November is Picture Book Month! It is a time to celebrate our love for picture books. Picture books are important. They elicit emotions. They help us embrace our uniqueness. They help us understand each other. Whether silly, serious, or informative, they lead to great discussions. Picture books bring us together!
Author: School-Age Programs and Services Committee
Adapting virtual program tools to in-person programs
One of my library’s programs that pivoted entirely to a virtual format and has now pivoted back to fully in person is NYPL After School. This is a free drop in program for kids aged 6-12 that takes place after regular school hours, Monday through Thursday, from October-June, when school is in session. We launched September 27, 2021 in 20 branches and are so excited to welcome back our patrons in person with a program designed to meet them where they are and help them recover both literacy skills and supportive connections with caring adults.
Mini Makerspace
Over the last two years, many of us have found success with packaged crafts and programs for children to take home and assemble. With more children returning to the branch, my creative co-worker, Renee Roberson-Tecco, has assembled interactive displays that double as passive programs.
Social Ties: A Community Art Project
Each year at the Simsbury Public Library, CT we create our own Summer Reading theme. By creating our own unique theme, we can reflect our community and to be responsive to trends and themes that are important locally. Our 2021 Summer Reading theme was “Reading Reconnects Us,” which coincided well with the expanded library hours and services we were able to offer this summer. Our community was eager to return to in-person browsing, programs and volunteer opportunities and it was clear they were looking for opportunities to connect with others.
Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of Children
SEL – three little letters that encompass so much! According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), “Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships and make responsible and caring decisions.”1
Resources for Pride Month
June is Pride Month—it began as a commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, started by trans women of color, and is a month of celebration and affirmation for the LGBTQ+ community. Many children realize their gender identity and sexual orientation at a young age, even if they don’t have the words for it. Every child deserves to feel safe and accepted at all times, but especially in the library.
Try a Reading Challenge!
As library professionals, it is our job to encourage our students and patrons to read, read, read. But, are we encouraging ourselves to read? Do you ever find yourself in a reading slump?
Pandemic Connections: Being an ALSC Mentor/Mentee in 2021
The ALSC Mentoring program seeks to match individuals with an interest in library service to children together to learn from each other and support ALSC’s goals. Each person comes to the program with their own hopes, ideas and experiences and the program is well structured to support both mentor and mentee in connecting productively over a fairly short period of time, January- June.