Another successful appearance by the Library Reading Divas

Five Library Reading Divas (Laura, Linda, Kris, Jen and Sharon) arrived bright and early for the Macy's media event in downtown Minneapolis. They were on hand to help Macy's and MELSA announce the new Minnesota museum Adventure Pass presented by Macy's program.

Instead of their usual formalwear, the Divas were attired in the business suits complete with the white "Reading Diva" sash and, of course, their tiaras. They greeted the guests as they arrived and spent time mingling in the crowd. All of the Divas had their photos taken and had opportunities to explain what a Library Reading Diva is and what they do. Diva Laura and Diva Linda spend some time talking to Minnesota Monthly, so who knows? Maybe those two will have their photo in the magazine.

We even got to kick-off the event! After a half hour of coffee and morning appetizer, the Divas stepped on stage and "shhh-ed" the audience. After a few "shhhhhs", the crowd quieted down and Bill Sprattler, Macy's store manager, joked to the crowd that he hadn't been "shhh-ed by a librarian since I was eight!"

The Divas took the stage again when Sally Lederer, with MELSA, was introduced. After some vamping by the Divas when Sally explained why they were there, the Divas left the stage and stood nearby as Sally introduced the new, exciting program that will begin September 7. The program will allow library card holders to go to their library and "check out a museum!"

After the speakers were done, the Divas moved to the exit and handed out a notepad that looked like an old library checkout card and thanked everyone as they left.

Another crowd-pleasing appearance by the Library Reading Divas.

What a fantastic group of volunteens at the Rosemount Parade!

Temps in the mid-90s and a heat index of 102 degrees, didn't stop the Library Reading Divas from participating in the annual City of Rosemount parade!

Three volunteens arrived to help decorate the carts and to learn the book cart drill team routine.




The Bookmobile was one of the last entries in the parade, so there was a lot of hurry up and wait going on, but that didn't stop these Divas from smiling! Finally, almost an hour after the parade began, it was our turn. Four of the Divas pushed the carts, while other Divas passed out candy to the parade goers and spritzed the Divas with water to help them keep their cool during the parade.

The group, led by veteran Divas Laura and Linda, marched in front of the Bookmobile, stopping on occasion to perform the ever popular pinwheel book cart maneuver, complete with a surprise "shhhhh" to the audience!

As usual, a Library Reading Divas Book Cart Drill Team was a hit with the parade goers.

Macy's Media Event - changes and updates

More changes are underway for the Library Reading Diva's appearance at the August 17 media event. Remember, the media event is the announcement of the new Museum Adventure Pass program that will be available at all metro area libraries in early September and only the media will be invited to this one.

While the Library Reading Divas Book Cart Drill Team concept peeked Macy's interest, there was a concern raised that the our formalwear "costumes" will not be instantly recognizable as LIBRARIAN and LIBRARY.

Sally, with MELSA, is meeting with them again early next week and will pitch our new idea of being dressed in stereotypical librarian attire (skirt suit or blouse and skirt, reading glasses and hair pulled into bun) to see if this would work.

I've always thought that part of the message we want to convey with the formalwear and the Library Reading Divas is "look at libraries and librarians in a new way!" We all know that we offer so much more than books! It would have been fun to continue with the "diva" theme for the media event, but I think we can make this other look fun also.

Will keep you posted as I hear more information!

Another Thank You From Festival Organizers!

In my opinion - they are a class act! I am amazed at how much fun they were to work with and how appreciative they were of our participation.

Each and every one of you helped the Reading Divas Book Cart Drill Team to sparkle! You all rock!

Updated DCL Summer Parade Information

I'm reposting this message from Diva Linda with updated information for the Hastings Rivertown Days parade - which is this Saturday, July 15 at 7 p.m. - and the Rosemount Leprechaun Days parade - which is coming up fast! It is Saturday, July 29 at 11 a.m.

If you want to volunteer, but don't wish to participate in the drill team - well, we have tasks for you too! We always need two people to carry the banner announcing who we are! And we could use someone to carry the megaphone to call out greetings and to lead the drill team. Or we could use a Diva or Dude to assist in handing out candy. Or we could have a Diva or Dude walking along side the Bookmobile greeting the crowd with waves and smiles. There's plenty to do so join us!

