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Between The Bookcovers

News from the PS8 Library

November 2006
The library program is in full swing with a wonderful group of parent/community volunteers. It took us a while to get going, but the children are coming in each week, borrowing books, and enjoying their library experience. Please note the schedule below so that you can remind your child to return the books borrowed. They are lent for one week only, but children are permitted to renew their books if they haven’t finished reading them. Please help your child get into the habit of returning or renewing his book each week. Children who have not cleared their book records cannot borrow additional books. We do not charge late fees, but lost books currently have a charge of $3.00 per book, a fee that doesn’t come close to the replacement cost of the books, so please, help us get the books returned. Part of the school library experience is to instill a sense of responsibility in the children, but we need your help. The fee is returned should the book be found and returned to the library.

Monday: all Second grade classes
Tuesday: all Kindergarten classes
Wednesday: all First grade classes
Thursday: all Third-grade classes
Friday: all Fourth and Fifth grade classes

Most kindergartners will not be taking their books home, but to their classrooms. We have found from experience that they often forget to bring them back on time and are unduly distressed when they cannot take a new book because of this. Having the teacher responsible for collecting them in the classroom has made the library experience better for these little ones. However, the CTT class, at their teachers’ request, will not be borrowing books at all, but two children each week will take their books home to prepare for book-sharing with the rest of the class. Please check your child’s book bag on library day to see if he/she is one of the two book-sharerers for the week. This should happen only once during the school year.

Each class on all grades will have two children who will share their books with the rest of the class. The child should be prepared to tell the class something about the book and whether he enjoyed reading it. How detailed this information will be will depend on the grade and the child’s ability. This is not something that is graded, but should be a pleasant sharing experience for the children. Ask your child about the books he borrows. Share the reading experience at home.

Something new that’s been in the planning for almost a year is the Library Birthday Club. Children who have had birthdays in October and November have already received birthday greetings from the library with an invitation to bring that greeting to the library to receive a voucher for a free ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Store on Atlantic Avenue. To get the ice cream, all the child has to do is read a book and have their teacher sign the voucher. Bring the voucher in, and enjoy the ice cream! Many thanks to Ben and Jerry’s for this reading incentive. We also have arranged with Barnes and Noble to allow parents to purchase a book donation for the library at a substantial discount (20% off the list price, with no tax added) in honor of their child’s birthday. This is an opportunity to help the library and give your child a sharing experience. Our children receive presents on their birthdays, and this is an chance for them to learn the pleasure of giving. If you bring your child’s birthday greeting to the Barnes and Noble on Court Street and see a customer service representative there, they will allow you to purchase one book for the library at the discount. If you need guidance to choose a book, a list of library ‘wants’ is on deposit there as well as in the library. Our book budget is so very small ($6.00 per child) that if only half the children in the school participate, we will double the number of new books available to our children. Books donated will have a beautiful book plate designed by Paul O. Zelinsky pasted in the front, acknowledging that the book was given to the library by your child in honor of his birthday. See any of the library volunteers for more information should you need it.

A special opportunity:
The Donnell Library Center at 20 West 53rd Street in Manhattan will be holding a wonderful storytelling event in celebration of St. Nicholas Eve in the Central Children’s Room on Thursday, December 7th at 6:30 pm. If you arrive at around 6 pm, there will be snacks and drinks. The program is Uncommon Versions of Favorite Tales, told by John Peters. It should be a wonderful event, celebrating stories and storytelling. All are invited, and it’s free.

Ann Kranis

May 2006
It’s that time of year again: circulation will come to a close on June 2nd, just a few weeks from now. Please make sure that all books have been returned to the library so we can prepare for our doing an inventory in July.

Materials needed for classroom use by the staff can, of course, be retained past June 2nd. Please let the library volunteers know that you are keeping them past the due date so that we don’t spend time sending you unnecessary dunning notices.

