So I'll admit it, I've been really slacking on my blog lately, but it's all for a good reason, I swear! For the past 21 days of September I've been busy traveling around the Pacific Northwest, getting engaged(!), starting a second library job, beginning a new semester of graduate school, and anticipating the arrival of/finally meeting my good friends' brand new baby girl! Sounds like I've got a lot going on, right? Well, since I'm sure you'll be willing to grant me a pardon for my recent blogging hiatus, here's the post that I intended to write at the beginning of the month: 

It's really sad how many people tell me that they don't have a library card. More often than not, they used to have one when they were younger, but not anymore. But why? Libraries are amazing places for people young and old! And if the last time you went to a public library was as as kid, you're in for a treat, because today's libraries are greater than ever! 

Snoopy is Honorary Chair for Library Card Sign-up Month 2015 and he really wants you to get your free library card so you can access all of the amazing services and resources available at your local library. There's plenty of amazing books for you to check out, but there's also tons of eBooks and audiobooks that can be downloaded directly to your device. There's free Wifi, access to electronic databases, the latest DVDs and more!

Looking to learn a new skill? Libraries offer tons of classes and activities for their patrons no matter what the age. This month at Community Library (one of the libraries where I work) we're offering everything from free chair yoga classes to an Introduction to Facebook course, taught by yours truly. We also have lots of awesome craft activities and book discussions for a variety of ages and interests, and don't forget about the fun and educational storytimes for the kids. Interested in learning more about the fall programming at Community Library? Click here! 

I designed the class so it could be beneficial for anyone who attended – from someone who doesn't even know what a blog is, to someone looking to launch a professional blog for a small business. I had five patrons register for the six available spots in the class, and ended up with having four of them attend – not too bad of a turn out for a small rural library on a beautiful Friday afternoon!

One woman in attendance was looking seriously into creating her own blog to curate self-produced content, whereas another was thinking about starting a travel blog to write about her vacations. Another woman in the class wanted to document stories of her experience being a nurse, and the fourth patron was exploring the idea of starting a photo blog for Schlitz beer memorabilia. There was a good variety of topics people were interested in blogging about, and a nice age range of program participants as well, which is always great to see.

Superheroes are sweeping public libraries across the country with this year's summer reading program! With separate categories for kids, teens and adults, summer reading programs are a great way to beat the heat and get the whole family reading. Not only will you meet new heroes and heroines through books, but you just might discover some new superpowers of your own (and win a few prizes too)!

Below are the details for the summer reading program at the Community Library, where I work. The kids and teen summer reading programs run from June 8-August 7, and the adult program runs from June 8-July 13. Similar programs can be found at your local library.

As the Community Library explains in its program brochure, this year's summer reading program theme aims to, "celebrate heroes of all ages who walk through the doors of the library each day; the heroes who have made their marks on history; the heroes who keep our communities safe, clean, and productive; and high-profile superheroes. From the youngest child to the strongest, mightiest crusader, each and every hero has his or her own story to tell."

What are you reading this summer? Tweet me @TessaFoxReads or use #TessaFoxReads.

With the first week of grad school under my belt, I'm already feeling even more connected to the library and information science field, particularly to public libraries. For the first week of my Library Services for Children and Young Adults class, we were instructed to observe a children's storytime at our local library. So, last Monday, I went to the Northside Public Library in Kenosha to observe its weekly toddler storytime and the only way I think I could have enjoyed it more is if I was the librarian interacting with the kids. 

Here's a look at what the storytime looked like from my perspective:

At just before 10:30 a.m., approximately 25 children and their parents, relatives and caretakers gather in the small, colorful storytime room in the southeast corner of the library. The excited hum of the children spikes every so often with a shrill shriek until the librarian enters the room and starts preparing the kids for storytime with the welcome song.

Some of the kids answer enthusiastically in mumbled toddler talk, others simply nod or shake their head; one girl continues to twirl her mother's hair, completely unfazed by the activity around her.

"Great listening!" the librarian exclaims as she closes the now finished book. "I'm feeling sort of happy, how about you?" She begins to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands," and the kids soon begin to chime in.

After the song ends, the librarian picks up a brown, potato-shaped fabric cut-out and places it on a felt board.

"Who do you think this is?" she asks.

A few youngsters pick up on it immediately.

"Mr. Potato Head!" they giggle.

"He looks a little different ... I think he's missing a few things. What does Mr. Potato Head need to be able to see you?"

"EYES!" yell a few kids, as others nearly poke themselves in the pupils, pointing to their own peepers.

The activity goes on as the librarian asks them to identify the body parts used to do things like smell, taste, hear, run and clap. The kids are almost all smiling by now, fully attentive to what their beloved librarian will have them do next. She picks up another book, this one called Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won.