Greetings from Diva Linda! I have gotten quite a few phone calls and names of volunteens that want to be a part of our fabulous drill team. That is SO exciting! I would like to take a moment to mention some of the "housekeeping" for being a part of the drill team.

If you are interested in representing the library at any of the parades, please contact me. I gave you my contact information in the email messages and letters I sent to you. (I will try to answer any call "live" from 7-3:30 p.m. or leave a message 24/7 on voicemail.) If you're not sure how to get ahold of me, you can always ask your contact at the library where you signed up as a volunteen.

What do you wear for the parades? A formal or suit would be great for a diva or dude. Nothing expensive or special. Most of our gowns were bought at Goodwill. We do have some gowns that could be worn on the day of the parade. Call and check on availability a few days before the parade. We also have extra tiaras and sashes to wear as well. Otherwise, a white t-shirt and khaki pants or shorts would be appropriate.

What should you bring? Be sure to bring water and sun block (sun glasses?) as well as a smile and enthusiasm! We are representing the Dakota County Libraries.

What will you do in the parade? We will be walking the length of the parade in front of the bookmobile. We will smile and wave 'royally' at the masses gathered to catch a glimpse of us and may also PASS out candy (divas never, ever THROW candy) or carry a banner announcing that we are representing the library.

Remember, these are volunteer hours that you could use for church, school, scouts, etc. !!! We had one volunteen who volunteered as a Diva a few years ago that actually received some scholarship money for college because they were impressed with the way she choose to volunteer and do outreach to the community.

Here is the most updated schedule that we have for this summer's parades.

2006 Parade Dates
For the volunteer Reading Divas and Dudes Book Cart Drill Team

Hastings Rivertown Days Parade
Saturday, July 15
7 p.m. parade starts
Meet at the Hastings Library at 6 p.m. and ride on the Bookmobile to the parade route! The Bookmobile leaves at 6 p.m. sharp so if you're not there you'll need to meet us at the parade route.

Our unit number is 99 and we will enter the parade route on 15th Street (off of Highway 61).

The parade begins at 7 p.m. and it is a loooooooong parade - One Mile Long! - so please be sure to bring water and comfortable walking shoes.

Call the Hastings library or Linda if you have questions on the ending location of the parade.

Rosemount leprechaun Days Parade
Saturday, July 29
11:00 a.m. parade starts
10:30 a.m. line up

This community loves the library! And we love them! It is a very heavily attended parade and we want to have a huge number of Reading Divas and Dudes at this parade so please consider being a part of this one! The line up location is in the parking lot of the Rosemount High School. The lot can get very hard to get in and out of, and has very limited parking, so you may want to be dropped off or park elsewhere and walk to the line up location. The parade ends at the middle school.

Inver Grove Heights Days Parade
Saturday, September 9
11:00 a.m parade starts

More details will follow as we get them.

Another successful parade for the DCL Reading Divas

The weather this past Saturday turned out to be the perfect weather for a parade! Sunny, low 80s with a warm, gentle breeze. This parade is the shortest one of the season - only two blocks long - but filled with "throngs of well-wishers lining the streets" (per Diva Linda).

Three Library Reading Divas, along with Princess D. Clown, marched in front of the library's Bookmobile pushing their book carts abnd waving to the crowd. They also performed a few drills to the crowd's delight. The pinwheel maneuver, as usual, resulted in cheers and loud clapping to which the Divas turned to the crowd with an exaggerated "sshhhh".

Another crowd pleasing appearance by the DCL Reading Divas. Next parade is Saturday, July 15. Hope to see you there!

Book Cart Drill Team ArtMoves Parade Photos

A few photographs of the metro-wide Library Reading Diva Book Cart Drill Team in action during the Art Moves Parade. As noted on MELSA's website, John Reger from WCCO's evening news referred to the Divas as "A Crowd Favorite!"

