Heather Unverified 12:01 PM Feel better soon! WebJunction Webinars 12:01 PM Thank you, Chelsea!! WJ Support 12:02 PM Edited https://www.facebook.com/MeserveyPublicLibrary/ kmiller Unverified 12:03 PM I appreciate the ideas coming from the perspective of having a small budget! Shannon B Unverified 12:03 PM Hello for Cleveland, TN! lynnvillebranch@gilescountylibrary.org 12:03 PM Lynnville, TN Trudy Gregg Unverified 12:03 PM Hi from Mosheim TN April Demes Unverified 12:04 PM YES! 80 students grade 6-9, all by myself and also run the office Gallison Memorial Library Unverified 12:04 PM Town of 902 in Downeast Maine. I am the only paid employee. Stephanie Unverified 12:04 PM I'm a new solo Librarian! I run the entire youth and teen department as of November 10!! Sarah Unverified 12:04 PM My previous library was solo work and in a village of 250 ish (Forestburg) plus rural residents Joyce Unverified 12:04 PM Smyrna Public Library serves about the same population Heather Unverified 12:04 PM 771 populations. I have a couple clerks Tonia Unverified 12:04 PM solo Marie Unverified 12:04 PM 1056 Boswell IN Lonetta Beshears Unverified 12:04 PM Lonetta Beshears, from Sunbright Public Library WJ Support 12:04 PM Copy of the slides are available at: https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/bigimpactsmallbudget.html Kaleigh Campbell Unverified 12:04 PM Bluff City, TN Shanni-ICL Unverified 12:04 PM My home town has 800 people. Mindy Kenyon Unverified 12:04 PM Hi from westcliffe, CO town of 700. But you deserve a county of 5000 Robin Vincent Unverified 12:06 PM We have approximately 1500 people Jackie Unverified 12:07 PM Chaos, Fredric Unverified 12:07 PM Action. Katie Booher (she/her) Unverified 12:07 PM rambunctious, LOUD Victoria Fleming Unverified 12:07 PM uncertainty Amy Rae Weaver Unverified 12:07 PM Need Adrianna Warfield Unverified 12:07 PM gaming Anya McCaig - Kent County Public Library Unverified 12:07 PM Mixed feelings. Cate Land Unverified 12:07 PM 5 VERY BUSY BOYS Emilee Gates-Sawicki Unverified 12:07 PM Inconsistent. FW Fitzgerald, William 12:07 PM Librarians become Security Guards WebJunction Webinars 12:07 PM energy! Cayla Unverified 12:07 PM Busy, computers. SL Sherri Lazenby 12:07 PM non-existent Rebecca Molloy Unverified 12:07 PM Noise Nicole Baker Unverified 12:07 PM Hungry! Gallison Memorial Library Unverified 12:07 PM I was a classroom teacher in my previous career, so I look forward to seeing the kids. Rachel Unverified 12:07 PM Relief - for the kids :) Shanni-ICL Unverified 12:07 PM Quiet unfortunately Evelyn Unverified 12:07 PM very busy Gracie Ward Unverified 12:07 PM Tired Stephanie Unverified 12:08 PM Hungry! Sarah T. Unverified 12:08 PM I'm a teen librarian, I feel like that, compared to when I was a teen, the Teen crowd has definitely shifted from quiet, studious kids, to broader hangout groups. Shannon B Unverified 12:09 PM i have a good amount of attendance, but i'm mostly looking for more ideas on a budget. Amy Rae Weaver Unverified 12:09 PM I would agree, Sarah T. In my experience, the teens I see are the ones with nowhere else to go - the studious quiet kids are so overscheduled that I only see them if they're volunteering. Sarah T. Unverified 12:11 PM For me the biggest constraints are time/staffing. We run a Homework Center, but we can only run it two days a week because I have to balance it out with my desk shifts. DeAnn, Galena Public Library Unverified 12:12 PM Sarah, do you have volunteers who assist you in running the homework center, or is it just you and the staff? Sarah T. Unverified 12:13 PM I have teen Volunteers, which make it a very popular program with both kids and teens, but they still need librarian oversight. Sarah T. Unverified 12:14 PM But our Homework Center is also limited to their general schedules/availabilities. Again, these are high-achieving, often overscheduled kids. Anya McCaig - Kent County Public Library Unverified 12:15 PM As a former teacher, yes the prices at Target add up! Sabrina (she/her) Unverified 12:18 PM Pre-School to High School! What a challenge! Alice Freiler - Harwinton Library Unverified 12:18 PM What a trooper you are to do this even though you are not feeling well - thank you! Jennifer Patterson Unverified 12:24 PM where does the budget come from for the after school cooking class? Anya McCaig - Kent County Public Library Unverified 12:24 PM How do you reach out for these partnerships? Jackie Unverified 12:24 PM I think our extension offfice does cooking