Yarn ends, felt scraps, quilt squares, extra copy paper. For DIYers, makers, and crafters, a pile of random surplus supplies can become something else. With a dash creativity, library folks can make things happen! Here are a few resources and book tie ins for your repurposing programs toolkit.
Foster creativity, self-expression and literacy with just a little bit of paper. Learn how to make a one page zine with Women Write About Comics (WWAC), an Eisner Award-winning online journal. For aspiring comic artists, pair this activity with The Cartoonists Club by by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud and Art Club by Rashad Doucet.
Reduce, reuse, recycle and make something good. If you’ve got basic crochet skills, try creating with plastic bags. Read One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul and visit the online resource guide for craft instructions, word searches and more. Craftivism turns plastic bags into something more, like blankets to donate.
Habitat loss, invasive species, and climate changes have created threats to wildlife, and even a few plants makes a difference. For training, curriculum guides, activities and more visit the Monarch Joint Venture. Consider joining the Symbolic Monarch Migration project and explore citizen science efforts that can foster community engagement with your young patrons. Get inspired with Butterflies Belong Here: A Story of One Idea, Thirty Kids, and a World of Butterflies by Deborah Hopkinson and Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery by Meeg Pincus.
Letter writing can be a great way to foster literacy skills, social emotional learning, and creativity. Explore tips for Library Pen Pal Programs or simply encourage youth to make their voices heard in their schools, libraries, and communities with a letter writing station with only some paper and pencils. Read Letters from Bear by Gauthier David and Dear Earth … From Your Friends in Room 5 by Erin Dealey to inspire your young patrons.
Fix It and Upcycle Labs can foster STEM skills and reduce waste by encouraging hands-on repairs of small items. Reimagining what a broken toy might become takes problem solving and creativity to the next level! Check out tips for activitiy ideas in Jennifer Perkins’ inspiring book Upcycle It! Crafts for Kids: Fun and Useful Projects to Recycle and Reimagine.
Libraries are places where people of all ages make things, often out of nothing. Instead of a long shopping list for a program, think small. Considering how to repurpose, upcycle, and minimize project materials saves money and contributes to greener, more sustainable library programs.
This post addresses ALSC Core Competencies III Programming Skills
Cover photos courtesy of Little, Brown Ink; Eerdmans Books for Young Readers