 | | | | | | | | | |  | | janetdickey.com | | mystery kits and more.... |
|
|  | | | | | Bio
I'm a retired library assistant. For 25 years I served as the Teen Assistant (Young Adult Assistant) at the mayfield Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library System. This is a para-professional position requiring a bachelor's degree. My duties included helping to select books and other items, maintaining the Teen collection, creating displays to promote books and program, reference and readers advisory work. Programming for Teens was a major focus - the library is located in front of a large suburban high school which served grades 8-12. I also assisted in Adult and Children's departments as needed.
I started out part-time. One year my supervisor did a mystery program for teens which she wrote. Next it was my turn and I wrote one that involved the Teens physically searching 3 little scenes set up in 3 corners of our meeting room. It was a lot of work! That was the germ of the idea to create a mystery kit that would give others the basics to put on a mystery program of their own. When I had finally gotten together not only the suspects, clues and a list of props but also all of the directions, I set up a website and the PUBYAC listserv allowed my to announce the first kit to its subscribers.
I sold some kits, which were photocopied sets of materials packed into a folder and mailed through USPS. VOYA magazine gave "Death Gets a Red Card" a positive review. And then I had the opportunity to go to forty hours at the library. Things got very busy. I was trying to figure out how to find someone who could help handle the business end of the operation. Highsmith/Upstart was looking for new teen materials and we began collaborating to produce the boxed sets with new graphics, a fresh new look and even crime scene tape. The kits were featured in their catalogs and sales rose.
|
|
|  | | |  | | | | | |
|
|