classes. Barb Unverified 12:25 PM What time do you usually hold these events? Shannon B Unverified 12:25 PM also check with your local YMCA - they might have a program that you could collaborate with them on Vanessa Unverified 12:28 PM Farmb Amy Rae Weaver Unverified 12:28 PM A shepherd! Marisa Lowe Unverified 12:28 PM How did you find the local meteorologist? Christine vondeben Unverified 12:30 PM I’m in a very small town that doesn’t have most of these resources/ businesses- how do you find people to want to come especially when they usually want compensation or to charge the participants (which our library does not) Jonathan Unverified 12:56 PM I used to work at a library that didn't have a budget for regular partnerships (we did for summer, but not really otherwise). I started just going to businesses with a folder of information and a proposal for partnerships. I'd be very specific about what I wanted from them and what I'd be doing to support them. I sold it as "This is your opportunity to make a difference in your community, and we'll advertise that the program is offered as a partnership with you." I tried to make them feel like guest stars- I would host the program, they're just there to talk to the kids about their job or skill. More often than not, people were so excited to come out and volunteer their time, and very often they made the ideas bigger than I had even asked for. WebJunction Webinars 12:31 PM We will be getting to questions at the end. Karla Unverified 12:33 PM WE do scavenger / treasure hunts often. Right now we have a turkey that lost its feathers. The children find a feather and return it to library staff for a small candy or temporary tattoo as a reward. Sarah T. Unverified 12:34 PM We do scavenger hunts, too! We hide letters around the children's room that are matched to different characters/images, and the kids decode a message for a cheap prize as well. Amy Rae Weaver Unverified 12:34 PM For scavenger hunts, we reward kids with stickers - and a lot of them come from picture books we've bought. When a Pete the Cat book comes with 40 free stickers or w/e, we save them for exactly this purpose. Karla Unverified 12:36 PM If we have extra crafts from an event like summer reading program we save them for later. They go into a drawer for the children to choose from when bored. Bethany Unverified 12:37 PM I often do a bigger raffle prize for scavenger hunts to avoid giving out plastic junk. We do use up the stickers and tattoos we collect in a drawer too. Deana Rolfsmeyer (Whitewater) Unverified 12:38 PM We have a scavenger hunt posted in the children's department every month (I save them and repeat the same ones every year). We hand out scratch 'n sniff bookmarks for the kids who finish. Sarah T. Unverified 12:38 PM Stuffy Sleepovers! The kids bring in their stuffed animals for a storytime and they stay at the library overnight, the librarian takes pictures of, the stuffies going on adventures around the library, and the kids come and pick up their stuffed animals in the morning. It also provides a lot of material for Social Media content. Gracie Ward Unverified 12:42 PM We did this at my library and it was a huge success! We took photos of the stuffed animals attending storytime, watching a movie, eating breakfast at our play kitchen, ect. It was a huge hit on social media as well! Emilee Gates-Sawicki Unverified 12:40 PM To avoid food waste, you can use those water balloons that come on stems and you fill them up with a hose. WebJunction Webinars 12:40 PM cherry picker! SL Sherri Lazenby 12:40 PM cherry pickers Jackie Unverified 12:40 PM Cherry picker Jonathan Unverified 12:40 PM Your local fire department might be willing to come out for egg drop contests too. Jackie Unverified 12:41 PM That would be fun! Michele Kaminski Unverified 12:43 PM I have done the pumpkin puking - we wore aprons, plastic glasses, and gloves to add to the excitment. Always a big hit Victoria Fleming Unverified 12:44 PM I have a giant tote of red solo cups that we have had for years, and the kids love building with them. It's one of those activities where you buy the cups first and then can use them over and over. Megan Brand Unverified 12:45 PM How do you turn taste tests into a whole program? Joyce Unverified 12:45 PM Will you have notes for this? I have a loud tutor group and am having a hard time hearing. Thanks. SL Sherri Lazenby 12:46 PM Have the kids try all the different flavors and vote for the favorite (i.e. different