Thankful for Picture Books

Charlie Simpkins
Digital Consultant

Certain holidays can evoke different emotions for people. For me, Thanksgiving brings up a sense of nostalgia. I remember the excitement of being in elementary school and knowing that a week-long break was coming. One blissful week of sleeping late, visiting with family, eating special foods, and my favorite activity: reading whatever I wanted.

I did not know until recently that November is National Picture Book Month. I don’t know why November was chosen, but it makes sense for me because of the nostalgia factor. This got me thinking about not only how important picture books are, but also the variety of picture book styles available.

Picture books are often the first books we experience as children. From exploring the book (even with our mouths as infants) to reading bedtime stories, picture books have substantial lessons to offer children. Even being read to as an infant leaves a lasting impact. They learn the nuances of language sounds, they hear new vocabulary, and early on, they will start to connect the vocabulary to the pictures. They can also be introduced to new concepts, such as letters, numbers, animals, etc. They learn print awareness, such as how to hold the book and which way to turn the pages.

The variety of picture books can help meet children where they are. For example, cloth and board books are popular for babies and toddlers. Though not indestructible, the sturdy construction holds up well to rough use by little fingers and usually features bright, engaging colors with few words. One popular board book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, hits all the marks with its vibrant imagery and developmentally appropriate refrain.

Concept books are what parents, teachers, and librarians can use to introduce children to new themes, including the alphabet, colors, shapes, and counting. Concept books do not always feature a plot but focus on the core concept that is trying to be taught. I personally enjoy Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert. A well written concept book can also lend itself to reflection of the previously taught skill with their memorable, almost lyrical writing.

Easy Reader books, also known as Beginning Reader books, are another step toward independent reading. They usually feature larger print with limited vocabulary and simple sentence structures. While the vocabulary may be limited, Easy Readers do feature engaging, but not overly complicated plots. One of my favorite Early Reader book series is Tad Hills Step into Reading series featuring an inquisitive puppy named Rocket, including Rocket’s Very Fine Day. Such series help support reader independence and build confidence for the budding reader.

Some picture books include only pictures with no text for support. These are called Wordless books and are some of my favorites. The artwork can be simple or detailed, but the reader creates the story guided by the illustrations. One of my favorite Wordless books is Flotsam by David Wiesner. Books in this category can be great for strengthening comprehension skills, such as inference, and proving opportunities for open ended discussions.

Picture books also include non-fiction books that introduce a wide variety of topics in a simple way. They include math, social studies, biographies, and animals. The text may include advanced vocabulary. Two of my favorite non-fiction picture books are What Do You Do with a Tail like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page and P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever by Raj Halder and Chris Carpenter, illustrated by Maria Tina Beddia. These titles can make even the most complex concept seem more approachable and serve as a great foundation on which to build understanding.

While I may have advanced to reading technical works and full novels, I still enjoy kicking back with a good picture book. What should I read next? I would love to hear what picture books you recommend. Please leave a comment with your favorites below.

Challenge Accepted (And Reported)!

Alex Brower

Reference Manager

 

Modern libraries are havens of intellectual freedom. They uphold the spirit of the first amendment by providing access to all sorts of information and allowing anyone to come in and learn. However, librarians can face pushback from members of their communities about some of the material in their collections. This pushback usually comes in the form of a challenge, where someone disagrees with the content or ideas of a piece of material and would like it to be removed from the shelf. These challenges happen every day, and I’m hoping to better understand challenges and censorship in Mississippi by growing the Mississippi Challenged Book Index.

Alex Brower and her MCBI poster at the
Mississippi Library Association's 2019 annual conference

What is the Mississippi Challenged Book Index? In short, it’s a way to learn about the challenges that Mississippi libraries receive about their materials. Librarians can anonymously report when someone makes a challenge in their library using our Google form. The form has basic questions about the type of material, the reason that it was challenged, and how the library responded. Don’t let the name fool you! We aren’t just looking for book challenges. We’ve received entries with all types of challenges, including a situation where a link to Planned Parenthood’s website on a teen resource list was challenged for containing information about sexuality. Any type of library material that can be challenged probably will be, and we want to hear about it!