The book is about a group on animal friends who cheer one another up by giving each other fun hats to wear. Every few pages big, colorful letters encourage the children to shout aloud with the librarian, "HOORAY FOR HAT!" as they throw their little arms up toward the sky.

"Good reading! Give yourselves a hand!" the librarian says. "Now let's get up and moving!"

She leads the children in a rousing group rendition of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," repeating the song three times – faster and faster with each repetition.

After the story, we pick up another hat-themed activity. This time, the librarian uses a felt board to put up different types of hats, such as a red firefighter helmet, a blue policeman's hat, a puffy white chef's hat, a sparkly crown, a purple sombrero and more. After identifying all the hats, the librarian brings out a small felt cut-out of a sleeping gray cat, who she explains likes to sleep underneath hats.

As the children close their eyes and count to ten, the librarian hides the cat under one of the hats. When the kids open their eyes, she has them attempt to find the cat by identifying the color of the hats.

"Little cat, little cat, are you under the green hat?" the children croon along with the librarian. "NOOO!? Little cat, little cat, are you under the black hat?"

They eventually find the cat sleeping under the orange construction hat and all rejoice excitedly.

With the sleeping cat now safe and sound, the group jumps along to a counting CD and uses their fingers to get all the way up to ten before sitting back into their seats.

"Look at the time!" the librarian says. "It looks like storytime is over! But not before we sing the thank you song!"

The children sing along, clapping their hands and stomping their feet before they roll their hands in small circles in front of their tummies and wave goodbye.

To watch the group of diverse children all so eager to listen and learn was really special. As you can see, storytimes aren't just for reading to children; they're also to work on age-appropriate developmental skills! If not for free services like this offered at public libraries, I wonder how many of these kids would still be getting similar mental and physical stimulation at home, daycare, or even school?

Watching this tender and invaluable interaction between the librarian, the kids and their caretakers made me incredibly excited for my upcoming class assignment to propose with my own storytime program. Getting a first-hand look at some examples of intellectually stimulating (and fun!) storytime ideas reinforced a lot of the information I've been reading about for my class and gave me some new ideas for future literacy programs of my own!

To learn more about the Kenosha Public Library's weekly storytimes, click here. They're fun – and free!

January also means it's almost time for me to begin my graduate school program. Just this morning I registered for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's new student orientation for Masters of Library and Information Science students. I'm extremely excited to jump back into coursework (who would have thunk?), so I've already started reading some of the required young adult books for one of my classes.

I found myself not blogging as regularly as I would have liked to during the holidays, but now that they're over I am rededicating myself to publishing a minimum of three posts a week. Expect a lot of updates about my grad school experience once I begin classes at the end of the month. I also have a stockpile of library-related articles that I will begin posting later this week.

Thanks for reading and following me on this journey! 

Have you ever been to a bookstore that just completely blew your mind? I'm not talking about Barnes & Nobel here, folks – I'm talking small, local and independent bookstores.

I recently saw this BuzzFeed Books article called "44 Great American Bookstores Every Book Lover Must Visit," and it got me thinking about some of the most unique and interesting bookstores I've ever been to.

Number one on my personal list of favorites is probably City Lights Books in San Francisco – a bookstore and publishing house that I had the pleasure of visiting for the first time back in September. City Lights is best known for publishing Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" and defending the work against obscenity charges in a high-profile legal case in the '50s. The eclectic bookstore sits across the alley from Vesuvio Café, a bar where high-profile writers such as Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Dylan Thomas and more used to get drunk and write (sounds like a pretty good time to me)!

Complete with an entire upstairs floor dedicated to poetry alone, City Lights is definitely a must-visit bookstore on the Golden Coast. One of the best things about the store is its attitude – which is so easily reflected in its second-floor windows, as seen in the photo below.

Another one of my favorite independent bookstores is much closer to home. NovelTea Bookstore, located located at 5700 6th Ave. in the heart of downtown Kenosha, Wis., combines two of my favorite things: books and tea! 

The small local business offers great deals on used and new books, as well as fresh and delicious looseleaf tea and tea accessories (last time I was there I had an amazing plum oolong, which I highly recommend). Another plus about the shop? You can donate your "unwanted" or already-read books to the store to get a hefty discount off your next purchase! 

What are some of your favorite bookstores? Share them with me in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter using #TessaFoxReads. 

Yesterday was my first day of training as a library aide at the Community Library, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I learned how to check in books after they've been returned, as well as how to sort and shelf them. Tomorrow it looks like I'll be learning how to check materials out to patrons, and I'll get my first opportunity to prepare books for delivery to other branches of the Kenosha Public Library system.

But the best part of my first day working in a public library came at about 1:30 p.m. when a  group of 40 elementary school students walked in, decked out in their Halloween costumes. 

As I walked around the library returning books to their proper places on the shelves, I could hear the Head of Youth Services librarian engaging and entertaining those kids like there was nothing more important in the world – all by simply reading them a book.

