Prime Time Family is a national family engagement program designed to build a love of reading. In 2012 the program was brought to Washington State by Humanities Washington’s Family Reading program. The King County Library System began offering Prime Time in 2012 in partnership with Humanities Washington at one elementary school in our service area. It has since grown to six weekly sessions in 4-6 libraries each year. Prime Time Family Reading is curriculum-based. The curriculum, created by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in 1991, emphasizes the importance of families reading together to discuss significant cultural and ethical themes. The program creates a precondition for future learning by empowering parents and caregivers of 6-10 year olds to help their children enjoy reading and improve their reading abilities. Over the six weeks, families with children ages 3-10 participate in weekly 90-minute sessions held in the evening at King County Library…
Author: ALSC Liaison with National Organizations
“Doing Good Together”, Family Service Fairs and Community Partnerships
Thanks to Tami Lee, one of my fabulous colleagues at Ramsey County Library in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I recently learned about a national nonprofit called, “Doing Good Together” whose mission dovetails nicely with the work that we do in libraries. The organization works to connect families with volunteer and service opportunities to create a kinder, more connected world. From their website: “Our mission is unique and deeply layered. We provide tools to both families and organizations to help them raise compassionate, engaged children. Our innovative activities, resources, and support help make empathy and “giving back” a natural part of life’s early lessons.” Their organization has different levels of engagement, which makes them a great partnership for libraries to work with. Libraries can hire or partner with them directly, use the Doing Good Together Family Service Fair eBook guidelines to build own their own event, or buy their pre-made Compassion Kits, which…
Partnerships and Trust: A Perfect Pair
Working on the SPELL (Supporting Parents in Early Literacy through Libraries) project at the Denver Public Library, we had lots of partners and learned how to make partnerships effective. Here’s a link to a list of the partners involved: My big takeaway? The most critical piece is Trust! Three Ways Trust Matters. Trust with your Team. Everyone that you work with needs to know and understand your work with partners. And support it. From directors to coordinators to library paraprofessionals and volunteers. When the whole team knows the value of your outreach and partnership, then you are supported and can move forward confidently. Often Friends of the Library organizations will offer support of your partnership when you make clear the goals and the value. So up and down the ladder, be a communicator of your work. Trust with your Partners. This means you know your partner and know that you…
Collaborate with Local Organizations In The New Sharing Economy
Public libraries have been successfully demonstrating the benefits of a sharing economy way before businesses like Uber and Airbnb were on the scene. As pioneers of this operating model, libraries have set the standard for increasing access to resources and spaces for their individual users. The rise in popularity of the sharing economy presents libraries new opportunities for community partnerships.
Welcome Neighbor: Block Parties and Public Libraries
The City Library in Salt Lake City works with local organizations like the National History Museum of Utah and Hogle Zoo. One unique partnership, however, has City Library going “back to college” with the University of Utah‘s University Village Student Housing Block Party.
Join the PTA and Celebrate Outreach!
If your library attended any outreach events at Back to School nights, or you have a school age child, you are probably hearing a lot about joining your local Parent Teacher Organizations. However, have you considered joining the PTA of the schools your library serves?
Once Upon a Time…
Once upon a time… a children‘s librarian set out to make the perfect early literacy program.
Food in the Library? An interview with Amanda Courie about Summer Food Programs
Over the past few years, there has been a growing awareness in public libraries that children within their service areas may not be getting enough to eat during the summer months when school breakfasts and lunches are unavailable. Many libraries have partnered with state and local organizations to address this “food insecurity” by offering summer food programs, but this may seem like a daunting enterprise for small, rural, and/or understaffed libraries. Caroline County Public Library, one of eight rural Maryland libraries that my organization serves, began offering a summer food program last year. I decided to interview Amanda Courie, Youth Services Manager, to find out how this kind of program can work on a smaller scale. Amanda, I understand that Caroline County Public Library is a small system. How many full time staff members are there? How many of them work in youth services? “We are a small system! We…