The following article was written by Lisa Pike, a Materials Department Librarian at the Manitowoc Public Library.
The core of any library is its collection and the people that collection serves. With that in mind, librarians attempt to build their collections to serve a variety of users. Sometimes this includes building special collections that focus on specific needs.
Our Youth Services staff excel at creating introductory life experience collections for children. One of these collections is the Book Theme Kits. Some of the topics covered include potty training, divorce, and the loss of a pet. These kits contain several books covering the same theme from a variety of perspectives and reading levels for children of all ages.
The kits also include materials directed at the parent or caregiver with relevant advice. The hope is to provide support to children and families during some difficult life experiences. You can find these kits at the start of the youth fiction collection in the Youth Department.
Other recent additions to the youth book collection are books created with special font to aid those with dyslexia. The books use a specialized font named OpenDyslexic, which aids the user in telling the form and direction of letters within a text. This font tends to have a heavier line on the bottom to help to tell the difference between similar letters such as “b” and “d”. It also spaces the letters further apart than in typical typeset and increases spacing between lines to help better direct the eye. Some publishers are even using off-white paper to help improve contrast on the page, which also aids the eyes.
The library holds a variety of fiction and nonfiction titles using this special font. Some fiction titles are The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Warner, and Lunar, by Chris Bradford. You can find these titles with the standard print fiction and nonfiction collections. Through the catalog, you can also locate these titles using keywords like “dyslexic font” and “dyslexia-friendly”. As always, our staff is here to help if you have trouble finding them.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have our Memory Kits curated to help with recall skills in those experiencing symptoms of dementia. The kits come in a variety of themes including seasons, art, movies, cars, and farming. Kits contain conversation cards, motor skills toys, small puzzles, books, and various games.
The new art themed kit even includes reusable watercolor sheets so that users can experience painting without the mess. These kits provide great options for someone to travel down memory lane while also providing entertainment. These Memory Kits are contained in easy-to-carry bags, which can be found hanging next to the Large Print collection on the First Floor of the Library.
All these materials are noteworthy because they provide support during life’s many challenges. So, come pay us a visit and we will be more than happy to share these marvelous collections with you.