Mendota Parade Details - Saturday, July 8

The next parade on our summer schedule will be in Mendota on Saturday, July 8. This is a great parade! Only Two blocks long but filled with throngs of well-wishers lining the street!

The parade begins at 12 noon. Please arrive for line-up between 11 and 11:30 a.m. The line up location is St. Peter's Catholic Church off of Highway 13 in Mendota.

Macy's Media Event - Date Announced

The Library Reading Divas were invited to perform at the Marshall Field's (Macy's) media event on August 17th in front of Marshall-Fields. That event is from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Just another chance to dazzle the media with our library book cart manuevers. Well.... at least the sun glistening off of our tiaras will dazzle them.

Note: You do need to be a library employee (in a MELSA library) to be a part of this Library Reading Divas event.

Two Library Reading Divas to Appear in Kaposia Days Parade

The first appearance of the Reading Divas after their television debut! (Well, a two second clip on the local nightly news counts doesn't it?) Two of the infamous Library Reading Divas will appear (sans book carts) in South St. Paul's Kaposia Days Parade on Friday, June 23. They will be with the Dakota County Library Bookmobile. Since this is such a long parade, with a number of slight inclines, curves and corners, they decided to hand out candy rather than perform with their bookcarts. The Bookmobile is number nine in the line-up - be sure to get your sunglasses ready to put on as they walk by as they will dazzle you with their sparkly gowns, shiny tiaras and smiles.

Macy's (Marshall Field's) Called...

The Macy's media event will be Thursday, August 17. And they want the Reading Divas to be there (we are the crowd favorite after all). Mark your calendars Divas and I'll get more details to you as they are revealed to me. And I bet there are other Divas lurking in your system just waiting for their chance to wear a vintage prom gown and be in the spotlight...

First Parade Photo

Look at that formation - very impressive. And ya gotta' love the combat boots with the flowy peach gown....why didn't I think of that?

Reading Diva Sighting at the Library!

Diva Anne shares this story from last night.

"OK, I'm at the reference desk, and two little girls come walking up. I thought they were going to say "Hi, Anne!" or "You came to my school" or something like that. Well, no. They didn't.

The older of the girls walked up and said, "We were at the Children's festival on Saturday, and I think you are one of the reading divas!" and the younger one said "You waved to me!"

A Thank You Letter from the Festival Organizers

"Dear Local and Regional Artists of the 2006 Flint Hills International Children's Festival,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your wonderful efforts this past weekend! The festival would not be possible without the help of your wonderful artistic talents. The positive interaction you and your groups made with the children and families this weekend was spectacular---the entire staff here was so impressed with everyone's professionalism and great attitudes!

I hope you all had as much fun as I did, and I know we have received a lot of positive feedback so far from some of you and our patrons.

Please see the message below from our President/CEO David Galligan, who wanted his message to go out to EVERYONE who was involved in this year's festival.

Thanks again and we hope you decide to participate again next year!"

"Colleagues, I can't even begin to tell you how powerfully I felt the success and energy of this last week -- your success and energy as a staff, and that of our many CAC, OCOS, Education Advisers, other volunteers and the many sponsors who are as much our partners and colleagues in this festival as they are financial backers. All of you, together with our fabulous guest artists, hundreds of them, touched many thousands of lives on site at Rice Park and around the metro area and state through your inspired outreach programs. It's the touching of lives, of course, and the changing of them in the expansion of our global points of view -- our own as staff/ volunteers/ sponsors and that of our audiences -- that is at the core of Ordway Center's mission. In its educating, presenting, producing and hosting roles, Ordway Center is a catalyst driving new energies between artists and audiences. Thanks to all of you for so obviously putting heart and soul into this singular effort. Special thanks to our sponsors and to Heather Spicuzza and her incredible staff and volunteers for the vision and execution (including the perfect weather) of a truly remarkable festival. David "

Should Have Photos to Post by Tuesday

I'm sure you are all eager to view the photos from the parade, and once we get a copy of the newsclip we'll find a way for all of you to view that also. I'm also following up on the MIA t-shirts. And as soon as I hear back reqarding the missing official festival t-shirts I'll let you know.

