[I changed the theme or skin of the blog. I'm ready for spring. Maybe Mother Nature will take the hint.]

There were 34 new attendees at the CSLP Annual Conference. By 2008 there will be 44 states represented. Of the people I met, and I met a lot, most mentioned either having relatives living in Oklahoma, growing up in Oklahoma or having visited Oklahoma. It was a thrill to be able to plug our state, it’s 100th birthday and our summer reading program.

Here are the highlights from the meetings:

I joined the Children’s Manual and Teen’s Manual Committees. The means that Oklahoma will be represented when asked for ideas for slogans, themes, room/space decorating and programs. Also, members will need to proofread the manual chapters as they come out.

Visit Georgia’s Children’s Services. They have their manual online as well as some art work.
State representatives voted on the 2009 Children’s Slogan. Those who responded to my post and e-mail heavily favored Arts Alive @ Your Library. Arkansas used this same slogan in 2002, so it was not chosen. It came down to: Imagine @ Your Library and Get/Be Creative @ Your Library. There was discussion between “Be” or “Get” and it was decided that “Be” is easier to translate into Spanish.

The slogan for 2009 Children’s SRP is “Be Creative @ Your Library“. The “@ Your Library” branding is well-known internationally. ALA supplies multi-language graphics for download using the brand.

State reps voted on the 2009 Teen’s Slogan. The five choices were: Rock the Shelves @ Your Library; Create Your World @ Your Library; Lights! Camera! Read!; Express Yourself @ Your Library and Live Art Loud.

[The teen slogans were mixed in with the children's slogan in the post and e-mail that I sent out. I thought I would have more time to get your opinions before voting, but that turned out not to be the case.]

Discussion was that Live Art Loud, while a good slogan, is hard to say. Also, an imperative twelve-year-old could stick an “f” in front on “Art” changing the meaning entirely. This brought many giggles.

The slogan chosen is: Express Yourself @ Your Library.

State reps voted on 2010 general theme. It was discovered that Delaware is the only state without a national park. The choices were: Water; Food/Get Fit; Cultures around the World; Time Travel; Superheroes and Ecology.

The theme for 2010 is Water. I started pulling books from the juvenile collection and there are a lot of topics water covers: sailing, beaches, the different forms of water: ice, liquid, steam; weather, cooking, etc. Also, the 2002 Oklahoma Summer Reading Manual “Books Ahoy” can be used.

It is not possible at the time to have the manual online. This is because the Collaborative receives revenue from manual sales, there are security issues and the manual is copyrighted by the Collaborative. Sorry, guys. It’s an issue that has come up before and will still come up in the future.

You can view the Collaborative’s 2007 Children’s and Teen’s PSA’s and manual outlines. Click on “Programs”.

I’ve signed Oklahoma up as being interested in the Mother Goose Program funded by the National Science Foundation. The program infuses math and science principles into library programs, like story time. It’s geared for ages 3 to 7. I’ll find out more information.

Other states are offering incentives to encourage public libraries to work more closely with schools. One state gives $200 worth of new paperbacks to a school/library for starting and building a new relationship.

CSLP web site has a Family Literacy web page which discusses the “summer setback” when kids don’t read over the summer.

South Dakota State Library is offering a traveling art exhibit. It’s a Hands-On Partnership for Literature, Science and Art. They are bringing art to rural and reservation libraries.

Pennsylvania has a One Book program for ages 3 to 6. A book is chosen and provided to not only libraries, but daycare centers, HeadStart classrooms and home-based schools.

Washington has started an early reader program by translating the book of early literacy into six different languages. The books include nursery rhymes from the originating country.

Next year’s meeting will be in Little Rock, AR. 2009 will be in Omaha, Nebraska. 2010 is in Michigan and 2011 will be in either Washington or Alaska. Alaska may be cost prohibitive, so they may assist with hosting in Seattle.

All in all, it was a very informative conference. I was able to match faces to names that I was seeing on the listserv. Many of the statewide programs information came from the Youth Services Consultant’s (YSCON) meeting. They are a wonderful resource of information and I have found them invaluable. It is my plan to start programs like those listed above in our state. And by joining the Collaborative, I will be able to do so.

Hold on tight, librarians. We are going to fly!