Greetings from #PLA2024! I loved the session Take Your Child to the Library Day: Family-Centric Advocacy. An entire day dedicated to taking kids to libraries? That’s my dream day!
Caitlin Augusta is the Head of Children’s Services at the Stratford Library. Amanda Stern is the Events and Special Projects Manager for the Connecticut Library Consortium. Together, they spoke about Take Your Child to the Library Day, and how we can use it for advocacy.
First, Caitlin and Amanda shared the history of Take Your Child to the Library Day. Take Your Child to the Library Day was founded in 2011 by Nadine Lipman. Since then, it has been celebrated in libraries across the United States and Canada. Libraries run programs on the first Saturday in February, and throughout the month of February, that promote their services to patrons. I loved how Caitlin and Amanda stressed that each library will have a different Take Your Child to the Library Day program. It can be a special program, a passive program, a raffle, or whatever works for your library! One idea Caitlin and Amanda mentioned was a toddler movie drive-in. Toddlers decorate cardboard boxes to look like cars, then “drive” over to the movie room to watch a movie. I want to try that at my library!
Then, Caitlin and Amanda stressed how important it is for all library staff to engage in advocacy. Advocacy is how we reach patrons who might not realize the library is for them. Caitlin and Amanda talked about going beyond advertising on social media and in the building, so we can reach new patrons. Caitlin and Amanda recommended working with community partners to get the word out about our programs to new patrons.
My head is already spinning with ideas of programs my library can offer to celebrate Take Your Child to the Library Day! What program will your library offer to celebrate? Comment below, and be sure to register your program with Take Your Child to the Library Day on their website.
Ann Baillie (she/her/hers) is the Youth Services Assistant Manager at the Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library in Alsip, Illinois. She is the past-manager of the Illinois Library Association’s Youth Services Forum. Her main interests are the connection between Readers’ Advisory and technology, and how libraries can use technology to better reach patrons. She is especially excited to check out the How-To Stage at this year’s conference. She plans to drink as much coffee as possible during this year’s conference.
This post addresses ALSC Core Competencies: III. Programming Skills and V. Outreach and Advocacy
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.