flavors of oreos) weird soda flavors, or internation candy Megan Brand Unverified 12:46 PM that feels more passive program to me than full, well balanced program Joyce Unverified 12:46 PM I did the tiny art show and it was very popular Anya McCaig - Kent County Public Library Unverified 12:47 PM Our "Snack-Around-the-World" events have been successful at our library! We've subscribed to Universal Yums for the international snacks. Hannah Unverified 12:48 PM I was looking into purchasing a subscription, do you recommend Universal Yums? Do they provide a decent amount? This would be for teens and the more the better. Anya McCaig - Kent County Public Library Unverified 12:50 PM Yes, Universal Yums has been helpful! You can customize what kind of snacks to order (e.g. sweet , savory, or variety) Universal Yums provides fun facts, too for a trivia aspect. Jennifer Murray Unverified 12:47 PM Our teens love perler beads and diamond art. They will do them every week! SL Sherri Lazenby 12:47 PM nothing wrong with passive programs - adults will get involved too. Jennifer Murray Unverified 12:48 PM We have a local park ranger who will come and dissect owl pellets with the kids for free and usually brings a critter as well. Jonathan Unverified 12:48 PM For candy science - chewing gum and milk chocolate chewed together is a really fast science experiment you can do in your mouth. It really freaks the kids out bc the gum disappears. Stephanie Unverified 12:48 PM Let's stick together sticker boards for passive programs Donna Walsh, Gibson Memorial, Creston, Iowa Unverified 12:48 PM DIY shrinky dinks with other plastics did not work well for our library. WebJunction Webinars 12:48 PM @joyce: you will get a link to the recording and the slides are available on the event page. SL Sherri Lazenby 12:53 PM Taste test idea - can you take the heat? Taste test hot sauces or hot chips Robin Cogdill Unverified 12:53 PM We, thankfully, have a few local groups who fund an after-school snack for our kids. It makes such a difference! Katie Booher (she/her) Unverified 12:54 PM And Facebook Buy Nothing Groups Gracie Ward Unverified 12:54 PM My biggest challenge with food is that our library is in a temporary mall location and we're not allowed food. Kids love food and it it is challenging not having that option Jennifer Murray Unverified 12:55 PM I'm curious what the time-frame is for your after school programs? Jackie Unverified 12:57 PM Our teen group is successful because we nestled it between school letting out and the Youth Group (church) in town . We also have the school librarian assist with this. FW Fitzgerald, William 12:55 PM Thank you :) Lonetta Beshears Unverified 12:55 PM We have a after school program at our local school. The kids stop by the library after the school program. elizabeth Unverified 12:56 PM Thank you! Vanessa Unverified 12:56 PM Mocktail day could be fun odessa ellis Unverified 12:56 PM At Clairton Library we have been falling some of your ideas I am glad we are doing some of it. Thanks a lot Nancy Unverified 12:58 PM Thanks for all of the ideas! Marie Unverified 12:59 PM Thanks! Christine vondeben Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Jennifer Murray Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you so much! Shanni-ICL Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Hannah Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Cara Sehring Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Heather Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you for still joining us even when you are sick! Tonia Unverified 12:59 PM Thanks! Nicole Baker Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you Chelsea! Feel better soon! Gracie Ward Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! DeAnn, Galena Public Library Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Great ideas!! Sheri Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you!! Cait Appleman Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you so much!! Stephanie Unverified 12:59 PM thank you! This was excellent Jenny Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Love your ideas!! Tseng, Juilin Joann 12:59 PM Thank you! Leigh Hampton Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Lucy Quartararo Unverified 12:59 PM Thank you! Christy Jones Unverified 12:59 PM thank you! Anya McCaig - Kent County Public Library Unverified 12:59 PM Thanks, Chelsea! We appreciate you presenting even while sick! Cayla Unverified 12:59 PM Thanks Chelsea!