📚The Library Lowdown

This fall, McCornack Librarian Jasmine Castigliano has quickly turned the library into a hub of community connection and curiosity. Ms. Jasmine believes that the library is not only a place for students to discover the joy of reading but also a space to explore, connect, and grow.

During a reading of Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, Ms. Jasmine welcomed special guests from Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary Books and Bunny’s program, including the beloved Theodore VonTatertot, a fluffy, irresistible bunny. The students were captivated! Melissa from Blue Barn taught lessons of kindness and empathy, showing each child how to engage with the bunny, explaining that carrots are like candy bars to bunnies and that bunnies love to be read too. Reading aloud to Theodore VonTatertot quickly became a memorable highlight for many students.

Family Game Night was another exciting success, drawing families throughout the school for an evening of fun and games. Families enjoyed a cozy spaghetti dinner in the cafeteria before moving through different areas of the school and into the library to experience the warm, welcoming environment that Ms. Jasmine has carefully crafted for McCornack students. The library buzzed with excitement as families connected over games, laughter, and shared time together.

In another enchanting experience, Tia, the therapy dog, joined Ms. Jasmine in the library after a reading of Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. They discussed how the story’s animals help the witch, introducing the idea of therapy and service animals. Ms. Jasmine then read Rescue and Jessica by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, sparking students’ curiosity about the roles of therapy animals. Students delighted in petting and getting to know Tia, who has become a weekly visitor. Now, every Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., students can sign up for a 15-minute session to read and snuggle one-on-one with Tia during Ms. Jasmine's open library time.

Check out more pictures and follow what's happening in all 4J libraries @4jlibraryservices on Instagram and 4Jlibrarymediaservices on Facebook.

On Friday, October 11th, District Librarian Amy Page had the pleasure of visiting the vibrant libraries in the Siuslaw School District. Guided by Siuslaw’s own District Librarian, Ms. McKenzie, Amy explored the elementary, middle, and high school libraries, where creative book displays, innovative organizational ideas, and inspiring signage brought each space to life. Ms. McKenzie, the “queen of makerspaces,” has truly transformed these libraries into hubs of discovery, complete with interactive music makerspaces! At the middle and high schools, students are welcomed to create music together on instruments like the piano, ukulele, harp, and guitar, before school, during lunch, and after school. Siuslaw libraries are places where students come not only to read but to collaborate, create, and explore endless possibilities—making them a beloved cornerstone of the school community.

Take a peak at the videos below and see for yourself.

• Siuslaw Middle School

• Makerspace

November is National Native American Heritage Month (or Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month); check out these fabulous resources, and scroll below for info on Senate Bill 13: Tribal History / Shared History information. Another curricular resource that has been extremely useful are the aligned K12 Tribal History / Shared History curricular lessons. There is a curated list of titles available in Sora and you can also check out this collection of resources in Destiny Discover. The Eugene Public Library has a great list of books too.

Here are some other amazing resources:

• Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
• Native Knowledge 360° Project
• Article by Author Dr. Katrina M. Phillips about why we celebrate Native American Heritage Month
• Wilderness Ridge Bookmarks from the work of author Art Colson. His books can be found in Sora too!

• Five Essential Books For Understanding Native American History

Click the image below to view a short, informative video.

NaNoWriMo takes place every year in November, and it's about the transformational power of creativity and writing. The nonprofit platform provides structure, community, and encouragement to help amplify new voices in literature. The November challenge is pretty straightforward; participants are to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. The NaNoWriMo website tracks words for writers like Fitbits track steps; check it out!

Celebrate Family Literacy Month with these awesome resources for families and educators. Read aloud together as a family or in the classroom. If you need new, engaging, diverse books to read together, check out 4J's digital library, Sora, filled with ebooks, audiobooks, and read-alongs. Students log in with their 4J username and password.

As families gather for the upcoming holidays, here's a special opportunity to records oral histories of those closest to us. All citizens have the opportunity to record an oral history for the Library of Congress that will be archived in their digital collection.

The Veterans History Project: Preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American War veterans. If you are a vet or know of one, share your story! If you haven't had the opportunity to explore these stories, they are truly incredible stories of history.

The Great Thanksgiving Listen, a national movement encouraging youth and people of all ages to create an oral history by recording an interview with a mentor, family, friend, elder, or anyone they admire, is celebrating 20 years of stories that matter and has some cools new tools to assist with recording stories. Participants can record an interview with someone in the same room using the free StoryCorps App or with someone in a different location using our remote recording platform, StoryCorps Connect.

Here are a few resources to get assist with getting started:

• Educator Toolkit
• Library of Materials

These oral histories will forever be preserved in the Library of Congress digital collection. Please take a moment to check out the resources and participate!

The goal of Global Read Aloud is simple, "one book to connect the world". This year's book is And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps, author of Starfish.

We're thrilled to announce that all Eugene Public Library cardholders now have free access to Comics Plus, an online collection of thousands of comics, manga, graphic novels and picture books for all ages. Every title is available immediately and there are no borrowing limits. It's fast and easy to get started: go to login.librarypass.com, enter your library card number and you're in!

On Saturday, November 9, come by the Downtown Library anytime 10 am. to 4 p.m. for the Friends of the Library's annual Holiday Gift Book Sale. Find amazing bargains on gently-used books in gift-giving condition, with most items just $2 each. This sale features bestsellers, classics, novels, nonfiction, holiday-themed titles, coffee table books, children's books, puzzles and more. In fact, there's a large collection of like-new Buffy the Vampire Slayer items including books, scripts, graphic novels, comics, games, DVDs, art and puppets. Proceeds go to support library activities and events.

Use your 4J username and password to access these awesome books!

Email: page_a@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://www.4j.lane.edu/libraries
Location: 200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, OR, USA
Phone: 541-790-7765

Instagram: @4jlibraryservices
Facebook: facebook.com/4jlibrarymediaservices
Twitter: @AmyPageTL