It had never occurred to me that someone could keep track of challenged material before starting library school and learning about the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom’s national database. When I started at MLC, I was thrilled to learn that they had something similar! I’m looking forward to working with ALA and submitting the data we gather for addition to the national database. I’m also planning on releasing a yearly report during Banned Books Week that details the previous year’s challenges here in Mississippi. We don’t release library names, but it’s still fascinating to see what material is challenged and why, and to see how libraries respond.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to present a poster about the MCBI at MLA, and it was such a great opportunity! I got to talk to a lot of people about the MCBI, and I was so proud to see an increase in participation. I’m hoping to keep raising awareness so that we get more and more participation and the index continues to grow. I’m excited to be able to do my part to gather information about challenges in Mississippi so that people can study it, and we can have a better understanding of censorship in our state.

A New and Improved Library Reopens in Weir

In late 2017, a new library system was formed in Mississippi. The libraries in Ackerman and Weir became part of the Choctaw County Library System. The main branch in Ackerman reopened to the public in May 2018.

On September 23, the branch in Weir held a ribbon cutting and grand re-opening celebration. MLC staff members Lacy Ellinwood, Library Development Director, and Susan Liles, Public Relations Director, made the trip to see first-hand the outstanding transformation of this library.

System Director Cristin Henson and her staff have worked diligently to ensure that the residents of Choctaw County have not had to face an extended period of time with no library services. She has worked very closely with her MLC consultant, Louisa Whitfield-Smith, on properly weeding the collection and other tasks involved in preparing the branch for serving patrons.

With greetings from Mayor Shuni Coffey and System Director Cristin Henson, the festivities got underway and everyone gathered outside for the cutting of the ribbon into the library.

Mayor Shuni Coffee welcomes patrons to the improved library.

Library System Director, Cristin Henson shares a bit of history about the library with those in attendance.

With a great deal of support from the community, these two libraries now serve the members of this county with updated materials, public access computers, and a dedicated staff. MLC is proud to support this new library system and applaud them for their dedication to serving their communities.

Library System Director Cristin Henson (left) with MLC Library Development Director Lacy Ellinwood

A Visit from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Jennifer Peacock

Administrative Services Director

The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) receives federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Service (IMLS) through the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States program. In order to receive these funds, MLC must have a federal five-year plan in place that provides direction for how these funds will be spent. Once during each five-year plan, the program officer from IMLS assigned to Mississippi comes for a site visit. These site visits are three days long, with the first day at MLC viewing records and talking with various MLC staff about the goals of the Five-Year Plan and how they are carried out. The next two days are on the road visiting libraries that have received LSTA subgrants to see how the funds are used in the communities in Mississippi.

From left, MLC Executive Director Hulen Bivins, IMLS Senior Program Officer Dennis Nangle, IMLS CFO Chris Catignani, MLC Library Services Director Tracy Carr, and MLC Administrative Services Director Jennifer Peacock

Jennifer Peacock, who serves as both Administrative Services Director and LSTA Coordinator, and Susan Liles, PR Director, accompanied the IMLS program officer for Mississippi, Dennis Nangle, and another IMLS employee, Chris Catignani, who was scheduled to be in town for an event on Friday, so he came early to tag along on the site visit.

Text to Checkout at the Bovina Grocery

The site visit consisted of seven stops covering the central part of the state and showed both small, rural areas with smaller library systems as well as larger systems. First was a quick stop in Bovina where a pilot program called Text to Checkout is located in the Bovina Grocery. The next two days encompassed stops at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library, Humphreys County Library System, Madison County Library System, Noxubee County Public Library, Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System, and Central Mississippi Regional Library System. In each of these systems, the directors were able to highlight the projects that LSTA funds had helped them to roll out over the past several years and explain the impact it had on their patrons and communities.

Chris, Dennis, and Jennifer with Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library Director Katrina Stokes

Jennifer, Chris, and Dennis with Humphreys County Library System Director Sidney Cobb

Madison County Library System (MCLS) staff David Jackson, MCLS Director Tonja Johnson with Chris

Noxubee County Public Library Director Shameka Conner with Jennifer, Dennis, and Chris

Chris, Jennifer, and Dennis with Mid-Mississippi Regional Library
System Director Josh Haidet and Youth Services Librarian Lindsay Fitts

Chris and Dennis with Central Mississippi Regional Library System Director Mara Polk

Special thanks to Katrina, Sidney, Tonja, Shameka, Josh, Mara, and their staff for welcoming us and taking the time to help advocate for all Mississippi libraries by showing the importance of the federal funding MLC receives and the impact it has both statewide and in the local communities.

Chris, Jennifer, Dennis, and MLC PR Director Susan Liles

Meet MLC Monday: Gavin Gainey

Meet Gavin Gainey, Facilities Maintenance staff for the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC)! Gavin's job includes maintaining MLC's lobby and grounds, as well as smaller duties, like meeting room set up. Gavin has been working at MLC for a month, so give him a warm welcome if you see him.

