12 Ways To Help Your Child Love the Library

Have you and your child been to your local library lately? In addition to wonderful books, today’s libraries offer multimedia options, community events, fun activities, and more—and all for free.

by Patti Ghezzi

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, local libraries have always been an ideal place to savor a quiet moment with a good book. And today’s public libraries offer so much more. Increasingly, the stereotype of the library as a place where librarians frown and insist that patrons “shush!” is being replaced with images of libraries as places for fun and family-friendly programs.

Libraries have not wavered in their devotion to books. But librarians live in the real world and say they know that modern families also crave technology, music, and physical activity. Some libraries have introduced Lego centers—places where kids can build and design with the iconic plastic toys—while others stage puppet shows and musical performances. Many libraries today celebrate literary figures such as Curious George with crafts and storytelling, and pay homage to the likes of Beatrix Potter with gardening activities.

At your local branch, you might also find cooking classes, game nights, or book clubs devoted to a singular genre or theme such as science fiction or Harry Potter. A paleontologist might give a lesson on dinosaurs, and a children’s book author might give a special reading.

One aspect of the library that hasn’t changed? It’s still free. For families seeking bargains in entertainment and educational enrichment, the library is the best deal around.

“These are exciting times, with so many choices of materials and programs,” says Carolyn Brodie, president-elect of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. “You’ll find a welcoming, creative, and exciting place, comprised of free and open access to a variety of materials and programs, with appeal to all ages.”

Kathleen Fox, a former school librarian who has made it her mission to make libraries fun and accessible, says there is one key ingredient to a wonderful library experience: “Finding that magical children’s librarian.”

“They’re still around, and they can still hand you a great book. They can also help you get the most out of all the resources your library has to offer,” says Fox, author of Fun-brarian, a collection of library activities to engage even the most reluctant reader, and owner of the websiteLibraryGames.com.

“Children’s librarians help children develop a zest for learning and a lifelong love of reading. They also assist in finding answers to questions, and bring children and resources together,” Brodie adds.

Here are 12 tips on making the most of your public library:

1. Get your child a library card. Show your child the joy of checking out books from his local library. At some libraries, kids can also check out videos, educational games, and puzzles. Teach your child to take care of the books and other items he checks out and to make sure the items get returned on time.

2. Visit often. Make the library a routine place that you visit with your kids, like the park or a favorite pizza place. Become regulars—get to know your way around your library, and get to know the librarians.

3. Teach your child how to find books and media at the library. Though most libraries have moved to all-digital systems, some still use card catalogs. Others that have shifted away from the Dewey decimal classification system—a method of assigning numbers and letters for organizing books—now arrange books similar to bookstores, with certain subgenres organized and shelved together. Since most libraries generally evolve to meet the needs of their patrons, in many places kids can also learn to use the interlibrary lending system for libraries within a network and other book-finding procedures, giving them more options for how they use their local library.

4. Visit different branches. Every library branch has its own personality. “Try several branches and see which one you like,” Fox says. “It might be worth traveling a little farther to get to the branch that has the most to offer.”

5. Get a calendar of activities. Make it a habit to check your library’s event calendar each month. Some libraries host events off-site, such as a composting or gardening workshop at a local park.

6. Consider your child’s interests. It’s important to help your child choose the right books, especially if she is a reluctant reader. Start with a favorite movie and see what books and media would complement it, Fox says. For example, Dolphin Tale is a great family movie, and kids who like it might also enjoy reading about dolphins.

7. Like the movie? Love the book. If there’s a film your child loved, suggest that she might also enjoy the related DVD or audio book about the film, Brodie says. For example, if your middle schooler loved the film Tuck Everlasting so much that she was sorry to see the story end, check the library for the film’s audiobook or DVD. Then, check for other books by the same author.

8. Explore magazines. Kids who struggle with reading may be reluctant to pick up a chapter book. But they may love magazines, especially those about their favorite topics, such as sports or animals. Libraries often have a fantastic selection of magazines, Fox says.

9. Be a role model. Show your child how much you enjoy the library. Check out books for yourself and read them at home, in the car, and while waiting for your child at soccer practice. “Children follow the example of their parents and caregivers,” Brodie says. “Supporting and using public libraries as a source for lifelong learning can be one of the greatest gifts that parents give their children.”

10. Make suggestions for improvement. Suggest adding a few beanbag chairs in the children’s department to encourage young readers to settle in with a good book. If your library does not carry books by your child’s favorite author or in her preferred genre, let the librarian know of your interest. Finally, suggest local authors who might come for a visit or programs you think families would enjoy.

