporary tattoo paper kit" by papilio.com. It costs $11.89 for a pack of 5 sheets. You need a color laser printer to print them. I used five sheets and made 125 tattoos, so the kids could take several. Our students really like contests--drawing contests, trivia contests, etc. This was a fun way to use the entries from the drawing contest and give something to everyone who came.
Looking for fun project ideas for teen programs, or just yourself? Here are some of my favorite magazines/sites to browse:
Craft: the first project based magazine dedicated to the renaissance in the world of crafts. Slightly geekier than the typical Michael's crafts crowd.
Make: technology on your time Tech geek version of Craft.
ReadyMade: Instructions for Everyday Life Very hip, environmentally conscious, and grades projects by difficulty and cost. I love this incredibly simple project!: Photo Ops
Instructables: Make, How to, and DIY People post their own how to instructions for more things than you can imagine!
I think this has to be one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. I'm thinking that it could be a fun program, with a few modification (ditch the slap machine, and maybe the old man...)
These little boxes are just so much fun to make! They also make a neat alternative to a card – you can even put in a tiny letter or a small pressie which reflects the theme of your shrine…
I just came across a book that supplies you with everything you need to run a great teen program that will appeal to crafters, Japanphiles, and anyone who loves all things cute. The book is The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo (a company that specializes in cute goods). Inside are patterns and thorough (but simple) directions on how to construct adorable little felt characters using felt, glue, and embroidery thread. I bet teens would love this. Maybe a pre-holiday program for making little gifts?
Jackie sent on this delightful article about a program that the Calvin College Libraries did:
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