Library Idea of the Week March 8, 2004

March is National Craft Month (established by the National Craft Association, I think—an organization of retail craft stores).  I’m not trying to promote consumerism, but there is a place in my heart and my library for crafts of all sorts.  If you’re planning on attending the WLMA conference in the fall, I am actually doing a hands-on 3-hour pre-conference session on crafts in the library, where we’ll make some simple projects that you can also do with students.  Here are some ways you can promote crafts in your library this month on my “crafts” page of my website.  Take a look at “Big List of Ideas for Doing Crafts in the Library.”  http://www.be.wednet.edu/ourschools/hs/library/arts_and_crafts.htm

Book of the Week

Since March is National Craft Month, I thought I’d share one of the latest (in a long and obsessive collection) of craft books I’ve accumulated.  Wild With a Glue Gun: Getting Together With Crafty Friends by Kitty Harmon and Christine Stickler © 2004 is a great intro to crafting, and would be a fine addition to a personal or high school collection.  The authors detail how they formed a group that meets regularly to complete assorted craft projects.  A disclaimer in the beginning warns that they are Not Martha Stewart—just a group of friends who meet for fun. 

Tips for organizing your group, and some pointers for conducting meetings, are followed by the heart and soul of the book:  about 60-70 specific projects that involve lights, paper, wood, found objects, and all sorts of other goodies. Each project contains a photo, a list of supplies, step-by-step instructions, and an “ambition meter” to show approximately how difficult the project is.  Reading this book made me want to call all my friends and invite them over!