Search Results for: Outreach

Kreyòl, Community, Connection: Reimagining Outreach for Haitian Families

| ALSC Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers|1 Comment

Migration from Haiti to the United States is driven by a complex mix of systemic “push” factors, with nearly half of the nation’s Haitian immigrant population settling in Florida (Finnegan, 2023). For many Haitian families, the transition involves navigating urgent physiological needs before shifting toward “settling in,” a process that includes mastering English, securing childcare, and accessing healthcare (Finnegan, 2023). As we honor Haitian American Heritage Month this May, the City of North Miami Public Library highlights a model that centers these families through intentional, culturally responsive service. Building Trust with the Family Unit Many Haitian families harbor a deep-seated distrust of government entities due to historical experiences in Haiti. Libraries can overcome this by acting as intermediaries, transferring trust from established community partners to the library itself (Finnegan, 2023). North Miami strengthens these bonds by: Intergenerational Support and Accessibility In the Haitian diaspora, school-aged children often acquire English quickly…

Outreach can be tough…

| Early Childhood Programs and Services committee|Leave a comment

Outreach and Schools-  Should I contact them one more time?  You ask yourself as you stare at that email nudge at the top of your screen. It’s hard! I’m sure if you ask any public children’s librarian they will have a long list of ways they tried to get in touch with and partner with the schools in their area. If you were to ask me I would tell you it’s all about baby steps. Every interaction with someone from the school system is a potential opportunity to remind them that the library exists.  I think it is important to add to this post that I started my position on November 2, 2020. It was a strange time. My library was ‘by appointment only’ in the children’s room. Schools were off limits, most children were learning at home or by zoom. Navigating schools didn’t get much easier when the world…

Outreach Hack – Gamifying and Demonstrating Your Library of Things 

| Guest Contributor|Leave a comment

Outreach for libraries can be a daunting challenge, it can be hard to compete with local businesses that have money for swag, like branded water bottles or sunglasses.  To try and contend, I’ve seen library booths try to add an interactive element by adding a prize wheel that kiddos can spin.  Things like this definitely draw people and make your booth more engaging.  But if everyone has a prize wheel, you’re not really standing out, and you’re definitely not highlighting your services.  There’s one huge workaround for all of that–The Library of Things.  

School Outreach and Advocating for Staff Growth

| Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee|Leave a comment

Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Children’s Department at the North Platte Public Library had 4 staff members, two full-time and two part-time. Our library serves Lincoln County, Nebraska with a total service population of around 32,000. When I came on-board in late 2021 it had dwindled to just 2, a full-time librarian and a part-time assistant. Programs and participation were still slow to pick up after the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and at first regaining staff was not an immediate need when I came into my position. One of my primary goals in my first year at this library was to create partnerships with organizations serving children and caregivers. I began attending the High Plains Early Childhood Collaborative Action Team Meetings in 2022 to begin fostering these connections. It was in these meetings that I became connected with the Early Learning Coordinator for the North Platte Public School…

Mobile Outreach to Underserved Families: No Budget? No Problem!

| ALSC Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers|Leave a comment

Library outreach in 2023 continues to evolve and include services for underserved families more than ever. While there was previously a strong lack of information on the topic, there are now many more librarians researching, writing articles, and sharing their processes and success stories to enable others in the profession to continue this important and wonderful work. Many library systems offer robust outreach services and allocate funding for it into their budgets, but there are also many libraries both big and small that don’t receive adequate funding to purchase and operate a bookmobile or hire dedicated outreach staff. While funding and support are incredible to have, it simply isn’t always there to start, and that’s ok! Luckily, there are many outreach services that librarians can provide at little to no cost. Bookmobiles & More Many libraries have fully embraced the idea of on-the-go librarianship and outreach, and bookmobiles have been…

Preschool Outreach Programs, Part 3!

| Kary Henry|Leave a comment

If anyone were to go back in time and tell my high school algebra teacher that I was running math programs for preschoolers, I think he would have laughed in your face! I was SO not a math kid. Fast forward quite a few years. As an elementary school teacher, I had the opportunity to earn a post-Master’s certificate as a Math Specialist. This program taught me to look at math differently. And different turned out to be very, very good. I’m still not a math whiz, but I love highlighting math content in my storytimes and preschool outreach programs.