On August 18^th, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., Governor Brownback will sign a proclamation declaring September 3-9 Kansas Literacy Week. The Kansas Masonic Literacy Center (KMLC), working with Kansas Libraries, Kansas Masons, and professional literacy associations invite all residents of Kansas to join in highlighting the economic and societal importance of literacy.

Kansas Literacy Week coincides with National Read a Book Day (September 6^th), and International Literacy Day (September 8^th).

Communities, schools, libraries, and other organizations are encouraged to use this week to recognize and celebrate the importance of literacy for all Kansans. Feel free to share your plans, ideas, and excitement using #KSliteracyweek and #kmlc.

Heard of Friendship Rocks?

Sort of like geocaching, this fad has people hiding painted rocks around their communities. When someone finds a painted rock, they can share a picture on social media and then re-hide the rock at a new spot. Some libraries are turning this into a PR campaign, and it’s super easy to do.

1. Paint some rocks. You can do this yourself, with volunteers, or as a program. Be sure all the rocks have the name or initials of your library somewhere on them.
2. Hide the rocks around your community. Again, you can do this by yourself, with volunteers, or as a program.
3. Make a splash on your library’s website and Facebook page about the rocks.
4. Offer a small prize to people who find the rocks and bring them into the library. This can be something simple like, taking their picture with the rock and posting it to your website/Facebook page.
5. Ask them to hide the rock somewhere new.

Need some rock painting ideas? Check out these websites:

• Hand Painted Rock Pinterest page
• Rock Painting Patterns Pinterest page
• 15 Beautiful Rock Painting Ideas
• 40 Creative Ideas for Making Painted Rocks
• 35 DIY Ideas of Painted Rocks
• Ladybug Painted Rocks
• Strawberry Painted Rocks
  

  

May is National Foster Care Month: “a month set aside to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections.” To learn more about NFCM, visit the USA Child Welfare website.

Since it’s difficult to know if a child is a foster child or if a family is a foster family, this group may seem invisible within your community.

If you want to do something in your library to honor foster kids and foster parents, a book display would be a great start. Laura, at the blog Literacious, has posted a book list that focuses on children in foster care: 20 Titles for National Foster Care Month.

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has a wiki focused on serving diverse teens that includes resources for Teens in Foster Care. The shared links lead to library program ideas and information about best practices in serving foster children.

Finally, check out the new title from Melanie Crowder, Three Pennies, which stars a protagonist who is a foster child.

If you missed Sherry Norfolk’s spectacular Summer Reading workshop, it is now available as a video!

Click this link to watch: Summer Reading Workshop: Build a Better World

Workshop Resources:

• Build a Better World Resources
• Build a Better World Breakout EDU

Check out AudioFile’s SYNC summer program!

AudioFile has a summer program called Sync that allows teens (13 – 18 years old) to sign up and receive free audio books! For more details on the program, visit Teen Services Underground and the AudioFile websites.

The SYNC program applies to specific audio book titles that teens can download for free and keep! And, the AudioFile site has promotional materials you can print and share.

Some of your patrons may be interested in this site from National Geographic where they can access and print topographical maps.  You can find it at http://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-maps/pdf-quads

The Rabbit Hole, Kansas City Public Library, and Crossroads Academy are hosting their 1st annual
Children’s Literature Festival!

Friday, April 28th and Saturday, April 29th, the Children’s Literature Festival is made up of author presentations, book signings, and more! Authors attending include: Brian Selznick, Nina Crews, Shane Evans, Sophie Blackall, John Marciano, Javaka Steptoe, and Jon Scieszka.

If you’re interested in attending, find more details at LITFESTKC.

Roger Carswell, the Director of the Southeast Kansas Libraries System reports:

Several of the regional library system directors were able to meet with Roger Basinger of the state Municipal Services office regarding the “library exemption” from the tax lid.  The news was probably the best we could have hoped for.

Although Mr. Basinger had been skeptical last year that the wording in the bill really was an exemption for libraries, he said after thinking about it through the winter, they have come to the conclusion that it is, in fact, an exemption for libraries.

Furthermore, the budget forms that cities, counties, etc. will use have the library exemption built in.  To oversimplify it a bit, on the page used to compute their maximum levy for 2018 without having to go to an election, they will start with the amount levied for 2017, then subtract off the amount levied for the library to come up with a base for computing the limit.  After allowing for factors they can increase for (such as new improvements) and applying the allowable increase (1.4% for cities, 1.3% for other units of local government) to come up with the maximum levy, they will then add the amount to be levied for the library in 2018 onto that.  Perfect!  No city should be able to claim that the library cannot have an increase because of the tax lid; that just won’t work with the forms.