Lisa Sensale Yazdian joined BCPL in 2007 and currently manages outreach services provided to youth, birth-17 years and to their caregivers and teachers. An educational psychologist by training, she is passionate about forging school, family, and community partnerships in support of youth learning and development.

In March of 2000 the Kentucky Legislature showed their commitment to our youngest learners by unanimously choosing to use a portion of Tobacco Settlement dollars to support early childhood programs on an annual basis through the KIDS NOW (Kentucky Invests in Developing Success NOW!) initiative. In an effort to rally communities around local early childhood needs, the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood approved the creation of Community Early Childhood Councils across the state and agreed to fund Council work through a competitive grant process.

Boone County Public Library (BCPL) has been an active participant on the Boone County Community Early Childhood Council (BC-CECC) for a number of years, along with many other community partners. The Council has been continuously funded since 2003 and monies have been used to develop and extend opportunities focused on preparing Boone County children and families for school and lifelong learning.

One Council project BCPL has been deeply involved with this fiscal year is an early literacy training series offered to several early childhood programs called Ready…Set…Learn. Beginning in January, participating infant, toddler, and preschool teachers have been attending monthly workshops aligned with the Kentucky Early Childhood Standards and the practices described in the American Library Association’s (ALA) Every Child Ready to Read® initiative. Childcare centers involved in the trainings received a set of classroom materials selected to foster early literacy learning. Some materials have been modeled by Youth Services outreach staff during their monthly storytime visits with the Community Center on Wheels (CCoW). Other materials were created specifically for the childcare centers and were discussed during training sessions. Infant/toddler classrooms, for example, received a set of Changing Table Rhymes (small posters consisting of body rhymes and songs to support adult interaction with children during diaper changes) similar to those currently hanging in some BCPL restrooms. Preschool classrooms received three StoryWalks^®, modeled after the The StoryWalk^® Project created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library. All participating childcare programs were asked to design and implement an event for their families using the training content and materials they received.

I was fortunate enough to observe a family engagement night hosted by CrossRoads Preschool in Hebron in April. I was immediately drawn to their StoryWalk^® display at their pajama themed event.

I was happy to see some library storytime friends enjoying I Love Bugs by Philemon Sturges. They let me join them on the StoryWalk^® trail which took us on adventure throughout the building.

Miss Candace, a Youth Services Outreach Specialist with BCPL, was invited to read Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton and children had a chance to complete an activity related to the book.

The event was a huge success and I look forward to discovering how other centers are using Ready…Set…Learn materials to support children and families in early literacy learning.

–Lisa

Becky Kempf has been the Public Relations Coordinator at Boone County Public Library for the past ten years. A graduate of Wright State University, she previously worked for Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and Association for the Advancement of Arts Education.

Join the INclusive Boone County Public Library Country Club – you’ve already paid your membership fee, shouldn’t you take advantage of it? No, we don’t have a golf course, tennis courts, or a pool, but we do have six locations where you can meet your friends and get to know other people in your community. The Library is a place where you can socialize, isn’t that what a country club is really all about?

Let’s get the money part over first. Doesn’t everyone want to know up front what something costs? Your fee to be a member of this INclusive club is just .052% of your property’s value. The average home in Boone County is valued at $182,300* so we’ll use this figure as an example. The “membership fee” (taxes you pay) for a $182,300 home would be $94.80 per year – that’s $7.90 a month – and that covers everyone who lives in your home! Figure out how much you pay and the value of the Library services you use: http://www.bcpl.org/library/

Let me tell you about some of the amenities this fabulous library/country club has to offer!

• Camaraderie
  Friendship, community and peace of mind are pillars of any club. Not only can you come to the club and check out books, but you can meet your friends and fellow club members for a cup of coffee, game of bridge, book discussion http://www.bcpl.org/advisory/books/book-groups/ or even for lunch! Did you know that Moody’s Discover Café is now open for business inside the Main Library?
• Professional staff
  Need help researching your family tree, downloading eBooks to your eReader, or finding sources for a paper? Make a one-on-one appointment with one of BCPL’s professional reference staff – they love this stuff! http://www.bcpl.org/forms/one-on-one/
• Meeting rooms
  As a BCPL cardholder, you are welcome to reserve a meeting room for your business, organization or agency to use – just another perk of membership! http://www.bcpl.org/library/meeting-rooms
• Wi-Fi
  Bring your laptop and connect to Wi-Fi at the Main Library, Scheben, Florence or Walton Branch. Forgot your laptop? Use one of our computers or laptops – they all have Internet access and MS Office. Chapin Memorial Library and the Lents Branch might not have Wi-fi or laptops, but they do have computers you are welcome to use.
• Cultural events, classes, exhibits and Live @ the Library concerts
  Looking for something to do? Bring the family to the “club!” The Library offers a wealth of education and relaxation activities for all ages. Sign up to receive Discover, the Library’s newsletter, by mail or email, and keep track of what’s offered each month http://www.bcpl.org/events/
• Weddings
  You probably think I’m joking, but I’m not. Both the Scheben Branch and the Main Library have been used as wedding venues! No, we don’t have room for hundreds of guests, but a simple wedding with a couple witnesses and a Justice of the Peace under the dome of the Main Library might be right for you!
• Little things
  It could be the warm and familiar greeting of the staff member who smiles at you when you enter the building. Or how about the librarian who knows which authors you like to read and lets you know when they have a new book out. Library staff work very hard getting to know you and keeping you happy.

Just in case you aren’t convinced yet, here are seven more perks to using the Library:

1. We don’t discriminate – anyone can join!
2. Six “country club” locations
3. Informal dress code – jacket and tie not required.
4. Quiet study rooms available for your use
5. Freegal – enjoy three music downloads a week and keep them forever!
6. Before you travel, try our subscription to Mango – an online language learning system with 47 different languages!
7. Did I mention books?

When you join Boone County Public Library, you are joining a family. The staff of BCPL are committed to making the Library your home away from home. The atmosphere is welcoming and warm, and you will usually find a friend or neighbor enjoying a book in a comfy chair at Lents, browsing the art gallery at Main, in a storytime with their children at Walton, dancing in the aisle during a concert at Scheben, on a computer at Florence or chatting with one of our staff members at Chapin. We want you to feel at home at BCPL, and our first-rate facilities and impeccable service will keep you coming back time after time. You’ve already paid your membership fee, so stop by today, pick up your Library card and start using YOUR Library!

*Source: 2010 Boone County Comprehensive Plan: Planning for the Year 2035

 –Becky