LIBRARY HAPPENINGS

Bartlett - In September, the Josiah Bartlett Elementary School hosted a welcome to our middle school students. As part of an orientation rotation through Unified Arts (music, health, art, PE, technology, library, etc.). To entire students, we planned a "Bartlett Bistro" event in the library. Students listened to what's new in their library, such as the addition of 15 new "playaway" audio books. If you haven't heard of these yet, they are a new exciting way to listen to favorite books. They look like an iPod and are pre-loaded with one book.

Listeners can adjust the volume, speed of reader, and can bookmark favorite passages. They come with their own ear buds and a battery - a complete set. After the "talk", students were treated to a coffee bar - hot cocoa with coffee syrup, whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder while they browsed all the new books. Kids love to feel grown up and this will give them a chance to book talk with their friends in a special environment.

submitted by Janice Mudgett
Josiah Bartlett Elementary School, Bartlett

Hampton Falls - I happened to be shopping at our local bargain store one Saturday morning when I spotted a pile of these pants that were manufactured by Nomadic Traders (which is a label I would spend full price on!). Each pair was priced at $8.00, so I made an executive decision - pulling out my cell phone, I called each member of our staff to see if they would be willing to wear "library pants"...one was even on her way to New Jersey and wondered why I was calling her long distance...and everybody agreed that these pants would be a much cooler way to express our solidarity as sisters in service rather than wearing a traditional T-shirt. So we asked one of our volunteers to snap a photo commemorating "The Sisterhood of the Library Pants"!

submitted by Judith Haskell, Director
Hampton Falls Free Library