Ever been tasked with designing a programming space? When I accepted my current position as Tween Librarian in September of 2017, I was given such a task. My boss gave me the job to head a committee and launch a STEAM space for kids. She wanted to re-purpose one of the four Storytime rooms we had. Where do you begin when designing such a space? I had no idea. Luckily, I happened to get an e-mail from Library Journal advertising their Maker Workshop online course. My boss let me sign up for it, and it was able to lead me in the right direction. The most helpful piece of advice the course offered, is one I could have easily overlooked. Instead, I took it to heart. They said to make a Mission Statement. I will never forget the positive and creative vibes that flowed in the room as we (the…
Category: Blogger Gretchen Schulz
The Quality of Being Thankful
The Quality of Being Thankful It’s the week of Thanksgiving as I sit here to write my blog post. I am thinking of the million and one things I have to do before and on Thursday as the hostess of the yearly holiday for my family. I am busy, but I am grateful. My library’s Marketing Director shared with staff on our intranet, an article titled In Praise of Gratitude, published by Harvard Health Publishing (2019). It discusses beneficial research done on gratitude from a psychological stand point. It also lists ways people can cultivate gratitude in an effort to get outside themselves. From the article, I particularly enjoyed this sentiment: “With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than…
Pop Culture–Latest News!
Happy October, everyone! I hope you all are having a lovely fall so far.
Book Recommendations: September 11 Remembrance
Good Morning, Today marks 18 years since the terrorist attacks against our United States on September 11, 2001. In observation of this, I have compiled a list of book recommendations for those interested in educating their young children of this historical day, and for grade schooler and middle schoolers interested in learning about or commemorating this day.
Pop Culture Programming: Hakuna Matata
Happy Friday!
Self-Care During Summer Reading
Summer is officially here! After months of preparation, children’s departments across the United States have reached our busiest time of the year. I would like to take a few minutes to encourage all of us to remember that while we want to attentively serve our patrons, it is also SO important to make sure we are giving ourselves self-care.