This project was supported in part by state aid funding appropriated by the Nebraska Legislature, granted and administeredby the Nebraska Library Commission.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

No Legos in May

We will not have Legos @ your library during the month of May as we are very busy preparing for our Summer Reading Program.

We will have Legos every Tuesday morning June 5 - July 10.  Each week you attend you will be able to put your name in for a drawing for one of two SpongeBob Lego sets!  The more you come the more likely you are to win!


Friday, April 20, 2012

Saturday Legos

Well, Nebraska weather is so unpredictable in the spring...with a tornado watch all day Saturday our Lego group was rather small.  Here are the creations that were made:





Friday, April 13, 2012

Homeschool Legos

Here are some pictures of the great Lego creations at our homeschool Legos event on Wednesday, April 11








 Harry Potter Quidditch Field!

Our next event is Saturday, April 14, 1-2 PM

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

1st Anniversary!

I thought I would post some reflections about our first year having Legos @ your library.  It may be especially helpful for fellow librarians who may want to start a Lego group at their libraries.

Statistics:
25 Lego programs (April 2011-March 2012)
916 participants
Average: 36 participants per program

Things that have gone good...
This program has nearly no cost once it is underway.  The only expense is providing a few snacks when we have an after school event (just simple things like pretzels and graham crackers).

Set-up is very easy...pull out the Lego tubs and Lego books then let the kids build!  It is a high interest event that brings in a good crowd without spending a lot of time in prep work. The library will be having a weekly Lego group throughout the summer reading program again this year.

Somehow I was lucky and had bought a good amount of Legos (about 6,000).  That was totally an educated guess, so I am glad it turned out to be enough, but not really too many either.

Things that I have changed...
I no longer try to do any themes for the Lego programs.  Once in a while a child would build something that went with the theme, but most often they just built (which is a good thing!).  I also spent time pulling books to go with the theme, but rarely those books were any checked out.   So now I just choose a "fun" newer book to read aloud before letting the children build.

I still have the "rule" that children need to be 4 years old to participate, however if younger children come (usually siblings) I tell individual parents that Legos are a choking hazard for children under the age of 4, but if they want their younger child to participate it is up to them.

Things I would do in hindsight...
I would buy more books...lots more books...multiple copies of Lego books.  Star Wars Lego Visual Dictionary is always out!  I would also buy books that would be used just during the programs.  (I have brought my own personal copies from home for children to look at during the program...because our library copies are always out!)

I would get more "plates" for building on.  I bought one kit of 4 (XL gray, large blue, 2 large green), but more would certainly be helpful!!  Thankfully we had 2 large green plates donated.

I would NOT buy the books with the mini-sets.  A year later all of them have pieces missing...some so many that kids don't like to play with it because you can't actually make anything in the book because at least one vital piece is missing.

Tips...
Having the Legos on display between events has been the best advertisement!  Often times parents don't pick up flyers or notice the signage in the library advertising Legos...but the kids are drawn to the display table filled with Lego creations!  I put the date and time of the next Lego event in the display case as well.