11. Be an advocate. Libraries must compete with other government services for increasingly shrinking resources. Let your elected officials know how much the library means to you, your children, and your community.

12. Make the library a family priority. Between sports, the arts, community groups, church, and other commitments, families have many activities tugging on their free time. Though it may be difficult to squeeze in visits to the library, by doing so you’re letting your child know that reading is important—and that libraries are, too.

Journalist Patti Ghezzi covered education and schools for 10 years for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, winning several awards, including a public service citation from the Associated Press for her exposure of grade inflation. Since she became a freelancer in 2007, her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, and Adoptive Families magazine. Ghezzi lives in Avondale Estates, Ga., with her family, which includes husband Jason, daughter Celia, and geriatric mutt Albany.

Courtesy: http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/10853-12-ways-to-help-your-child-love-the-library-

‘Knowledge revolution’, keyboard by keyboard

From providing Indian scientists access to data from the search
for the Higgs boson, or the “God particle”, at the Large Hadron Collider in
Europe, to developing a prediction model for early detection of Alzheimer’s
disease, a two-year-old project to pool computing resources from around the
country is opening new avenues. 

The ‘National Knowledge Network (NKN)’, as it is known, started as
a small programme in the Planning Commission in 2009 without Cabinet approval.
Now, it is enabling Indian scientists to take on big data challenges that
earlier required weeks and months of high-power computing. Sifting through gene
mutations for diseases or analysing the 30 million per second pictures from the
Large Hadron Collider, say, is now par for the course. 

Sanctioned Rs 5,990 crore in the March 2010 budget, the NKN in its
current form aims to have 1,500 institutions on board to “usher in a knowledge
revolution”. The impact was evident at a recent meeting of scientists in
Bangalore where experts who had experienced the high-power computing now
available to them — from bio informatics researchers and medical experts to
climate scientists and particle physicists — held forth on it. 

The NKN, its resources and computing powers have so far proved
useful in areas of brain research, nuclear reactor safety, search for drug
targets and biodiversity research. 

The network and its computing grid, Garuda, are linked to
international networks such as the European Organisation for Nuclear Research
(CERN), so that 50 Indian scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre,
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre at
Kolkata and other small physics units have access to its data. 

These Indian physicists are among the 10,000 from 34 countries who
are using 10,000 computers to analyse the 300 pictures per second data —-
enough to fill three million DVDs — thrown up by a processor farm of 50,000
computing cores at CERN. 
“The Garuda system and the NKN are helping Indian scientists find
answers to the big questions,” said Subrata Chattopadhyay, an Associate
Director at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). 

In the dementia study, the NKN has been tapped into for examining
brain MRIs of people with cognitive dysfunction. Scientists at the National
Brain Research Centre (NBRC) at Gurgaon have created an Indian Brain Imaging
Network Grid or I-Brain and are using the computing powers of the knowledge
network, along with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences
at Bangalore, the Sree Chitra Research Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, the King
Edward Medical College, Mumbai, and the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical
Education and Research in Kolkata. The I-Brain is connected to international
networks in Canada and the US through the NKN. 

“We have analysed about 200 brain scans sent from different
centres and have... developed a method to determine patients who can develop
Alzheimer’s,” professor at NBRC P K Ray said. “India is beginning to see the
beauty of collaboration and integration of multiple institutes, multiple
countries and multiple companies.” 

While there are several success stories, there is also criticism
that too few people are using the resources and computing power, and that the
network bandwidth available is nothing compared to in the US, Europe, China and
even Brazil. 

“We have a knowledge highway but I don’t see enough people using
the highway. The big research centres like the IITs and IISc (Indian Institute
of Science) are already equipped with high-performance computing facilities and
networks. We need to have students from universities around the country on the
network. Private industry is also needed,” said Prof Shevare from IIT-Bombay. 

With the NKN in place, the government will not be sanctioning
requests for funds to create smaller computing facilities at institutes and
people will be directed to be a part of the network, said Muralikrishna Kumar,
an advisor in the Planning Commission. 

India is, however, attempting to push up its super-computing
resources and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alluded at this year’s science congress
to a proposal from the scientific community for a Rs 5,000-crore strategy under
the 12th Plan to enhance super-computing facilities in the country. 

The super-computing proposal is aimed at taking India’s
capabilities from its current levels to exa flops (exa is one quintillion or 10
and 18 zeroes) levels.

