By Marcia Smith-Woodard, Special Services Consultant, Library Development Office

The next phase of the statewide Every Child Ready to Read® early childhood literacy program will be the Story Times Applications Workshops. The Indiana State Library will offer eight workshops in each ILF District for public library children’s services staff between April 29 and May 22. Participants will learn how to apply the six essential skills for the development of early childhood literacy and apply them to library programming designed for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Participants will need to bring the following to the workshop:

• A favorite story time activity for children (aged birth to 5 yrs) that they have used in their library system (It would be helpful if they could bring 6 copies of the activity to share during small-group activity time.); and
• At least two books from that story time
• A Stuffed animal or puppet

Please note that there was a schedule error printed on the brochure all libraries received. Registration begins at 8:30 and the workshop begins at 9:00 a.m. There is a morning break and a one hour lunch period. The workshops will end at 2:30 p.m. Please register through WebJunction Indiana’s Online Calendar of Events by Wednesday, April 16 if you plan to attend.

Workshop Locations (all times local):
DISTRICT 3: 4-29-08  Huntington City-Township Public Library
DISTRICT 2: 4-30-08  Frankfort-Clinton Cont. Pub. Library
DISTRICT 1: 5-01-08  Porter County Public Library System (attendance limited to 24)
DISTRICT 6: 5-07-08  Jeffersonville Twp Public Library
DISTRICT 7: 5-08-08  Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library
DISTRICT 8: 5-12-08 Fayette County Public Library
DISTRICT 4: 5-13-08  Carmel Clay Public Library
DISTRICT 5: 5-22-08  Vigo County Public Library

For more information, contact Marcia Smith-Woodard at mwoodard@library.IN.gov, (317) 232-3719 or (800) 451-6028

HAVE REFERENCE QUESTIONS? CALL THE STATE LIBRARY’S REFERENCE HOTLINE AT 866-683-008 OR SUBMIT QUESTIONS ONLINE THROUGH e-REFERENCE