Story Time wasn't just something these kids were forced to participate in. In fact, I wouldn't believe any of them if they said they'd rather be somewhere else. These children were hanging on the librarian's every word as they actively listened, asked questions, laughed, gasped, oohed and ahhed.

I remember when I was one of those kids (I would have probably been dressed as Jasmine from Aladdin). But if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up back then, my guess is I would have answered veterinarian or doctor. And as I witnessed those children at the library, I had to wonder how many of them would reading really grab. 

How many of those kids sitting in that room right at that moment would continue to find that same enjoyment in reading when they got to high school? What about college? Beyond? Who in that room will grow up to publish novels, illustrate books or be a best-selling author? Maybe none – but perhaps one. 

Not knowing it at the time, it was childhood moments like that Story Time which ultimately made me want to become a children's librarian. And I hope that when those kids are my age, whatever they choose to do will be – at least in some small way – shaped by that moment in the Twin Lakes Community Library. And I can say that I was a fly-on-the-wall observer, watching their dreams take root.

If you grew up in the '90s and were a "PBS Kid" like me, I have no doubt that you were singing along to that entire video. I must admit, I shamelessly sing this song whenever I hear the words "library card," so you can only imagine how this fancy little diddy has been stuck in my head all day after getting my brand spankin' new Kenosha Public Library card! 

After weeks of getting settled into my new apartment in Kenosha, I can finally call myself an official resident – library card and all.

So what exactly did my card and I find on our first of many visits to the Northside Public Library? Some pretty amazing things:

I couldn't help but smile when I pulled into a nearly-full parking lot. Upon entering the automatic doors I saw people of all walks of life taking advantage of what the library has to offer. From the little boy staring curiously at a chess board to the a young man reserving a study room; from the two girls feverishly looking up books on the online catalog to the elderly man in a cap reading near a window ... just being in a public library surrounded by diverse books and people feels good somehow.

I limited myself to only renting two books from the library, because I'm already reading a few and own a couple others that I can't wait to dig into. I've been super into Ray Bradbury lately, so From the Dust Returned was a must. I also stayed on my Kerouac kick and rented The Haunted Life. 

But as I walked to the circulation desk, I saw the "Friends of the Library Book Sale" shelf, whose proceeds go to improving the library. With most books being just $1, I couldn't help but buy an armful:

You know I love libraries for a gazillion reasons, but one that I have yet to mention is their use of bulletin boards! Public libraries advertise so many events going on in the community. During my trip to the Northside Library I got a few ideas of upcoming things to do, including Saturday's Spooky Sprint and Fall Festival, a showing of a travel adventure series film about Budapest and Istanbul in November and, of course, this weekend's Friends of the Library Book Sale at Kenosha's Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. 

For a list of all Kenosha Public Library events, click here. I hope to see you at some of them!

This weekend I decided to take advantage of one of the Kenosha Public Library's free events and go on a guided tour of the historic Gilbert M. Simmons Library, which opened May 30, 1900.

The library, I learned, is a Neoclassical building designed by famous architect Daniel Burnham. Burnham was responsible for creating the master plans for a number of prominent cities, including Chicago, Manila and downtown Washington, D.C., so it was pretty neat to learn he left his mark on little ol' Kenosha too.

Former Kenosha mayor Zalmon G. Simmons was responsible for the library's construction after donating $150,000 to erect the building in his deceased son's memory. The 75-foot wide, 60-foot high limestone building was built to last proudly for centuries, as it has – with only a few redesigns and restorations. Fun fact: During the 1980s restoration, the library became one of the first public buildings in Kenosha to be completely wired for electricity.  

But as exciting as the exterior of the building was, I was much more interested in the history found inside.

Maybe the most interesting thing I learned on the tour was how the library used to operate when it first opened to the public. Upon walking into the open rotunda (the circulation desk above was not yet installed), patrons had two options: West or East. 

If a guest went to the West wing of the building, one would find a librarian behind a desk in a two-story room filled with books. Instead of looking up a book's location on the computer or wandering the shelves until you found it yourself like we would nowadays, you simply told the librarian which book you wanted. Then he or she would walk through the stacks and bring the requested book back to you at the desk. The much more unexciting East wing was filled only with desks and chairs for reading purposes. Today it is filled with DVDs, CDs and audiobooks.

The tour also lead us to a part of the library normally off limits to visitors. If you go up the narrow, spiral staircase, you'll find a small room filled with the air conditioning system. As some of the other people on the tour stooped to avoid the low ceiling, our guide explained that before electric cooling was installed, the small room was used as a medical library by the hospital to store all of its records. 

Next, we descended to the basement of the building to see my favorite part: the children's library. 

To learn more about upcoming library events, visit www.mykpl.info/s/programs-events.