6 Ways Libraries Spread Valentine's Day Love

1. Valentine's Day Crafts

Almost every public library will have a craft for kids to make Valentines, Valentine Boxes, or Valentine's Day cards.

2. Love Themed Story Times

It's also common for your local story time to be about love, but not always. Some librarians don't like to do themes or have some other theme planned. It may be good to call ahead to see.

3. Blind Date Book Display

This is a really neat trend that has caught on at many libraries. You check out a book without knowing what it is. Will it be love, or will your book date be a dud?

4. Romance Novels

Perfect for reading while curled up next to your cat with a glass of wine. Judgement free!

5. Cookbooks for Romantic Recipes

Eating out can be a miserable experience. Even if you make reservations, restaurants are so busy this night. Stay in with your sweetie and make your own tasty food together. Even if it turns out poorly, it will make a funny story (plus, Dominoes does deliver on Valentine's Day... just saying).

6. Valentine's Reference Questions

"What are Valentine's Day traditions in other countries?"
"What is the number for local chocolate makers or florists?"
"Who wrote that song that goes like this... ? We heard it on our first date."

#Letmelibrarianthatforyou

Good luck!

Love,
Amanda

Story Time Detour - KCLS Burien Library

I've been touring all the library branches in Seattle and observing story times, but this week I took a little detour. I volunteer for the King County Library System at the Burien Library and I asked the children's librarians at this library if I could sit in on one of their story times. Here is what we did today.

Library: KCLS Burien Library
Age/Type: Preschool
Storyteller: Ms. Gaye

This story time takes place in the building's multipurpose room that the library shares with city hall. It is a nice, big space. Ms. Gaye has name tags for story time goers and makes chit chat as people come in. She starts the story time with a great rhyme. KCLS has an excellent website that shares a lot of songs and rhymes called Tell Me a Story.

Here is the one we open with:

"My Hands"

Next we play a fun guessing game with four flannel houses. Ms. Gaye asks us to guess under which house the little duck is hiding. "Little duck, little duck, are you in the red house?" We repeat until we find the little duck under the last house.

We talk about how ducks go 'quack' and Ms. Gaye explains that today is all about the letter 'Q'. She takes out a 'Q' on a stick and asks us what words start with 'Q'.

Book: "Little Quack's Hide and Seek"

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, Ms. Gaye gets out a flannel called "Five Sweet Valentines." I've used this rhyme before. It's a great subtraction exercise.

Book: "Questions, Questions"

Next we sing "Roll Your Hands." I love this!

What else starts with 'Q'? Why, 'Queen' of course! Ms. Gaye does a flannel rhyme called "Queen of Hearts." A Queen gets new dresses with various shapes. We point out the shapes on our own clothing.

This next part is truly magical. Ms. Gaye has a bag of stuffed animals and she pulls them out as she sings the "When Animals Get Up in the Morning" song.

After this, we sing the "Alphabet Song" and clap to the beat.

Book: "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands" - a Pop-up!!

The last activity before the craft is the "Beanbag Song." Ms. Gaye puts on a song from a CD and hands out beanbags. The song is really fun and interactive. All the parents and kids get really into throwing the beanbags and holding them to different body parts.

The craft is creating a Queen with Q cut outs.

What a cool story time! Thanks for letting me observe today, Ms. Gaye.

Best,
Amanda

Seattle Story Time Tour - Lake City Branch

Branch: Lake City 

Storyteller: Ms. Nancy

Age/Type: Family Story Time

Today's storyteller is Ms. Nancy. She tells us about upcoming events at the library as parents and children trickle in. The theme for today is Love in honor of Valentine's Day. Children gather around on the quilt in the center and Ms. Nancy leads us in an opening rhyme. It is a variation on this classic rhyme:

"This is my book I open it wide to see all the pictures that are inside. This is my ball, so big and so round. To toss in the air or roll on the ground. This is my umbrella; it keeps me dry, as the raindrops fall from the cloudy sky. This is my kitty; just hear him purr, as I gently stroke his long silky fur." 

We give ourselves a 'round' of applause for reciting the rhyme, clapping in a circular motion.

The first book we read is "My Friend Rabbit."

Ms. Nancy points out that sometimes you love your friends and sometimes you love things and events.

We read "Leo Loves Baby Time."

Next we do a fun action rhyme that goes like this:

"Zoom, zoom, zoom. We're going to the moon. Zoom, zoom, zoom. We'll be there very soon. So, if you'd like to take a trip, Just step inside my rocket ship. Zoom, zoom, zoom. We're going to the moon. Zoom, zoom, zoom. We'll be there very soon. 10 - 9 - 8 -7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 0 - Lift OFF !!!"

We do this three time to practice our life off skills.

Next Ms. Nancy gets out her alligator puppet and she leads us in the 5 Little Monkey's Sitting in a Tree.

In honor of Valentine's Day, we now sing H-E-A-R-T to the tune of B-I-N-G-O. Ms. Nancy and her student helper give five older children each a letter. We sing the song, replacing a letter in each verse with a clap. 

The letters are retrieved and we say the following rhyme:

"To show you love your special friends, give them each a heart that says 'I love you.'"

Now Ms. Nancy passes out paper hearts to do the next few rhymes and songs.

We sing "10 Little Hearts" to the tune of "Ten Little Indians" and a say the rhyme "5 Little Hearts All in a Row."

Next we read "Momma, Do You Love Me?"

After this book Ms. Nancy has us all stand up and form a circle. We hold hands and sing "It's Love that Makes the World Go 'Round."

She ends the story time with a few verses of "If You're Happy and You Know It."

There are three tables set up with crafts. Ms. Nancy and the parents pull the tables out from the wall and the families set to making Valentine's Day cards and collages. 

This was fun! Thanks for letting me watch today, Ms. Nancy.

Best,

Amanda Hua