Since he has started here, Gavin says that he is impressed with what MLC does to enable visually and print disabled readers to enjoy and participate in a love for literature. He continues, "Libraries make sure people have access to information and knowledge regardless of social status, age, or even disability."

Gavin says that he read more when he was younger, but that his favorite book has always been The Count of Monte Cristo. He is also a musician, photographer, and graphic artist. He loves listening to music, whether it's in the comfort of his home or in a live venue.

Welcome to the MLC Board, Becky Wright!

Join us in welcoming Becky Wright, president of the GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC), to the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) Board. A little bit of history: nearly 100 years ago, the MFWC decided that every county in the state needed their own library. In fact, when MLC was officially created in 1926, the house bill that was submitted and approved specifically stated that the president of the Federation or a member recommended by her would always be a member of the Board. (1) MFWC is a fixed and integral part of Mississippi library growth and development and we're extremely pleased to have their continued valuable support.


Becky's local public library is the Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce. Not only is she a big library fan, but she has been a library volunteer for many years. She has shared books by reading them to students at local schools, but she is most involved with their Brown Bag Luncheons. She says she loves the opportunity to get to know local authors and make them welcome in their community. Bruce is a small town of about 2,000 people, but they've been able to entice some big names. Tom Franklin and Ace Atkins were just two authors whom she loved meeting at the library.

Becky and her husband own and operate the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Bruce, Mississippi. She brings a wealth of experience to MLC's Board: she has been actively involved with the Bruce Chamber of Commerce for 25 years and has served on their board for 22 years. Becky has seven grandchildren and says that one of the things she wants to accomplish while on MLC's Board is "making sure that libraries are always open and available. My grandchildren and their peers always need to have a place to go to learn, especially in cases where they don't have the means to gain information anywhere else." She adds, "Funding for libraries is something we always have to keep pushing for. Our organization will not hesitate to lobby for the continuance of full funding each year."

Becky has been most impressed with MLC's programs and achievements. She thinks the agency's goals are commendable and really likes that MLC staff is consistently out in the state, visiting libraries, training front-line librarians, and being available for consultations. MLC's Talking Book Services has also blown her away; their readiness to speak about the program to local clubs and service groups is a huge plus in her book. She is also excited about the Mississippi Book Festival and MLC's involvement with that from its inception. Regretting that she wasn't able to attend this year's festival due to a prior commitment, Becky pledged to make it to next year's event.

Congratulations on joining the Board of the Mississippi Library Commission, Becky Wright!

(1) A History of Mississippi Libraries, edited by Margarete Peebles and J.B. Howell

Welcome to the MLC Board, Lori Ward Barnes!

Join us in welcoming Lori Ward Barnes, the director of the Jackson-George Regional Library System (JGRLS), to the Mississippi Library Commission Board. Lori was in her mid-20s when librarianship "found her" and she has been a professional librarian ever since. She started as the director of a very small, single-county library system in Alabama. She switched to youth services for a while, but has been back in administration for about ten years. Lori says she gets the most enjoyment from administration because it puts her in a position to make a difference in how a library system progresses. Outreach as one of the most important things her library system does and Lori is proud that JGRLS's outreach has expanded exponentially since she became director. This has been as varied as a prom at a local nursing home (participants visited the library to research planning and costumes and library staff assisted in throwing the event) and Head Start and day care visits (they bring the library to the children).

Lori has now worked in libraries for thirty years and is at the pinnacle of her career, making her a great addition to the MLC Board. Not only does she have a lot to offer by way of expertise and experience, but she's eager to learn and grow. She wants to make a difference in public libraries across Mississippi and feels very positively about what MLC does for them. She says MLC's services are extremely valuable, especially to our state's small, rural libraries. These libraries can do just as many wonderful things as library systems with multi-million dollar budgets--they do it all the time, but MLC is key to making that happen. These libraries may not have the local resources or funding to do everything they want to do, but then MLC steps forward with resources like e-magazine trials, book club kits, and special collection kits that supplement programs and collections. MLC also facilitates the LSTA grant program, which is incredibly important to all libraries in Mississippi.

Lori has been married to her dear husband Jim for many years. They are proud parents of a son and a daughter and are also new grandparents. She says that being a brand-new grandma eats up all of her non-library time, but that she loves every minute of it. Congratulations, Lori!