Thank you to those who purchased books for the library at the Paddlewheeler in April. The books have been processed and are on our shelves with the donation recognized by the beautiful bookplate designed by Paul O. Zelinsky. We have two “mystery” donations. If you are the Helen or the Henry who bought a book for us, please come to the library and identify yourself so your full name can be put on the bookplate.

The close of the school library’s circulation should not signal the end of regular recreational reading for your child. There are several programs to encourage summer reading. One program is sponsored by Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and Target. They are inviting youngsters aged 5 through 15 to track their reading hours online for a chance to win a Target gift card. You can register for this program any time between May 1 and August 11th at http://www.rif.org/summer/default.mspx Children will also find activities, games, and ways to participate in the RIF Reading Planet Club.

Our Brooklyn Heights branch library is open every day but Sunday. Hours vary, but they are currently open from 10 am to 6 pm, MWF and 1 pm to 8 pm on Tuesdays, 1 pm to 6 pm on Thursdays, and 11 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. The branch will have a Kid’s Day Celebration on Thursday, June 8th, so those of you with little ones at home, consider joining the fun. From 1 to 2 pm, a musician will play Calipso/soca, reggae/ska in the 1st floor auditorium. From 2 to 3 pm, a clown will entertain in the Children’s Room on the 2nd floor. There will be clowning, games, face painting, balloons, a raffle and lots of fun. Most important of all, from 3 to 4 pm, the 2006 Summer Reading Program will kick off with gifts for all children who sign up! That will take place in the Children’s Room also. Direct any questions about this event to Delia Caron, Children’s Librarian at the branch.

Parents who don’t live near this branch of Brooklyn Public Library should check their local branch for date and time of their Summer Reading Program launch. Reading is like any other skill…use it or lose it. Don’t put your child at a disadvantage by allowing the skills learned all year to be lost. Make sure that reading is part of every day’s activities.

Ann Kranis

March 2005
We?ve had a busy year so far at the P.S. 8 Library. All classes are scheduled for library visits once each week. The children enjoy the books, and thanks to the generosity of several parents, we?ve had our meager book budget enhanced so that the collection continues to grow. We?ve been emphasizing the non-fiction collection, particularly science and literature. A whole new collection of Shakespeare plays re-written for second grade readers has been acquired and has been circulating, thanks to the interest stirred by the production of ?Romeo and Juliet? which was seen in the auditorium this fall. The books are suitable for classroom productions as well as for individual reading. Special thanks to Michelle Marozik, Paul O. Zelinsky, Marleny Rafferty, and Barbara Lessense for donations of books and funds that have helped keep the collection growing.

We were able to take advantage of Follett?s generosity by attending the Combined Book Exhibit and getting a $300.00 grant. While that translated into only 25 books (books are expensive!), half of them disappeared into children?s hands the moment they were catalogued! The excitement the books create is an absolute joy to behold.

The big news now is that Mr. Maxcy made contact with the Technical Services people of the DOE and the library has been given three computers and a new printer for the children and staff to use. The computers have internet access and we?ve posted a list of suggested sites for teachers, children and parents that have educational value. We anticipate that by next year, the library catalogue will be viewable on those computers, making the library experience more meaningful and the collection more accessible than it is now.

I am often thanked by the administration and teachers for helping to keep the library working. While I appreciate that, the school owes a great deal to the hard-working, reliable volunteers who come each week to circulate the books and to keep the library in order. Thanks also to the classroom teachers who help us get those books returned and who have created a wonderful sense of community in the school.

Please let the library know if there are books that you wish us to obtain or areas that you feel are not adequately represented in the collection. Teachers, if there is a new area in the curriculum that you are planning to explore, let us know so that we can try to have materials ready for your use.

Ann Kranis

??? DID YOU KNOW ???

Box Tops for education fund-raising program benefits PS8! Be sure to clip the Box Top coupons from consumer product packaging and drop them off in the Parent Room

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