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The Library2Go website got a new look a few weeks ago. One of the frequent comments about the new, image-heavy look was that information about the book (title, author, etc.) was hard to see without clicking on each book. Today new title display options have been added to Library2Go, which will hopefully make browsing for books a little bit easier.

When you click on a category or do a search, you'll see a new set of buttons that allow you to change how the titles display. Choose from the default view - "Cover" - or switch to a grid or list view. Switching to the grid or list view will give you more information about the title, without having to click on the book cover image first.

The changes were made by OverDrive, the software company that powers the Library2Go service.

1:00 PM to 2:00 PM - Cornelius Public Library: ¡Totalmente Gratis!Venga y aprenda lo básico de computación¿Para qué se usan las computadoras?Usando programas y manejando nuestros archivos electrónicosNavegar el internetCrear una cuenta de correo electrónicoTaller libre para preguntas de cualquier otro tema¡Clases Empiezan el 6 de Febrero!¡No se requiere experiencia, ni registración!MiércolesSábadosClase: 5:30pm - 6:30pmClase: 1:00pm - 2:00pmTaller libre: 4:30pm - 5:30pmTaller libre: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Clases En La Biblioteca Pública de Cornelius(Enfrente de la estación de bomberos) 1355 N Barlow StCornelius, OR 97113503-357-4093Luis Chavez | luisc@wccls.org www.ci.cornelius.or.us/libraryEste programa es apoyado en parte por el Instituto de Museo y Servicios Bibliotecarios (IMLS) por medio del Acto de Servicios Bibliotecarios y Tecnología (LSTA) , administrado por la Biblioteca del Estado de Oregón. This programis supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM - Cornelius Public Library: Colorín Colorado…Leamos en FamiliaUn futuro brillante empieza en un libro. Programa Gratuito cada sábado a las 12:00pmLa hora de Cuentos es patrocinado por los Amigos de la Biblioteca Pública de Cornelius.Horas: Lunes a Viernes de 10am a 7pm; Sábado de 10am a 5pm; Domingo de 12pm a 5pmLa Biblioteca Pública de Cornelius1355 N. Barlow St.503-357-4093www.cornelius.ci.or.us/library

10:30 AM to 11:30 AM - Hillsboro Shute Park Branch: Practice English or Spanish and help others learn in a friendly atmosphere. Beginners welcome! Practique inglés o español y ayude a los demás que están aprendiendo en un ambiente amable. ¡Están bienvenidos los principiantes!

We're excited for the upcoming 9th annual storytelling festival - Art of the Story. There are some great performers coming to Washington County April 13th to 20th. We want to highlight all of the storytellers in turn, and next up is Kim Weitkamp, a nationally known storyteller, humorist, singer and songwriter.

The Oregonian said: "Kim studs her storytelling performances with bits of musical Americana that match the sweet and gentle tones of her narrative." 

Her material has been played on NPR affiliate stations as well as Sirius Radio. Kim travels the continent full-time performing in theaters and at festivals.

This is a funny and heartwarming video featuring clips from one of Kim's performances at the Snow Theater in Idaho. Like what you see? Check out the Art of the Story performance schedule to get all the details.

10:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Forest Grove City Library: ¡Venga con sus niños de 18 meses hasta 6 años de edad para compartir con juguetes y libros especiales, conocer otros padres y madres y ayudar a su niño en su crecimiento! Visítenos entre 10am-12pm durante estos sábados:

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Tualatin Public Library: La Biblioteca está ofreciendo clases basicas de computación; estas clases se brindarán los viernes en el horario de 3:00 pm a 5:00 pm. Los temas serán los siguientes: Primer viernes: Informática básica Segundo viernes: Correo electrónico y redes sociales Tercer viernes: Microsoft Word Cuarto viernes: Las Aplicaciones en Google Se brindará la ayuda necesaria a los participantes con sus preguntas; estas clases no requiren inscripción por adelantado. Para más información, llame a Annie Lewis, Bibliotecaria, al 503 691-3077. The library offers computer classes in Spanish every Friday from 3:00pm-5:00pm. A new topic will be introduced each week including: First Friday: Computer basics Second Friday: Email and social networking Third Friday: Microsoft Word Fourth Friday: Google products Time will be provided for questions and one-on-one assistance. Pre-registration is not required.For more information, please call Annie Lewis, Librarian, at 503 691-3077.

Here is a fun little fingerplay and peek-a-boo game for sharing with babies: Here's a Ball for Baby

Here's a Ball for Baby

Here's a ball for baby (hold hand in front, fingers to fingers, thumbs to thumbs)
Big and soft and round
Here's baby's hammer (pound fist into palm) See how it can pound
Here are baby's soldiers (hold fingers up) Standing in a row
Here's baby's music (clap hands) Clapping, clapping so
Here's baby's trumpet (hold fists in front of mouth like a trumpet) Doot-Doot-Doooo!
And here's baby's favorite game Peek-a-Boo!!