Source | Indian Express | 26 July 2012

9 Tips to Help You Impress Your Interviewer

Once you master the small talk, here are some tips that will help you impress your interviewer.

• Work on your handshake: Don‘t offer up a flimsy or sweaty hand. Instead, when you meet with prospective employers or interviews, offer a firm handshake, with one or two pumps from the elbow to the hand. It‘s a good way to illustrate your confidence and start the interview off on the right note.
• Get serious: If you take a casual approach to the initial interview with a company, especially with a screening interviewer from the human resources department, you may be sealing your fate. Job seekers should treat every interview as if it‘s their one and only chance to sell themselves to the recruiter.
• Get the practice: If you find yourself being offered an interview for a job you are not really interested in, go on the interview anyway; you can make contacts for future job opportunities and get valuable interview practice.
• Be enthusiastic: Bring a positive attitude to your interview. Most interviewers won‘t even give a second thought to someone who has a negative presence or seems like they almost need to be talked into the job. “You‘re selling yourself, and part of you is the positive approach you‘ll bring to the office every morning,” says Alison Richardson, a recruiter for several New York financial firms. “That smile and friendly demeanor go a long way.”
• Ask questions: When interviewing for a new position, it‘s essential to have a handful of questions to ask your potential employer. Some questions could include: What do you consider to be the ideal background for the position? What are some of the significant challenges? What‘s the most important thing I can do to help within the first 90 days of my employment? Do you have any concerns that I need to clear up in order to be the top candidate?
• Tell a story: Your interviewer wants to know about your skills and experiences, but he or she also wants to know about you. Don‘t fire off routine answers to questions. Instead, work your answers into stories or anecdotes about yourself. People remember the people who are interesting. Prove your value by tailoring stories that address the main concern an interviewer may have: What can you do for us?
• Show restraint: During an interview, what you don‘t say may be as important as what you do say. As a rule, don‘t talk about money or benefits, especially during the first interview. You should already know if you fit the parameters. Don‘t badmouth about any of your past employers. Organizations don‘t hire complainers. Don‘t mention outside career aspirations or part-time jobs. Employers are looking for people who want to be part of their organization for the next decade and beyond.

Whatever you do, don‘t mention the need for an immediate vacation. First of all, you‘re making an assumption that the recruiter wants to hire you. Second, you‘re essentially removing yourself from the list of potential candidates. A job candidate we once interviewed was quick to announce that she needed time off immediately for a two-week honeymoon. We hadn‘t even offered her the job. Needless to say, we didn‘t. Certainly, there are scenarios in which you‘ll need to discuss pending scheduling conflicts, but the interview isn‘t one of them.

• Be memorable: Considering the number of job seekers interviewing for positions today, it‘s fair to suggest that many HR workers can hardly keep track of the differences. That‘s why it‘s important to do or say something that will allow you to stand out in the mind of your interviewer. It will strike a personal note and also provide a point of reference when it‘s time to recall the top candidates. Sure, the job candidate with “American Idol” experience we mentioned in the introduction had no real usable background for the job we were looking for, but he was memorable.

When 24-year-old Noreen Hennessy was looking for a job in marketing in a tough San Francisco job market, she mentioned to one interviewer that she recently ran in a Tough Mudder competition, a hardcore obstacle course that pushes one‘s physical and mental skills to the limits.

“She had a picture of her and some friends covered in mud on her desk,” Hennessy says. “I casually brought up the Tough Mudder, and she had a million questions. Our interview was pretty much over by then, but our conversation went on for another 10 minutes.”

Hennessy says she didn‘t get that job, but because of her interviewer‘s interest in the event, she put it on her resume as one of her interests and activities. “Every recruiter I spoke with after that would bring it up,” she says. “It became a major talking point and I think it said a lot about my grit and determination.”

Hennessy says she took some time off from the job search to assist a friend in setting up an event-planning business, which she says may or may not turn into a long-term job. “I‘m getting paid, working with people I like, learning a lot,” she says. “There are a million shades, but marketing is marketing. What I practice at the startup level will be something I can bring to the corporate level and it‘s certainly something else I can talk about during interviews.”

• Ask for the job: “Tell your interviewer you want the job — period,” says Dana Fulbright, an IT recruiter for Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. “So many people leave without ever saying they want to be hired. It sounds so simple, but it‘s true. Let your employer know that you want to work there.”

This article was excerpted from the new eBook “Calling All Grads! Turn a Degree into a Job,” edited by careers writer and editor Marco Buscaglia and published by Tribune Media Services, Inc. For more information or to purchase the book, click here.