Category: First 2 Know

The Winter Reading Challenge is right around the corner! No, literally, it starts on Monday!

This year, at the Dauphin County Library, we’ll be doing an Olympics-themed challenge! In this point-based challenge, participants will log reading and reviews to earn “medals” (Beanstack badges) and a prize at the end!

Registration

All registrations will be through Beanstack, which carries us through this year’s Winter Reading Challenge. To register, all you have to do is go to dcls.org/wrc to find the Beanstack link. You can also register on the Beanstack Tracker app. Don’t have the app but would like it? Search for Beanstack Tracker in the App Store or Google Play Store to download. You can also use the Beanstack link on any desktop computer!

How to Participate

To earn points for this year’s challenge, you can log your minutes or books, as well as reviews, in the Beanstack app.  1 book = 5 points, 10 minutes of reading = 1 point, and 1 review = 5 points. Log your reading online using the username and password you chose. You’ve completed the challenge once you hit 100 points! 20 books or 10 books + 10 reviews = 100 points! Beanstack will notify you when you have prizes or have completed the challenge.

Remember – ALL READING COUNTS!

Prizes

Members can pick up their prize starting on February 1. Adults (and teens, if they prefer) will get the annual mug with hot cocoa or tea! Pre K and Kids (and teens if they want it) will be getting bubbles featuring our Winter Reading Challenge art!

Please note that there is no registration prize for the Winter Reading Challenge this year.

The Winter Reading Challenge is a great way to get you and your little ones reading this winter! Consider joining us in all the fun this season! Visit https://dcls.beanstack.org/reader365 to register!

By: Ann Marie Megoulas

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush and Congress passed a joint resolution officially designating November as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Since then, the full month of November has served as a time to honor and celebrate the diverse cultures, significant contributions, and deep histories of Native American Indian communities. In more recent years, this observance was expanded to include recognition of Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and American Samoan peoples as well, and starting in 2009, presidential proclamations have regularly designated November as National Native American Heritage Month.

A visit to a library is a wonderful way to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month as libraries offer rich collections of books and materials on this topic. Here at the Dauphin County Library System, you can find nearly 700 Native American themed books, e-Books, videos, music, and more by searching our catalog using the search term, “Native American.”  Search for “Indigenous American” content and your will find even more.

Library databases are another major source of information about Native Americans and this year we are introducing the newly added Indigenous Life in America database.

What is Indigenous Life in America? It is an easily navigable digital news archive that delivers an expansive overview of the Indigenous experience in the United States, spanning from 1690 to the present day. It features more than 16 million primary source documents from varied sources and presents a multifaceted narrative that highlights the profound influence Native communities have had on shaping the nation’s history.

Where can you find Indigenous Life in America? Indigenous Life in Americacan be found by visiting The Library’s Research webpage and browsing through the alphabetic list of resources. When you find it, just click on its title or its “USE RESOURCE” link to open it. Remember that whenever you are outside of a library, you will also need to enter your library card and PIN.

What does Indigenous Life in America offer? It offers an aggregated news archive covering the experience and impact of Indigenous Americans as recorded by the news media from the late 17^th century to the early 21^st century. Its content is organized by significant time period and event and then further sorted into subcategories covering topics like arts and entertainment, government action, notable people, and more. Since that content is pulled from so many varied new sources, Indigenous Life in America offers balanced coverage and varied viewpoints.

How can you search Indigenous Life in America? You can perform a keyword search of your own choosing, or you can browse through Indigenous Life in America’s Suggested Searches (expertly composed search queries created to provide focused access to the search results covering the most significant topics impacting Indigenous Americans.) I personally recommend browsing the Suggested Searches as they provide students and researchers with quick access to the most relevant content.

Want to learn more? View this short video.

This November, please join us in honoring the contributions and impacts of Native American communities by exploring The Library’s broad collection of Native American resources and by examining the interesting articles and reports shared in our newly added Indigenous Life in America. You will not be disappointed!

By: Emily Anderson

Portia and Poppins arrive at the William H. and Marion C. Alexander Family Library wearing seasonal bandanas, ready to do the important work of improving literacy. In their meeting rooms, they sit calmly and patiently through 15-minute appointments, listening to children reading books during The Library’s “Paws 2 Read” program. Children ages 6 to 11 can bring their own books to share with Portia and Poppins and their handlers, Betsy and Flo, or they can choose from a selection of dog-themed books The Library keeps on hand.

For many young readers, the task of reading aloud can be incredibly daunting – but reading aloud to a dog is a completely different story. Animals don’t judge you, let alone tease you.  Animals don’t have a preference for how quickly you can sound out a word, and they won’t care about your cadence. During a program like Paws 2 Read at The Library, reluctant readers who may lack confidence in their abilities are paired with a consistent listening companion, receive unconditional support, and have the opportunity to build positive, lifelong reading experiences.

Research shows that dogs not only help reduce stress reactions in children performing difficult tasks, but also that playing with a dog helps improve mood and calm the mind. These positive cognitive effects motivate students to keep returning, all while they practice their reading. Over time, this positive association with reading aloud can have a monumental impact on a child’s attitude towards reading. This continued practice also has the potential to dramatically improve a child’s reading fluency, or their ability to read with accuracy, speed, and expression. By regularly reading to dogs, struggling readers have an opportunity to develop the self-esteem and confidence they need to be lifelong book lovers.

Paws 2 Read takes place on alternating Monday evenings at the Alexander Family and East Shore Area Libraries. Elizabethville Library hosts the program every other Wednesday evening. Children ages 6 to 11 can sign up in advance for 15-minute appointments through The Library’s programming calendar [link: https://dcls.libcal.com/] or check availability here [link: https://outlook.office.com/book/Fall2022Paws2Read@dcls.org/?ismsaljsauthenabled].