This is a wonderful rhyme for sharing with young babies.  Not only is it full of fun hand motions but it also turns into a game of peek-a-boo!  In general, babies begin to enjoy peek-a-boo games sometime between 4 and 9 months.  When we play peek-a-boo with babies and toddlers, we are helping them develop an understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight.  We call this object permanence.  Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget introduced this concept back in the early part of the 20th century.

For a nice overview of object permanence and the power of peek-a-boo, check out this page from the Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center. 

When children experience cause and effect with peek-a-boo games they are beginning to develop a conceptual knowledge of how the world works.  This understanding will ultimately help them make predictions once they begin to learn how to read!

6:30 PM to 7:30 PM - Tualatin Public Library: Se presentan cuentos, rimas, canciones, y manualidades para familias con niños de todas edades. Storytime in Spanish. Presenting stories, songs, rhymes and crafts for families with children of all ages.

The Oregon Career Information System (Oregon CIS) will be unavailable on Saturday, March 30th from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. This is due to repair work at the University of Oregon, which maintains this resource.

Oregon CIS is a valuable online resource full of Oregon-specific information about jobs, careers, education and training. See all of WCCLS' job search and career resources here.

Escuadrón 201 - "Aguilas Aztecas" ("Aztec Eagles") On Wednesday, April 3rd, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, join Sig Unander at the West Slope Library for a documentary film and discussion.

Sig will be introducing a film called The Forgotten Eagles, a documentary about a Mexican fighter squadron - known as the  "Aztec Eagles" - who fought alongside the United States in World War Two.

Registration for this program is required. Please contact the West Slope Library to register or for more details.

6:00 PM to 7:30 PM - Hillsboro Shute Park Branch: La selección de esta reunión es 'Diles que no me maten!' de Juan Rulfo. El círculo de lectura se reúne dos veces al mes para una conversación alrededor de lecturas comunes. El enfoque del grupo son los cuentos de Latinoamerica. El grupo es para personas de por lo menos 15 años de edad y en español. Acompañenos!

5:30 PM to 6:30 PM - Cornelius Public Library: ¡Totalmente Gratis!Venga y aprenda lo básico de computación¿Para qué se usan las computadoras?Usando programas y manejando nuestros archivos electrónicosNavegar el internetCrear una cuenta de correo electrónicoTaller libre para preguntas de cualquier otro tema¡Clases Empiezan el 6 de Febrero!¡No se requiere experiencia, ni registración!MiércolesSábadosClase: 5:30pm - 6:30pmClase: 1:00pm - 2:00pmTaller libre: 4:30pm - 5:30pmTaller libre: 2:00pm - 3:00pm Clases En La Biblioteca Pública de Cornelius(Enfrente de la estación de bomberos) 1355 N Barlow StCornelius, OR 97113503-357-4093Luis Chavez | luisc@wccls.org www.ci.cornelius.or.us/libraryEste programa es apoyado en parte por el Instituto de Museo y Servicios Bibliotecarios (IMLS) por medio del Acto de Servicios Bibliotecarios y Tecnología (LSTA) , administrado por la Biblioteca del Estado de Oregón. This programis supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

You may know that WCCLS member libraries have great nonfiction reference books to help you research a topic or complete a homework assignment. But did you know that WCCLS offers access to these great reference books in e-book form? Access them anywhere, anytime, from the WCCLS website.

This collection of e-books is called Gale Virtual Reference Library. The books in the collection cover a wide range of subjects, from law and medicine, to history and literature.

There are also lots of e-books for kids in the collection, with titles covering subjects like castles and space exploration.

Find Gale Virtual Reference Library at the WCCLS website and log in with your library card handy!

Our next stop in Storyland is the beautiful and bilingual Abuela, by Arthus Dorros (illustrated by Elisa Kleven).

This imaginative story of a girl, her grandmother (Abuela) and their day at the park is told with a perfect mix of English and Spanish.  We are told right from the start, "Abuela speaks mostly Spanish because that's what people spoke where she grew up, before she came to this country."

I can't help sharing some information about the importance of speaking with young children in the language that is most comfortable for you.  When you speak with your child in your first language, you provide them with the richest language experience.  There are many language skills that children need to master in order to become successful readers.  When they engage in a stilted language experience, they are simply not able to practice these skills very well.

Abuela does a fantastic job of showing a loving relationship between adult and child.  Clearly, the relationship is more important than anything else, language included.  The coolest part of the story is watching Rosalba show off the strong bilingual vocabulary she possesses because of her relationship with her Abuela.  She has so many words in her vocabulary that monolingual children simply don't!

Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the University of Washington's Institute for Brain and Learning Sciences provided a fascinating TED Talk on language development in babies a couple of years ago.  She notes that there is a small window of time when babies are hardwired to learn a specific language.  I encourage you to take 10 minutes out of your day and give it a look:



Now we can't all have "Mandarin relatives visit for a month"... but we can expose our children to other language experiences.  Library storytimes are a great opportunity for little learners to become acquainted with other languages and cultures.  Washington County libraries offer storytimes in Spanish, Japanese, Bulgarian, Swedish and ... yep ... Mandarin Chinese!  It might not be the same thing as having Mandarin relatives in your home for a month, but it is pretty cool, nonetheless!