Library Reading Divas now Television Stars

That's right divas. You were the featured Artmoves parade unit on the 6 p.m. Channel 4 news! We were reported as the crowd favorite , the Library Reading Divas. Jan, Anne and Linda are filmed doing a pinwheel, then the film cut to the runaround (hilarous!) with the announcer commenting that we must have practiced a long time for that one. Sally will try and get a clip for everyone to view. Not only was the parade a blast, but what great PR for the libraries. GREAT JOB DIVAS!

BIG, BIG, BIG Thank You to Kiki and Her Family

...for their help decorating the book carts this afternoon. Without their assistance we would have spend many more hours getting this task done. The book cart decorating crew arrived at SPPL just after 1:30 p.m. We were escorted to the lower level of the building and spent the next two hours transforming the book carts into mobile works of art.

Shashary and Seleny were awesome! These two girls sure have an artistic eye. Thank goodness Jose came along to help, as he was able to assist in repairing one of the carts that lost its wheel! Yikes! That would not have been a good surprise during the parade.

The book carts are soooo diva-worthy and parade ready. You're gonna need shades....

We're Ready for Showtime!

As you can see from last night's dress rehearsal, these Reading Divas are ready! All went well during practice, except for the whistle blower who had some trouble operating the whistle. As Jan reminded me, "in the words of Lauren Bacall, just put your lips together and blow". Who knew that one needed special training in whistle blowing? This photo will be sent to the media along with the photo opp announcement.

Remember to bring:

• Water (if you have someway to strap it on the your cart even better)
• Suncreen
• Your signed media release (turn in when we check-in) Everyone must submit one.
• Digital (video) recorder (this one's for you Anne).

See you all tomorrow at the MELSA tent (corner by Ordway and SPPL) about 11:30 a.m.

Shhhhhh!

Don't you just love this photo from the last practice?

Sounds like everyone has been busy scouting the local thrift stores looking for vintage or retro gowns! Just a few tweaks here and there so that we don't trip over our gowns while we twirl our book carts. Kris has been busy stitching up the Reading Diva Sashes for the group. Sharon found the supply of feather boas for anyone that needs a little extra glitz.

"Dress" Rehearsal

Last chance to practice!

Practice is on schedule for Thursday, June 1 from about 5:30 to 7 p.m. We’ll grab as many empty carts as we can find and head out to the parking lot to practice the routine (with a real whistle this time!) If you arrive after 5:45, we'll probably be in the back lot already.

Cart assignments for the Divas:
First row: 1 – Anne, 2 – Jan, 3 – Linda
Second row: 4 – Karen, 5 – Kris, 6 – Jen
Third row: 7 – Laura, 8 – Ann, 9 – Ali, 10 – Sarah

Jan suggested a "dress" rehearsal, probably because she's so excited about the dress she found. So, bring your gowns and we'll get a quick dress rehearsal in.

Let me share some of Jan's email, just in case you haven't read it yet. She said that the store had "an amazing assortment of dresses in the most godawful colors, all for $12-$20. Hot pink (think "Pepto Bismal"), torrid turquoise, gumball green, racy red, gold and glitzy, and more. Some of the puffiest sleeves known to humankind. If you remember the episode of "Friends" with the prom video of Monica and Rachel, you'll have a good idea of their selection. I found a lovely dark green chiffony number with a faux pearl brooch. It will look fab with my dress gray sneakers." Sounds like the perfect Reading Diva gown to me!

No practice Tuesday, May 30....last opportunity to practice is Thursday, June 1

Did everyone have a great weekend? I did, even with the sunburn, but gosh it went by quickly. (The weekend, not the sunburn.)

Wow! The parade is this upcoming weekend. It is coming up so fast and the actual parade will go by so quickly we'll hardly realize we were in it.

It sounds like Karen found an appropriate gown for the event at a local consignment shop - can't wait to see it. I found a tiara at a store called "Icings" (I think it used to be Claire's) in the local mall. If you're still looking for one, they had a huge assortment ranging from $6 to $15. (Although I personally don't think they are very comfortable to wear for a long period of time.) If anyone needs a tiara for the day, I did find two of my children's costume tiaras and will have those with me for anyone to use.

