Library fun path for pupils

     By Chris Jones
     View staff writer
      Who said you can't have any fun in a library?
      It certainly wasn't Robbin Gaebler, who makes her living creating entertaining ways to get children involved at the Clark County Library.
      Gaebler is the department head of the Young People's Library, located on the third floor of the building at 1401 E. Flamingo Road. She works alongside librarian Jennifer Schember to create and teach an after-school program for children ages 6 to 12.
      Their lessons are designed to teach children how to use the library's resources while having a good time in the process.
      "We build on the knowledge that the kids already have," Gaebler said. "We're not teachers; all we're trying to do is bring kids into the library, show them we have resources on the topics they study in school, and give them an idea that the library is a really fun place to find information."
      Gaebler said every library in the district offers an after-school program of some kind. The Clark County Library divides its programs into a series of discussions on an educational topic over the course of several weeks.
      "Jennifer and I came to this library last fall and we sort of inherited their after-school program," Gaebler said. "We're carrying on in the tradition of offering a series of classes for school-age kids that every week has to deal with the same theme. If you offer something different every week, the kids may not come quite as often, depending on what the subject is. This way they build up an interest and like coming back."
      The library recently sponsored a program called "The Path to Math," which concluded Thursday. Previous topics have included American Indians and "Science in Action."
      A series beginning March 24 will instruct the children on cooking.
      Regardless of the topic, each series has two primary objectives: keep the subject library-related and make it enjoyable.
      "We could have them in here doing flips, but that wouldn't teach them anything about the books," Gaebler said.
      To that end, during the math program children studied fractions by cutting up a slice of pizza and frosting cookies by halves or quarters. Other lessons included a hands-on look at the inside of a computer, counting money in a store and estimating the number of jelly beans in a jar. All lessons were tied back into using the library to solve problems on similar topics.
      "In schools, you learn library skills like the Dewey Decimal System," Gaebler said. "The library can become a drudgery, not a fun, lit-up place. We try to make it a fun place for the kids so they become familiar with it. When they come in to do homework, they'll remember us and we'll hopefully be a pleasant memory for them."
      Gaebler said 40 children usually attend the classes, which are free but require pre-registration. Although the wide difference in the children's ages can cause some conflicts for the teachers, Gaebler said she and Schember put in a lot of time trying to create lessons that can reach a first grader as easily as a fifth grader.
      "You've got kids in here in who barely know their numbers sitting next to others who can divide fractions," Gaebler said. "We have to do many different things during the hour to keep the interest of a 6-year old without losing the older kids' attention."
      Gaebler said for every half hour of class time, at least two hours of planning and preparation have taken place behind the scenes.
      "Programming is both the hardest and the most rewarding part of my job," Gaebler said. "When you do it well, it works. You feel it in your heart when that kid comes up to you and remembers you as the `Library Lady.' "
      Lydia Lunsford brings her 8-year-old daughter Amber to the programs each week. She said the classes have been very helpful in increasing Amber's awareness of the facility.
      "We're always coming to the library anyway, and Amber really likes the classes," Lunsford said. "She took the science classes before and now she's really enjoying learning about math and computers. We talk about coming here all the time."
      That's the response Gaebler is hoping to achieve.
      "We can be a bridge to the knowledge (children receive) in school," Gaebler said. "These programs are bringing kids into the library who previously didn't come. ... We hope these kids all end up being library users."