Christina
I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend ALA and share what KRL and the CAFE have been doing to advocate for the library in Kitsap County. It was encouraging to meet library workers from across the country and world and share stories and ideas. I enjoyed meeting authors and talking to vendors who might offer ways for KRL to improve it's services to the public. I attended sessions on a variety of topics related to programming, youth services, human resources, and library advocacy and I am bursting with new ideas for the CAFE to tackle as we work toward showing our community how valuable we are and hopefully passing our next levy! I also really enjoyed just being in Washington DC and taking in the sites and culture and am seriously considering what route to take to end up working at the Library of Congress one day!

Suzie

Rachele
It was very exciting to be attending ALA for the first time if not a little daunting. It’s totally different that WLA (Washing Library Association) Conference for sure. The sheer size of the conference center and the city itself was overwhelming. However, I was thankful for my WLA experience because it helped me be more prepared for ALA as far as having a basic idea of what to expect and how these conferences tend to be run and organized. It was thrilling to have such a vast array of learning and networking opportunities at our fingertips. It was also wonderful to be surrounded by so many people with many of the same passions/common goals as us. There are a lot of library systems out there experiencing many of the same struggles and challenges as us which is encouraging but I was most excited to hear how other libraries have made meaningful and lasting connections with their communities. Last but definitely not least, we truly enjoyed sharing the CAFÉ concept with other library professionals not only from across the nation but from all over the world! We had people from the UK, Germany, Mexico and Romania attend our presentation. We had great questions and comments from our audience and look forward to hearing from some of them through this blog!

Alter your T-shirt and alter your reality! Over the summer, KRL challenges staff members to creatively alter their Summer Reading Program T-shirts. The contest lasts as long as the Summer Reading Program: June 12th to August 31st. Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Scroll down to see our contestants so far!








Linda Klein & Annabelle Shillinglaw



Annabelle's entry
















Linda's entry

















Heidi Larsen's entry














Emily Tomshack's entries
















































Kim Doyle's Entry
























Jennifer Lu' Becke's Entry

As that mischievous and ever so curious pirate wench, “The Red Rogue” would say, “Tis a fine thing ye be doin and sharing all the valuable information with yer mates!

You would not think a pirate would be so interested sharing the booty found in the library; however, she has amassed a fine treasure and need not go for more. After all her travels, she wants no more than to settle down and share her passion for curiosity and discovery.

She loves to meet people of all ages, but prefers the younger ones, as they are full of imagination and curiosity. As she says, “Tis a fine lot of little lads and lasses that ye find out and about, even if they be land lubbers, they are so busy about their fun and pleasure, tis contagious, ye ken?” She recalls meeting a young boy, of about 6 years of age. It appeared he had been burned about his upper body. Scarred as he was, at the sight of “Red”, he began to laugh. Red said she had a special time with this fine lad, who was not about to let anyone stand in the way of meeting and having play time with the pirate wench.

To be associated with KRL, it is a fine thing. People of all ages, whether they use the library, or not, hold us in high esteem, for we provide what no one else can – access to and support of intellectual freedom. Even the internet cannot hold all that library does, and we ensure that whatever information is provided, is true and factual. Ah, and the entertainment! Stories that can take our readers (or listeners) anywhere or anytime in the world. And music and movies galore!

The message, you see, is that KRL Ambassador’s can enjoy the sharing of what KRL has to offer, for there truly is something for everyone! Join the Red Rogue in meeting some new folks, or even being visited by some of our regulars; enjoy sharing the story of us!

Here's my smile for the week.

One day a small, attractive, older woman came into the library. She told me with a heavy accent that she just LOVES the library, since thanks to us she learned to speak English! She would get books on tape and listen to them over and over again until she understood the words. Then she would come back for more.

"That's great!" I said. "How long ago was that?"

"Oh, almost twenty years ago, when I came to America from Poland when I was 62."
I about fell over--that meant she was almost 82! I had thought she was in her late sixties at the most.

A little while later she came to the circ desk with an armload of magazines. "I like to keep up on beauty tips," she said.

I decided on the spot, instead of plastic surgery I'll move to a foreign country as a senior citizen.
Her young-at-heart, infectious joy toward life kept me smiling the rest of the day.

Some of you may have heard over the last few weeks that a good number of children's books have been stolen from the Port Orchard branch library. The total number of books was around 1,300 at an estimated worth of $22,000. This is horrible news and for those of you just finding out, it's shocking. But enough bad news - I want to share with you the good news.

We have experienced an outpouring of concern and help from our community and others not residing in our library district. After the story aired on the news and had hit the papers, we here at the Port Orchard branch have received generous donations of children's books from many people in our community. We have had small contributions from the small people who are the biggest users of this collection. (One boy about six or seven wanted to donate his dollar.) And we have had large, emotional donations from concerned families throughout the county, including a $5,000 donation from a family in Poulsbo who saw our story on the news.

We are privileged to have so many great and caring people in our community and those beyond. I would like to say from myself and the Kitsap Regional Library, Thank You! We appreciate all of you. Without your support we could not be a library.

Have an idea for Kitsap Regional Library? The CAFE committee is asking all KRL employees and patrons for ideas about KRL: everything from how to educate the public about the service KRL provides to the community to how the library system can run more efficiently. We’re taking ideas of every stripe and color and we’ve received some great ones!

Here’s a few ideas that we’re already implementing:
• Tour de KRL, in which people visit each KRL branch and get their "passport"
stamped over the summer.
• Having the Bloedel Reserve give discounted admission with a library card
• Having a staff-altered T-shirt contest for Summer Reading Program T-shirts.

There are many more ideas still to be considered, like making audio files of community leaders reading stories, and providing a virtual space for people to log in their exercise hours and favorite audio book.

And we’re still looking for more ideas, so put in your two-cents worth!

In January, Sylvan Way Library held a Disney Princess program to celebrate the newest movie princess, in Princess and the Frog. Many of the children and some of the staff dressed up as princesses and other fairytale characters. We had a read-aloud by "Belle," a "Musical Flying Carpets" game with "Jasmine," photos with the princesses, and arts & crafts, including tiara-making. The turnout was 213, about one-third of that adults.

Inspired by the great success of the Sylvan Way Library princess program, Manchester Library offered a Princess Fancy Nancy Party in March. What fun! 250 people attended, mostly children dressed in their fanciest royal finery. Princesses prevailed, escorted by a few brave princes. Although frosting butterfly cookies and creating princess crafts were popular, the highlight of the party was dressing up and parading down the Royal Walkway, where a Royal Photographer was on hand to capture the moment. Photographs of each event are on Kitsap Regional Library's facebook page.

Who will host the next Royal party for all these budding princesses and princes?