Last fall, ALSC’s Public Awareness Committee launched the Championing Children’s Services Toolkit. The toolkit has been a resource for children’s librarians advocating for the work they do in their communities.
Inviting stakeholders to storytime, using the PowerPoint template at a city council meeting, and offering hands-on STEAM programs are all great ways to advocate for children’s librarians, but what about now? How do you use the toolkit when you can’t even be in your library? We are in unprecedented times. It is time to think so far outside the box, you can’t even see it anymore. And while the toolkit was created with more traditional library services in mind, that doesn’t mean it can’t be adapted.
If you are looking for ways to channel your stress and anxiety into action, spend some time with the toolkit. How are you living out the Because statements while physically distancing? Are you reading more diverse books to improve your collection development and reader’s advisory? Are you reaching out to community partners to brainstorm new ways to reach patrons? The toolkit is here to help you!
This post addresses ALSC Core Competency of: V. Outreach and Advocacy
Cassie Chenoweth, Children’s Librarian at Orange Beach Public Library in Orange Beach, Alabama, is writing this post on behalf of the Public Awareness Committee. She can reached at cchenoweth@orangebeachal.gov