Big plans this fall in the Children's Library

Cheryl and Kari Dawn have big ideas for this fall's programs and events. For example, tune in next month for more information about a visit from Hawks Aloft, Oct 30.



Cheryl is looking for two 9-foot tall pine trees (hopefully the reusable kind that come in boxes).  If your tree set is missing a few branches, even better.  Please call before you dig it out of storage--we only have room for two.

This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the first printing of Harry Potter.  Back-to-school, Halloween, Fall, and Winter themes around the Children's Library may appear familiar to readers of JK Rowling's series.  I don't have photos yet to share of this work in progress, so please check back.

Speaking of Harry Potter, my sister tells me that if I explore Pottermore.com, eventually I will find Professor McGonagall's story!  This is Ms Rowling's official website.  Aside from finding a House and a wand, it can also be a social network.  The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) posted a blog last month about talking with your kids (or nieces, nephews, cousins, friends) about how to be safe online.  Here is their recent post about things to think about in teaching online safety.

Pictures of 2013 Summer Reading Program (and don't forget the free lunch)

Cheryl and Kari Dawn are blazing new trails this summer.

One new element is the free lunches, provided by The Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Blanca for anyone under 18 years old.  If you have any questions, such as when or other locations, call 808-8338.  These are available every weekday, all summer long, until school starts again in August.

Sharon, Kari Dawn, and Cheryl set up for Summer Reading

Brice Chapman

Brice Chapman 

Ms Golightly

Cheryl loves fascinators

Kari Dawn has a fascinator, too

Civil War Cavalry officer

Brice Chapman's audience

Brice Chapman

Summer Reading Storyteller

The summer has only just begun.  Check the Children's Page or library calendar for what's happening today or tomorrow, through July 31.

More pictures available at the library's photobucket:

If the slideshow does not load above, the link is: http://s692.photobucket.com/user/Library_21/library/   Please let us know if there is a problem with a picture.

#5 Children's programming and materials

Cheryl's Teddy Graham Racers

Ruidoso Public Library is honored to have Cheryl Volosin as Youth Services Supervisor and Kari Dawn Kolander on our Children's Services Team.  This pair packs energy and enthusiasm into every activity, plan, and presentation.  Our Summer Reading Program is off and running with different themes for each week's activities.

click to view larger version of Summer Schedule

Cheryl and Kari Dawn are go-to gals for questions about how to incorporate more reading into your kid's, or kids', daily schedule.  We have audiobooks to help those not yet reading at their peers' level.  Listening to a book still adds new vocabulary--if you note it and practice the new word.  Audiobooks can really help with attention spans if the child can move around or play a little while listening; perhaps drawing a picture about that part of the story.  In a different side of attention spans, audiobooks can engage all the riders in a long car trip, whether discussing what just happened or guessing what comes next.  Audiobooks are also helpful for undiagnosed dyslexia as they keep literature fun and attainable while the system catches up. 

Our children's department has a growing graphic novel collection.  Graphic novels may contain as many words as early reading books and stretch the reader's visual literacy.  This means learning how to interpret a picture, especially to gain context from the background images and to interpolate events between frames.  I think of graphic novels as a gateway--to reading.  Our Kids' catalog is built upon the same principles: Scout displays images rather than words to help our youngest visitors find books of interest.

Ruidoso Public Library has resources for home schooling, too.  You and your student can access online, anytime, free classes from spelling to writing, science to math.  Khan Academy provides free tutoring recordings in maths, science, economics, and test preparation.  

Overdrive is now available; this means you can access, on your computer or download to many different devices and players, kids' ebooks and kids' e-audiobooks.  

I can't end this post without plugging our Pre-School Story Time, Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:15.  Kari Dawn, Cheryl, and occasionally Jennifer, bring two or three picture books to life.  Each week has a theme followed by a similar craft project, geared toward 2-5 year olds.  Anyone with a pre-schooler, who can sit still for 15 minutes, is welcome.

Meet Kari Dawn

Introducing Kari Dawn, Circulation Librarian

Photo by Jennifer Stubbs

Hi! Kari Dawn Kolander here!  I am the newest member of the Ruidoso Public Library family. So, who am I and what makes me tick? Life and all its blessings of course!  Daddy was in the Air Force, so our family, mom, brother (Kevin) and I got to travel quite a bit. Born in Michigan, we headed down south to Texas, then to Germany, with our final destination in California, smack dab in the middle of wine country!  In my late teens, after a time in retail sales, I became the manager of a Sprouse Reitz store in southern California, growing up terribly fast as Los Angeles life was a huge change from the country life I had left in the San Joaquin Valley. Years later, I returned home, driving taxi, managing the Greyhound station, and being a courier for Bank of America. My schedule sent me to Yosemite once a day. It was beautiful!

I began my college career at 35, wondering why those young whippersnappers even bothered getting out of bed. They didn’t seem to care. I, on the other hand, absorbed the knowledge gained like a sponge, taking on the challenge of “education” as my choice of degrees, with a focus in MATH. Yikes! Like most people, I treated math like the plague! Yet through my research, obtaining my Bachelor of Science and a test away from my Masters, I began to understand students and their fears of math. I tutored college classes, wrote on math fears, and even taught beginning algebra.  The tricks?  Find out what triggered the fears and tackle them AND treat math as a puzzle, one where the picture is not available, yet knowing, in the long run, all the pieces WOULD fit together. Although each journey could be different, the end result, if obtained properly, would ultimately be the same. Kinda like life!  Hmmm.

My talents have now brought me to the Ruidoso Public Library.  Being a child at heart, I felt right at home when I worked part-time in the children’s department for the summer reading program.  Now I have moved upstairs, meeting, greeting, and assisting everyone – full time. I love my job!

Fun stuffs?  I love ol’ west history and dress up for Lincoln Days and Fort Stanton Live – just for fun. I like playing with kitty cats, cooking, watching old movies, listening to good ol’ country music, making denim quilts, singing,  being creative, camping, and just in general, positively enjoying life and all it has to offer. Thank you Lord! So, this all being said, see ya at the library!