Jodi Bird is the youth services manager at the Menomonie Public Library. If you've been to a summer library program workshop, you've probably seen her generously sharing some great ideas for anything from storytimes to decorations. Thanks to Jodi for being game to answer a bunch of questions!
How long have you
been the children’s librarian in Menomonie, and what have been a few of the
biggest changes since you started?
I have been the children’s librarian for 13 years. Some of the biggest changes since I stared
are making it through a minor renovation which included moving every item in
the library, new carpet, putting together new shelves and putting back every
item. I have also worked with four
different directors during this time.
What are your
favorite parts of the job?
My favorite parts are the little things: seeing
story time kids at a graduation party, grocery store, or bike race and getting
a big hug; having a little person asking me if I know his number (he had just
turned 3); giving a ratty old puppet that was being withdrawn to a patron who
was so excited she had to give me a hug; watching a brother and sister who have
gone through all our story time groups still come in and volunteer to help us
with programs. So many little things
like this make this the best job to have.
Have you had
experience with a terrible program in Menomonie that you would contribute to a
Gallery of Terrible Programs?
I would say we have had 2 terrible programs. One was with the Bug Guy a couple of years
ago. I’m sure many people have had him,
but he did not do well with the large number of kids we had that day. The other was just this summer. We had Bob the Beachcomber who was an
incredibly overpriced karaoke singer.
Not the greatest performer we’ve ever had.
What’s a program or
service you have been especially proud to provide?
The program I am most proud to provide is story times. When I first started as children’s librarian
we had a working relationship with children’s literature classes from
UW-Stout. They would provide students
from their class to do story times.
Sometimes we’d get really great students who knew what they were doing,
but often times it was someone who thought children’s literature would be an
easy class to take. Numbers were low
during this time. It was really hard to
break this connection that had been going on long before I started, but
definitely worth it. Our story time
numbers increased once we started providing quality, consistent story
times. We continue to get new people
every day. I don’t have much to do with
preschool story times any more as I have great staff that take care of it for
me, but this programs evolution is one I’m especially proud of.
Tell us about a book
you have read recently that you really enjoyed.
What made it so good?
It is always so hard to pick one. I’m going to go with Wonder by R.J.
Palacio. This is a story of struggle and
acceptance. And although it wraps up a little neatly I’d
still like to believe that kids can
accept someone despite their physical appearance.
When you aren’t
working at the library, what do you like to do?
When I’m not working I like to read, jog, watch football,
spend time with my family.
Please share a book
or activity you’ve used recently at story time that went over really well.
We like to use something we call “The Shaking Sheet”. Basically it is a twin flat sheet that we use
for parachute type games. Sometimes we
put cotton balls on it and shake snowflakes, paper raindrops to make it rain,
etc. The kids love it. Labels: meet a librarian