September is here, school bells are ringing, public youth services librarians are wrapping up their Summer Reading programs and the ambitious may have already begun brainstorming for next summer’s program. As you evaluate and plan for your programs, think about the benefits of involving community partners in reaching your goals. Summer Reading is not just a program, for my library it’s also our biggest public awareness campaign. One of the goals I had for our 2022 Summer Reading Program was to increase community partner involvement through a couple avenues, business sponsorships and outreach. For 2022, local businesses sponsored the Summer Reading Program by donating prizes, off-site programming spaces, and food for various events. The reciprocal benefits of engaging with community partners are invaluable in library success. Our sponsors enable us to provide more engaging programming through funds and in-kind donations, and in return we provide them placements on our promotional…
Category: Blogger Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee
Enticing Summer Reading Alternative Programming For Kids Who “Hate” To Read
Summer is the busiest time of year for public youth services librarians across the country: we stack our calendars with programming and guest performers, bust out all the themed decorations, and break out our best book-themed t-shirts. All of this, of course, to the ultimate end of building in our young patrons a lifetime relationship with books.
5 Ways Covid Has Affected Summer Programming
Library summer programs have changed a lot in the last few years. Maybe that’s a good thing? More Take and Makes When programming shut down, many libraries began offering take-and-make bags for patrons. This proved to be so popular that even when programming started back, libraries continued to offer take-and-makes to patrons of all ages. Outdoor Programming For libraries with the space, outdoor programming became a welcome, more safe alternative to indoor programming. Even in the heat of the summer, library staff brought programs outside to a more covid-safe environment. Less Programming When libraries began opening back up and offering programming, many library staff took a look at their regular pre-pandemic programming with a critical eye. Were we prioritizing quantity over quality? Maybe higher quality, less frequent programming is the answer. Tracking Apps While many libraries were already using online tracking programs for their summer reading, some used their library’s…
Unite Against Book Bans by Reporting Challenges
Over the past year challenges to books in school and public libraries have garnered a lot of media attention. Most of these challenges are books that feature characters that identify as LGBTQ+ and that address racism in its many forms. Article III of the Library Bill of Rights states: Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
Jose-Luis Orozco: Pioneer Bilingual Educator and Performer
In the Fall of 2021, José-Luis Orozco, internationally known bilingual educator and performer, received a bilingual plaque awarded to him by Bibliotecas Para la Gente: The Northern California Chapter of REFORMA. REFORMA is an affiliate of the American Library Association.
Gratitude
The season of thanks and giving is upon us! In this second year of the pandemic, gratitude is grander, more profound, and even sweeter. In the Public Awareness and Advocacy committee, we are particularly grateful for ALSC and all children’s services workers. ALSC staff and volunteers have kept up the great work in the midst of shutdowns, furloughs, and staff shortages. It is because of them we are able to join together (usually virtually) and continue to do the work of supporting our libraries and communities. They have continued meeting regularly, posting to the blog, and doing good work on behalf of children’s service workers everywhere. Children’s services workers have provided virtual and outdoor programs, take home crafts, and online reference without skipping a beat. Their hard work on behalf of their community has kept children and families engaged. This holiday season, the ALSC Public Awareness and Advocacy committee is…
A Case for Ending Library Late Fees
Recently New York Public Libraries made national news when it announced that it would be ending late fees in their continued efforts to promote equality. Dayton Metro Library in Ohio, where I work, ended fines for overdue items on January 1, 2018. Within 6 months our system noted that while our revenue from fees and fines were lower as expected, the overall loss was worth it in light of improved patron interactions and increased access to materials for young patrons.
Passive Programs in a Time of Transition
More of our patrons are getting vaccinated against Covid-19 and our library systems are slowly easing back to normal operating hours and codes of conduct. Children’s librarians are still walking a tightrope of safely providing services while dealing with the reality that our charges (children ages 0-12 years old) are not able to get vaccinated yet. Outdoor programming is great for families that can make it work for their schedules and register far enough in advance to avoid being put on a waitlist. However most of my families do not fit into that category. This summer my library has maintained our focus on “take and make” crafts and projects, and put an increased amount of effort into creating engaging passive programs that families can participate in during their brief visits to pick up books and report summer reading challenge points.