El día de los niños/El día de los libros—Celebrating Children and Books

By Rose Zertuche Treviño -- Críticas, 4/1/2007

Established in 1996, El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) is the creation of award-winning author and poet Pat Mora. Her idea was inspired by El día del niño (Children’s Day), a celebration that originated in 1925 after the first World Conference for the Well-being of Children and is observed throughout Latin America. Now adopted by schools and libraries throughout the United States, as well, April 30 marks a special day to remember and honor the joys and wonders of childhood and acknowledge the importance of books, which was Mora’s original mission.

Sponsored by two divisions of the American Library Association (ALA)—the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and REFORMA (The Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking)—Día is meant to celebrate children, books, languages, and cultures. Libraries can serve as a gateway to connecting children to books. Día also provides a good opportunity to teach the community in general about multiculturalism.

Kids working at the Arts & Crafts table making piñatas

Día programs can help libraries connect with Spanish-speaking immigrant families, as for many it is an echo of the different traditions of their childhood. The annual event is a chance for them to develop new habits that will instill a love for books and reading in their children. However, celebrating Día does not mean that you must speak, understand, or learn Spanish. Darlene Leyton was hesitant to take her children to the Día program at her local library in Katy, TX because she thought it would be entirely in Spanish. “I was surprised when the children’s librarian introduced the program in English,” she said. “[The librarian] read her first story in English, and my kids loved it…. We are all looking forward to this year’s celebration.” Let patrons know that the library’s Día is a multicultural, bilingual event and that they don’t have to speak Spanish to take part.

Planning the celebration

If you are unsure of what to plan or where to start, find out what has worked for other librarians in public or school libraries or refer to free resources available through ALSC, the Texas Library Association, and REFORMA to find a wealth of inspiration. (See links below.)

Last year, the Children’s Museum of Houston sponsored Día programming with storytimes for children, arts and craft tables, music, and much more. “Día is a celebration for all children,” says Cathy Sprueill, manager of the Family Learning Programs at the museum. “The focus is on children and books and we are doing just that with the program celebration we have developed.” This year’s events are scheduled to include four hours of activities on the big day, including a visit from the Houston Public Library, which was invited to set up a table to sign up children and families for a library card.

Planning Día is just like planning any big event at your library. It is important to remember to keep your supervisor informed throughout plan. Write a brief proposal outlining the events and discuss it with your supervisor. Be sure the proposal also addresses the goals of the organization. A tentative budget will also be useful. Be sure to include costs for travel for any speakers/authors that you plan to reimburse for airfare, hotel and meals; food; crafts; publicity; mailings; books; honoraria; and other items that will be needed.

Be sure to have a contract with any paid participants, such as a visiting author or storyteller or local artist, indicating what you expect of them. Tell them how long you expect them to perform, who your audience is, what time you expect them to arrive, and what items they are responsible for bringing such as books, microphone, CD player, etc.

Folks at The Children's Museum of Houston working with kids on chalkboard drawings

Once you’re ready to get the ball rolling, make a list of the activities you would like to include in the celebration. Outline what you will have to do in preparation, including setting up the area, arranging local transportation for visiting speakers, and ensuring that the books you will use are available. Be sure to consider the community’s needs and resources as well as the library’s staffing and budget resources.

But most important, get people to help plan, coordinate, and implement your program. One easy way to enlist volunteers is to make a sign listing specific duties you need help with. Post it on library doors and mail it out to school and community centers.

Community members are often happy to help out. Sonia Miller, a teacher in Conroe, TX, says she volunteered at the Houston Public Library because she “wanted my students to come to the celebration. I plan to volunteer again this year.” She’s so hooked, she’s planning on making Día happen in her classroom, too.

Forming community partnerships

If you don’t ask for partners, you will never know who might have jumped on board, so begin by making a list of who you would want to involve. Some suggestions include the schools, Head Start and early childhood centers, area grocery stores, bookstores, the State Library, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, churches, and retail stores. Check with community organizations, classroom teachers, and other librarians to see if they are planning similar celebrations. Knowing what else is happening in the community will avoid scheduling conflicts. Approaching potential partners by phone or with a letter defining the program and including the date, time, and location is a good first step. Tell them how you see them involved (money, volunteers, help with programming, publicity support, etc.). If you write a letter or email, include your contact information and a note that you will follow up with a phone call if you do not hear back from them by a particular date.

Never underestimate the media. You will be surprised to see big numbers if you involve them from the start. Elva Garza, manager at the St. John Library in Austin, TX, says that as a result of strong publicity efforts and with the community’s growing support “the Día celebration has grown, and over 5000 children and families attend.” Contact and advertise in local newspapers, radio and TV stations, and local businesses. Send a “Fast Facts” letter along with an invitation to the initial planning meeting. “It was a struggle,” Garza says of the first year, adding that after the event received extensive media coverage, “we have businesses calling to ask how they can participate.”

Another look at making piñatas

This annual event is a way to bring awareness to the joys of childhood and the value of literacy. For dedicated librarians working with children, it is also commitment to promote and instill a love for books and reading every day of the year.

Día celebrations should be an open invitation to the whole community. Everyone benefits when children understand that they are valued, they are important, and that the library supports them. A library card is a child’s passport to the world. Children who read perform better in school and are better readers, learners, and listeners. With more children using the library, we continue to prepare them for adulthood by sharing the love of books so that as adults they can continue the tradition.

Programs of all sizes

Día programs can range from a single storytime or book display to a citywide celebration. Regardless of the size, be sure to start by talking about Día and why it matters.

A mini celebration is ideal for small libraries with limited staffing and could consist of a storytime featuring bilingual books, rhymes, songs, and other activities. The following books are recommended for children from preschool through second grade.

• Aardema, Verna. Borreguita y el coyote. Harcourt, 1997. (Also available in English as Borreguita and the Coyote.)
• Cronin, Doreen. Clic, Clac, Muu: Vacas escritoras. Lectorum, 2005. (English title: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type.)
• Elya, Susan Middleton. Eight Animals on the Town. Penguin, 2000. In this zany adventure, eight animals, ocho animales, go to market, el mercado, to find dinner.

For a medium size event, which could include salsa classes for kids and arts and crafts workshops, should involve all library staff. Post information about the celebration you have planned on the library’s entry door or submit it for a newspaper clip. With this event, expect more attendance than at a mini-celebration so it’s a good idea to have staff and volunteers available to assist with the craft activities and with crowd control.

A large Día celebration will involve library staff, community partners, and the media. An event of this size typically also includes author readings, live bands, and even a visit from the mayor. Families should be invited to participate in the big celebration as well. The larger the festivity, the more time you need to plan. Planning a year in advance will allow you time to bring partners on board, solicit financial support, and engage schools and community centers as vital resources.

Resources

Check these websites for further information and ideas:

• The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC):
  http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/eldiadelosnios/eldadelosnios.htm
• REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking:
  http://reforma.org/resources/ninos/dia.html
• The Texas Library Association:
  www.texasdia.org

Rose Zertuche Treviño is the youth services coordinator at the Houston Public Library and a member of the ALSC Board of Directors and the National Día Advisory Committee. She serves on the REFORMA Children & Young Adult Services Committee.