When Back to School season rolls around, libraries across the country fill displays with books about new teachers and first day jitters. Your library may host an evening for school staff, where they can learn all about library services. You may offer an exclusive teachers-only Friends of the Library book sale. But typically, families with students in special education may not get all the support they need in the lead up to a new school year. Navigating the special education system is challenging – there are IEPs, 504s, evaluations, and tons of documentation – and families new to the IEP system can find it especially overwhelming. But what if the library could build a program that connected parents and caregivers with the expert advice and support they needed before they begin another adventure through special education?
Category: Blogger Chelsey Roos
No One Can Stop You from Being Kind: Supporting gender-diverse youth in your library
Transgender and gender-diverse youth deserve safety, respect, and kindness within your library, just like any other young person in your community. In 2020, ALA issued a statement affirming the rights of transgender people, stating that ALA “unequivocally and emphatically stands in solidarity” with both transgender library staff and transgender members of our communities. However, we have to acknowledge that there seem to be more and more obstacles to supporting our young patrons. Depending on your service area, you may be facing book challenges, programming bans, and also outright hostility towards children who just want to be themselves. But there are resources at hand and choices you can make to welcome all young people, regardless of their gender identity.
Recovering from Program Failure
Almost everyone has a program completely fail at least once in their career. In library school, I learned how to build a good program, how to market a program, and how to incorporate elements of diversity into programs, but I didn’t learn how to recover when a program does an absolute belly-flop. Let’s look at three common ways a program might crash and burn (they’ve all happened to me!) and some ways you can salvage your time, supplies, or spirit in the face of program disaster.
Encouraging A Culture of Rereading in Your Library
It happened again this week: a caregiver told a young reader to put a book back. “You’ve already read that one,” they said. “Go put that back and find something new.” I’ve heard many well-meaning adults say this to a child in their charge, often once they’re standing at the self-check. And I understand what they’re thinking – they want their little reader to grow by reading something new. But research on reading tells us that rereading is actually great for developing readers. How can we create a rereading culture that subtly (and not-so-subtly) encourages grown-ups to take home that Dog Man for the fortieth time?
Class Visit Basics
School is back in session and the class visit requests are rolling in. School librarians are pros at managing class visits. But for many public librarians, class visits may feel a little less comfortable than our regular storytime jams and STEAM programs that happen in our own, well-known program rooms. If you’re new to class visits or if it’s simply been a little while, join me for Class Visits 101: how to prepare, books to share, and the magic of brain breaks.
Storytime Safety Plans and Other Things I Didn’t Learn in Library School
In library school, I took a lot of children’s classes. A class about evaluating children’s literature. A class about planning programs. Even a class devoted entirely to storytelling. But there are some things I never learned in school. I never learned how to make safety plans to escort a performer out of a library event turned threatening. I never learned how to respond to online accusations about the supposed predatory nature of LGBTQIA+ books. As book challenges sky-rocket and board meetings become hostile, what does it look like for new library staff to be well-prepared for the profession?
Smoke in the Summer: Supporting Families in Wildfire Season
The Canadian wildfires have brought a smoky summer to many of our communities. In some parts of North America, wildfire season is a yearly occurrence that is only getting worse. For others, this may be the first time you’ve had to deal with smoke and poor air quality. If a blanket of smoke has settled upon your community, simple programs and robust collections can help.
Share Queer Joy
I am afraid to put up a Pride display. That feels unprofessional to admit, but it’s true. I live and work in a very liberal area, and yet I am still afraid. From book bans to anti-trans bills to storytime protests, it is a very scary time to be under the LGBTQIA umbrella, an umbrella that feels paper thin against the onslaughts of contemporary hatred. This June, let us shine a light on books of queer joy. That joy can be so hard to keep alight on our own.