For a full list of library storytimes, check out the WCCLS Calendar.

The Storyland exhibit is on display at the Portland Children's Museum until May 5, 2013.  Visitors can play hopscotch in Central Park and explore tío Pablo's and tía Elisa's store where they can write up a quick shopping list.  Mmmmm... my list would include plátanos.  To visit the Children's Museum for free, contact your local Washington County library today and arrange to check out a Cultural Pass.

(photo above provided by Portland Children's Museum and used with permission)

Here are a few multicultural picture books that I'm especially fond of:

Title: Mung-Mung: A Fold-Out Book of Animal Sounds
Author: Linda Sue Park
Illustrator: Diane Bigda
Find this book at your library

Animal sounds from many different languages are explored in this super-fun, bright book!
Title: Yum! Yuck! A Foldout Book of People Sounds
Author: Linda Sue Park and Julia Durango
Illustrator: Sue Rama
Find this book at your library

A fun follow-up to Mung-Mung, this time we are introduced to the words people say to express emotions in many different languages.
Title: Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Find this book at your library

Cousins, one in Mexico and one in the US, write letters back and forth describing their days.  It is loads of fun discovering how their lives are different and the same.
Title: The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez
Author: René Colato Laínez
Illustrator: Tom Lintern
Find this book at your library

A bicultural battle brews between the Tooth Fairy and El Ratón Pérez when they both try to claim a young Mexican-American boy's tooth!  Absolutely hilarious!!

We're excited for the upcoming 9th annual storytelling festival - Art of the Story. There are some great performers coming to Washington County April 13th to 20th. We want to highlight all of the storytellers in turn, and we're starting with Rick Huddle, a performer from Portland.

“He’s like David Sedaris and Ira Glass had a baby and Carol Burnett raised the little guy.”

Rick's work exposes the tender, humorous and, at times, outrageous collision of inner psyche versus personal relationships. His openness, humility, and compelling presence draw the audience into the story as if it were their own. His characters relate to people with their infectious uncertainty, confusion, and desire for connection.

Check Rick out in a funny, sweet, and musical performance for adults at a festival in Portland a few years ago. Like what you see? Check out the schedule of Rick's and all the other great performances.

6:30 PM to 7:00 PM - Hillsboro Shute Park Branch: Ven a escuchar cuentos que fomentán las habilidades de alfabetización temprana. / Come listen to stories that will encourage early literacy skills.

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM - Cornelius Public Library: Spanish/ English Language ExchangeIntercambio de inglés y españolMondays starting February 4th5:00pm-7:00pmLunes empezando el 4 de febreroa las 5:00pm-7:00pm A FREE drop in opportunity for friendly practice if you are learning English or Spanish!¡Una oportunidad GRATUITA para practicar inglés o español en un lugar amistoso!at the Cornelius Public Library1355 N Barlow(next to the fire station/ junto a la estación de bomberos) This program is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.Este programa es apoyado en parte por el Instituto de Museo y Servicios Bibliotecarios (IMLS) por medio del Acto de Servicios Bibliotecarios y Tecnología (LSTA) , administrado por la Biblioteca del Estado de Oregón.

Today we feature a fun little counting rhyme: The Pirate Song
The Pirate Song

When I was one I had some fun (hold up 1 finger)
On the day I went to sea
I hopped (hop up) aboard a pirate ship (put hand over eye)
And the captain (salute with your other hand) said to me:

You go this way (hold thumbs up and lean to one side)
That way (lean to the other side)
Forward (lean forward) and backward (lean backward) Over the deep blue sea!

When I was two I tied my shoe...
When I was three I slapped my knee...
When I was four I shut the door...
When I was five I tood a dive...


Like the familiar Mother Goose nursery rhyme "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" this is one of those great counting songs that let kids explore the concepts of number and rhyme at the same time.  There is absolutely no reason to sing it the same way twice.  I encourage you to come up with new and fun rhymes for each number.  Better yet, invite your children to come up with funny rhymes.
Here are some possible versions:

When I was one I:
a) sucked my thumb
b) ate a plumb
c) went for a run

When I was two I:
a) got stuck in glue
b) went to the zoo
c) paddled my canoe

When I was three I:
a) got stung by a bee
b) jumped like a flea
c) climbed a tree

When I was four I:
a) sat on the floor
b) did roar
c) snored

When I was five I:
a) went for a drive b) played a fife
c) arrived

As I have mentioned before, being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words is a critical skill that helps kids prepare for learning to read.  We call it phonological awareness. 

The WCCLS website will be unavailable on Tuesday, March 26th at 9:00 pm, for approximately one hour. This is in order to perform scheduled maintenance.

While the site is down, you can still access the following:

• WCCLS online catalog
• Your account
• Library2Go
• WCCLS events calendar

Thank you for your patience! If you have questions or comments, you can reach us at webmaster@wccls.org.