Now that my sunburn is a bit more bearable, I need to seriously think about sewing a gown for the parade. The thought of putting on anything on my arms made me cringe so I didn't even bother beginning to sew the gown. Or maybe I will just wear my sequined disco-era butterfly top.....I usually wear it on Halloween, but it is so fun to wear I might pair it with a long black skirt and call it a gown.

Oh, did I mention that we have our banner carriers? Yea! Kris' two step-daughters have volunteered. English is not their native language, so Jose will be there to assist with any needed translations, but they are excited to be in the parade.

Hopefully someone has located a video or dvd camera to record the parade.

Saturday, May 27, Practice Cancelled!

Too many of us had other things that needed to be done, and who doesn't want to enjoy a long weekend (if they're not working that is....apologies to those of you who are working on Saturday). So, NO practice tomorrow, Saturday, May 27.

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!

Another Diva worthy practice!

We are soooooo awesome aren't we? Looks like we will actually have 10 Reading Divas performing book cart drills - yes you heard me, 10 Reading Divas performing book cart drill in the parade. Whoo! Hoo! That means the line up changes just a tiny bit, there will be two rows of three carts and one row of four carts. Very impressive.

The question came up as to whether or not the parade goes on if there is rain the day of the parade. My guess is yes, it will happen as scheduled, but I am verifying with the festival organizers and will let you know the definitive answer.

The next (and probably last) practice is this Saturday, May 27, at 12 noon. Same place - the library in Eagan. If it is raining, we will meet in the lower level meeting room. If it is sunny, we'll be in the parking lot. Wear comfortable shoes as we'll run through the entire drill in one straight line AND practice turning a corner. I hope we don't slow traffic on the street in front of the library as we strut our stuff.

I bet we can be done in an hour so everyone can get back to enjoying the long holiday weekend. Oh, and if I forget to bring out the chocolate - remind me! Divas need to keep their energy level up.

Change in date for book cart decorating!

Anyone who is available…the book cart decorating fun begins at 2:30 p.m. at SPPL across from Rice Park. I'm not sure exactly where in the library we'll do this, but all nine carts will be at that location Friday, June 2.

Sally and Kathleen from MELSA will both be there but they are looking for additional volunteers so that they won't be there all afternoon. SPPL has also agreed to let us store the carts there overnight (yea!), so we’ll pick them up when we all arrive for the parade line up.

Oh, and of course - there will be treats! (Thanks to Sally!)

Attention Reading Divas! Two volunteer banner carriers needed; next practice is Thursday, May 25 at 5:30; and book cart decorating on Friday, June 2 at MELSA offices.

We have a couple of teens that have indicated that they *might* carry the banner, but we need to get those volunteers spots nailed down. MELSA has a large banner that can be carried in front of us that says "MELSA: An Alliance of Metro Public Libraries".

If we could get four volunteers total, we could have two carry the banner, and two walk on either side of the street carrying "applause" signs which they could hold up after the Divas bust a move (or whatever that old song says....).

Anyway, if you think of someone who would enjoy being in the parade sans formal wear here's their chance!

Practice
Practice is on for Thursday, May 25 beginning at 5:30. and there will be chocolate! We'll meet in the Wescott lower level meeting room and move outdoors (weather permitting). MELSA has requested some photos during practice, so heads up - I'll have the camera with me. My guess is we can be done in an hour. We're scheduled for practice Saturday, May 27 at noon - same place. And if all goes well, that will be the last one.

Book Cart Decorating
If anyone's schedule permits, the book cart decorating fun begins at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 2 at the MELSA offices. The more the merrier, and Sally has said she could be convinced to bring treats! Many hands make quick work (okay, okay, you librarians will have to let me know what the real saying is, but you know what I mean.)

That's it for now!

Next practice is Thursday, May 25 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Remember - the practice scheduled for Tuesday, May 23, has been cancelled. It appeared most of us were able to practice on Thursday, May 25 and Saturday, May 27. Right now the weather forecast is looking pretty good, so wear those tennies and sunglasses and be prepared to practice outdoors!

