Author: School-Age Programs and Services Committee

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More Than Numbers: Turning Reflection into Action with Library Data

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As youth librarians, we know how important it is to collect our statistics. If it can be counted, there is probably a library collecting it. We count program attendance, track circulation, tally summer reading participation, document outreach visits, and much more. The numbers are entered, the spreadsheets are filed, and another reporting cycle begins. When we take the time to reflect on the data, it can guide us to meaningful action. Good data helps us ask better questions, understand our communities more deeply, and make more informed decisions about our services. REFLECT: If attendance at a long-running program drops, do we simply note the decline, or do we investigate what the numbers are telling us? Maybe the program content needs to be refreshed. Looking at data through an equity lens also means asking who is participating, who is missing, and what barriers may exist. ACT: If outreach data shows that…

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Blogger School-Age Programs and Service Committee

Sharing More Than Food Through the Giving Garden

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It is springtime in Chicagoland, and when the weather begins to get warmer, our members look forward to the summer season in our Giving Garden. The windows in the Early Learning Area of the Indian Trails Public Library look out to this space, and families love viewing the progress of the plants growing throughout the summer months. Youth staff coordinate several programs over the summer for children up through fifth grade to work in the garden and learn about the plants.  The Indian Trails Library Giving Garden began in 2009 and is active thanks to a dedicated team of staff and volunteers from the Wheeling Garden Club.  Our facilities staff begin the season by adding compost and turning the garden beds. Cool weather crops are planted in the spring from starter seeds of a local volunteer master gardener.  Several retired volunteers and master gardeners also help maintain the garden during…

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Storytime

From Selection to Storytime: Strengthening Your World Language Collection

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Libraries are a welcoming place for everyone. At the heart of that mission is a thoughtfully developed collection that is accessible, relevant, and engaging for both new visitors and lifelong patrons. Children’s collection specialists will undoubtedly purchase replacement copies of beloved series like Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid for years to come. Yet even smaller, less frequent acquisitions can have an outsized impact. Investing in a robust World Language collection sends a clear message of inclusion to bilingual families, affirms multilingual identities, and supports English language learners as well as students studying a second language.

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Blogger School-Age Programs and Service Committee

April Showers Bring … Poetry!

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April showers may bring May flowers elsewhere, but in our library all that rain sprouts poetry! April is one of my favorite months for programming because it’s National Poetry Month! National Poetry Month was founded by the Academy of American Poets in 1996 to remind the public that poets have “an integral role in our culture and that poetry matters” (Academy of American Poets, n.d.).   Why celebrate poetry?  In a world of social media with 146-character posts and soundbites, poetry seems like an apt medium for the times.  A single small poem can pack a powerful punch of meaning.  Even longer poems seem to take less space in the world or at least to use space more effectively.  And poetry seems like a form designed for reluctant readers.  I once “sold” a novel in verse to a reluctant reader in my library by pointing out that while the book met…

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Blogger AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee

Put the Bulletin Board to Work: Turning Time, Art, and Feedback Into Community Voice

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Changing bulletin boards each month can feel like a lot of work, especially when you are responsible for several at once. They take planning and time to put together, so it makes sense to get more from that effort. Interactive bulletin boards provide opportunities to gather ideas, notice patterns, share results, and shape meaningful library programs. (Get inspired by these ALSC blog posts about the wide-ranging impact of bulletin boards in the library.) Start with a Plan Decide in advance what your focus will be. Some months might feature art that invites patrons to draw, color, or contribute pieces to a larger project. Other months might focus on feedback using sticky notes, checkmarks, or short written responses to questions about programs, certain books, or events. During Summer Reading, the board may (likely) explain how to participate and earn incentives. At other times, they will highlight important community cultural celebrations or…

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Blogger School-Age Programs and Service Committee

Give the Gift of Critical Thinking

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It is December, and the season of giving is upon us!  In the library world and beyond, many of those on our lists may be clamoring for the latest technology or subscriptions to the most up-to-date AI tools. As awesome people who provide library services to children, your programs can meet those needs! Our brains are the most complex and intricate pieces of technology that we possess. The great news is everyone has one! And even better, the patrons we work with are in the process of stretching and building those neural networks to be stronger, faster, with more memory and higher efficiency. Library programs can provide access to critical thinking skills like: adaptability, analysis, collaboration, communication, creativity, decision-making, problem-solving and evaluation. To give a gift that provides all those important skills sounds expensive, but library staff know how to get the most bang for our buck! Escape Room programs are a way to incorporate…

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Blogger School-Age Programs and Service Committee

Kindness Cards bring needed warmth and connection 

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Inspired by the idea of Giving Tuesday, I wanted to create an accessible and passive program that could appeal to youth members of all ages, especially elementary and middle school-aged children. As a youth services librarian, I conducted two previous “Giving Tuesday” themed active programs in which children in third grade and up could participate in a service activity program to help those in need in the local community. Those programs involved creating items like fleece blankets and cheerful toiletry packs for children and adults.    Once the pandemic ended and the library opened for in-person services, the feedback we received from our members was the desire for more social connections and opportunities to engage with other library members. We also noticed that emotions were high, and members and staff were feeling anxious and weary. I wanted to bridge the connection between the library and our community through our library members. …

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Passing notes: Public libraries communicating with schools

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At the beginning of the school year, I started to write a message to share with educators in our community. As I reflected on the best way to send it, as well as who the ideal audience might be, some of these thoughts ran through my mind: What messages might public libraries want to share with schools? Determine who might be the best audience for your message: What is the best way to share your message? For more tips on communication with schools, check out the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation’s Public Library and School Library Collaboration Toolkit, or share some of your own ideas in the comments. Jackie Partch is the Youth Educator and Student Services Librarian at Multnomah County Library in Portland, OR. This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: I. Commitment to Client Group and V. Outreach and Advocacy

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