Traditions and Innovations in the Summer Activities with Children of Paisii Hilendarski City Library, Asenovgrad

Glob@l Libraries – Bulgaria

Innovations in the Global Society

“Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling

each other at 10.30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized

something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem…The only way to do great work is to love

what you do.”

Steve Jobs

In those days…

It was time when the book was our truest friend, our only window to the world. In it we could find faraway galaxies, wondrous places and olden times. It told us the stories of Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, the naughty and funny Pippi. And today? Today, along with the book, our children have other opportunities to learn all this.

What is going on with our children?

Psychologists say that today’s children live in two parallel worlds: virtual and real. They also say that 70% of children have a thorough command of computer technology while only 30% of adults can handle them. Where does the link between generations break and what happens in our children’s heads? Even psychologists still find it hard to answer this question…

* We dreamed

* We wished our dreams could come true

* We believed we can

* We overcame our fears

Hence, “Vacation at the Library 2010”

became a fact.

Breaking stereotypes at the library

Thanks to our experience from the previous year, the equipment we received from the Glob@l Libraries – Bulgaria Program and the training, our classes became more entertaining and attractive and

a bigger number of children took part in them.

“Vacation at the Library 2011”: Combination of Traditional and Innovative Methods

Program Delivery Each Tuesday and Thursday, 10.00 – 12.00 a.m.

Traditional initiatives: * “With a Book in Hand” * Thematic classes in groups * Movies * Creative workshop

New initiatives * Work with computers * Multimedia presentations * “The Microphone is Yours” * Drama performances * Interactive games

Program scope Age group: 3 – 14 years

Children with special education needs -Day Center for Disabled Children,

Children with different ethnicity and nationality

In 2012 Agreement with the Municipal Commission for Prevention of

Juvenile Delinquency in Asenovgrad

Involvement of volunteers * children prepare and deliver the program * interactive English language courses – two

times a week

Methodology * combining the so-called traditional methods – lectures, meetings, visits, readings; * through modern interactive methods and tools – multimedia presentations, animation, group work and interactive games, creative workshops

The Multimedia: an opportunity for much more efficient interaction and acquisition

of information and knowledge because people tend to remember:

* what they read – 5% * what they see – 10%

* audio-video channel – 50%.

* Meetings with artists from Asenovgrad: Ivan Lyubenov, Tina Ruzhina, Lily Raycheva

* Presentations on Leda Mileva, Astrid Lindgren and Gianni Rodari

* Visit to the City Museum of History* Identify the fairy tale character

Initiatives

Thematic Scope of the Classes- EU countries, Bulgaria, Asenovgrad - Christian and Muslim calendar holidays - “The Book and the Computer: Hand in Hand”- “The Amazing Space”- “In the World of Dinosaurs”- “The Colors of Friendship”- “Musical Instruments”- “Sea Animals”, “Domestic Pets”- “Healthy Eating”- “In the Vegetable Garden”- “The World’s Old and New Wonders”- Art, Sports, Nature - “My Idea of a Better World” - “My Dream Library”, etc.

The library: a talent hunting spot

Magdalena Apostolova and Ellie Sarafova write poems

Radina Neykova prepared the presentation “A Walk in the World of

Cartoon Characters” as part of the summer program.

Kristina Arabadzhieva the charming girl from Asenovgrad who won “Bulgaria’s Got Talent” show on bTV and was a guest at

the library.

Anna Ivanova, seventh-grader from Angel Kanchev Primary

School, took part in the “Dino the Dinosaur” play Irina from Knyaz Boris I

Secondary School and Eliza from P. Karavelov Primary School help

younger kids in the creative workshop

Younger and bigger kids take active part in the summer program

Dilyana Bozhanova, seventh-grader from Angel Kanchev Primary School, presented her serviette collection; Vanya Borisova, forth-grader from Knyaz

Boris I Secondary School, exhibited her paintings; Ralitsa Kutomanova, first-grader-to-be from P. Karavelov Primary School, told stories from the book “My Dog and Puppy Encyclopedia” about hero dogs who have saved human lives and

puppies loyal to their owners, etc.

Volunteer Initiative

Library specialists and children visit kindergartens as book ambassadors and promote library initiatives

Good Library Practice Principles 1. We have an honest, respectful and fair attitude toward kids! 2. We help them live fuller lives through the library information services we provide! 3. We take the responsibility of adopting innovations in our work by learning new and modern competencies! 4. Children have chosen to trust us! In response, we strive to understand their needs and make them happy with our services!

Library specialists’ major mission: encourage children to read and be informed

Challenges to Library Specialists

* Be cognizant of international, European and national standards * Be good pedagogues, psychologists, animators, speakers, actors, PR and promotion specialists, sociologists, artists, masters of modern technology* Be good team players * Learn on the go

Yet, this is not enough: they must love their jobs and children

and be willing to make progress

They must be cognizant of:the National Strategy on Children; the UN Convention;

EU recommendations and practices; our national experience

Children’s competencies we build and develop:

* social competencies: communication and teamwork skills

* personal: self-identification * motivational * cognitive: imagination and creativity креативност; * value related competencies: respecting differences and otherness, solidarity * traditional and electronic information search, assessment and selection skills

What is important for the success of the program?The program should be educational and

instructive, and yet entertaining, attractive and diverse.

For children it is of crucial importance: * The right to choose: the opportunity to choose

independently what activities they want to take part in * Being active participants rather than passive

observers

Long-term Program Effect

Analysis of exit level questionnaire results Statistics:

(average number of participants per activity) 2010 - 15 kids 2011 - 40 kids 2012 - 60 kids

As a result of our work with our youngest readers, the “Library Friends” Club composed of

participants in our summer activities was born. Our program goes on after the vacation, once a

month.

Epilogue Day after day, we keep looking for our choices –

what we should be, what good we can do. What we learn today can change our lives tomorrow!

“The library is a nice place for the young and the elderly – some get a taste of the wisdom of the ages, others recollect of

far-off days! Somewhere there is the “cross-point” where generations meet.”

Rositsa Andonova, mother of the library’s youngest reader

Thank you for your attention!

Prepared by:Milena Markovska, Director

and Teodora Kuzmanova,Librarian at the Children’s Dept. of

Paisii Hilendarski City Library, Asenovgrad

e-mail: gbph@abv.bg