It sounds like we may have another Diva join us for this parade. Jen has done Diva performances with many of the DCL Divas, but this will be her first parade appearance. Welcome Jen!

I will be in town this upcoming holiday weekend since I am one of the few people in our state who does not have a cabin "up north" or on a lake. So, if I have the sashes prepared in time, I will bring them to our practice on Saturday. I will need volunteers to put the letters onto the sashes. I haven't experimented with this yet, but I'm leaning towards using iron-letter, mainly due to time and cost restraints. If anyone has a better suggestion I am all ears.

Formal attire required!

But what to choose? 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s? I thought it would be easier to find a retro or vintage prom dress or bridesmaid dress at the local thrift stores, but so far I haven't been successful. Fortunately, I can sew, so I dug through my extensive stash of old patterns (yes, I know, it is a strange thing to enjoy collecting) and found three that I think represent their eras very well. We have the simple, chic straight lines of the late 60s (Butterick pattern), the sweet, back to nature earth mother of the 70s (Simplicity pattern), and the over-the-top, look at me voluminous dress of the 80s (McCalls pattern ... although for you purists, this particular pattern is actually from 1991.) I'm leaning towards the 60s gown because it looks like it would be quicker to sew. Plus, as Anne pointed out, a large skirt could prohibit the movement required for our crowd-pleasing, awe-inspiring maneuvers with the book carts! It just wouldn't be Diva-like to fall face down in the street after getting tangled in the wheels of a cart.

Update on practice schedule

The practices scheduled for Saturday, May 20 and Tuesday, May 23 have been cancelled! The next practice dates are Thursday, May 25 and Saturday, May 27. We'll decide at that point if we need additional practices before our big debut! We still need two more volunteers to precede us in the parade and be the banner carriers. We still have three weeks, so I'm hopeful someone will want to join in once they find out how much fun we're having.

Speaking of practicing ... we had a fantastic practice last night! Seven team members Jan D, Laura E, Anne F, Sarah I, Sharon M, Linda S, and Ann T arrived raring to go! We revised the routine to accommodate a full team of nine members instead of twelve members, removed the cross over maneuver (which really works better with an even number of Divas), and added a new maneuver that we probably won't be able to perform without erupting into gales of giggles! Our hopes of moving the practice outdoors were dashed when the gorgeous sunny weather that existed for most of the day turned into cloudy skies and showers right when we began our practice. Figures, huh?

On to costumes....
Now that the routine is coming together so well, we need to think about our costumes! Linda S mentioned that Target has gloves available in the $1 bin section of their stores and a few of us were able to find a gown in the Dakota County Library gown collection. However, a few of us still need to find something to wear for the big day. The search begins in earnest this weekend as we scour thrift stores and garage sales for retro prom or bridesmaids gowns.

I pulled out my old patterns from my pattern collection in the hopes of finding a pattern for a gown suitable for a Reading Diva. Do I want to go 1960s, 1970s or 1980s? Hmmm, decisions, decisions, but I better choose soon as there isn't much time left! I'll post photos of the patterns I'm considering later.

May 18 practice

Is it possible that we are almost halfway through the month of May? Where does the time go? That means we only have just over two weeks of practice before our big "debut" at the Flint Hills Children's Festival on June 3. The organizers of that event are so excited to have the Library Reading Divas Book Cart Drill Team participating in their ARTmoves parade. They had invited us to do a perfomance on stage that afternoon also, but we just didn't have enough time this year to pull it together.

We have another practice scheduled for tonight with at least half of the team planning on attending. It sure has been a challenge to get the entire team together at one time...I suspect we won't actually be able to do a full team rehearsal until the day of the parade!

This will be the first practice date that the weather has been warm enough to allow us to go outside and practice. It'll be interesting to find out if the routine we've been practicing on nice even floors will be as simple to do on an uneven asphalt surface.

2005 SSP Parade

The Reading Divas in the 2005 SSP parade sans book carts. They marched in front of the Bookmobile carrying a banner announcing the upcoming summer's reading club theme "What's buzzin' at your library".