Every month, I partner with a local business and head to their gymnastics studio to lead a brief storytime that kicks off an hour of free play. From its inception, this program has been a smash hit, with some months reaching the capacity of the studio space! The genesis of Gymnastics Storytime? Jealousy. When trying to reschedule storytime to better align with staffing needs, I was running into a bit of a problem. Families are busy, and almost everyone was busy on the same day. As I spoke with folks about dates and times, it became clear that everyone was doing gymnastics, and they were doing it for free, in the town over, with a story-reading included. Our town has its own gymnastics studio, but I’ve never heard it mentioned in the busy schedules of younger children. Well, that seemed like a big opportunity to me! I reached out to…
Category: Outreach and Advocacy
Stress Relief in Time for Summer Reading
Whether you’re a school media specialist steeling yourself to fulfill continuing education coursework, or a public librarian hyping up for wall-to-wall reading programs, relaxation is likely NOT the first word that comes to mind when we youth services folks think about summer. It’s easy to feel overworked, overstimulated, and under-appreciated at any time in the library, but the heat tends to turn everything up to eleven. You can’t expect to be at your best for your patrons, students, colleagues, friends, family, and, most importantly, yourself if you don’t indulge in little breaks to depressurize throughout the day. Here are five one minute(ish) stress relievers that make an immediate difference without making you look too goofy in a shared office. Even better, they work for people of pretty much every age, shape, and capability! Starfish Breathing Choose a hand to be your “starfish.” Then use the pointer finger of the other…
Kreyòl, Community, Connection: Reimagining Outreach for Haitian Families
Migration from Haiti to the United States is driven by a complex mix of systemic “push” factors, with nearly half of the nation’s Haitian immigrant population settling in Florida (Finnegan, 2023). For many Haitian families, the transition involves navigating urgent physiological needs before shifting toward “settling in,” a process that includes mastering English, securing childcare, and accessing healthcare (Finnegan, 2023). As we honor Haitian American Heritage Month this May, the City of North Miami Public Library highlights a model that centers these families through intentional, culturally responsive service. Building Trust with the Family Unit Many Haitian families harbor a deep-seated distrust of government entities due to historical experiences in Haiti. Libraries can overcome this by acting as intermediaries, transferring trust from established community partners to the library itself (Finnegan, 2023). North Miami strengthens these bonds by: Intergenerational Support and Accessibility In the Haitian diaspora, school-aged children often acquire English quickly…
Better with Bingo: Meeting Outcomes Through Game Play
Bingo nights are a sure-fire programming hit! Highly adaptable to themes, literacy tie-ins, and intergenerational fun, these nights are popular and potent for supporting larger library outcomes. Types of Bingo If you want to keep it to the basics, you can play with a standard board with numbers. Add some fun by changing the winning outcome. You can play until players get a bingo, a blackout, borders, and more. If you have the time to dip your toes into theming and literacy connections, you can adapt the board yourself or buy premade sets.
Host a Bear-y Special Program with a Teddy Bear Clinic
Last summer, a local pediatrician came to visit my library as a patron. As she looked around the department, she asked my manager if we would be interested in collaborating with her on a program. The answer, of course, was an immediate yes! Over the following months, we worked together to plan a teddy bear clinic that we held in February. If you want to feature a local doctor or nurse in one of your programs, a teddy bear clinic is a great place to start.
Special Olympics: Young Athletes
In the fall of 2025, a colleague and I partnered with DC’s chapter of Special Olympics to bring their “Young Athletes” program to my library. This ready-made, research-based program was a hit in my community, bringing learning, community, and physical activity to early learners both with and without disabilities. To learn more about Special Olympics and how a partnership can benefit libraries, I interviewed Candace Ladd – Director of Youth Initiatives in DC.
Raising Kids in a Digital World: A Sesame Workshop Partnership
A few months ago, Sesame Workshop put a call out for librarians across the U.S. who were interested in hosting a workshop on digital well being. After originally being wait listed for the program, I was invited to participate by hosting a workshop this fall. Read on to learn about the process, what Sesame provided, and my takeaways from hosting!
Junior Librarians: School Field Trips to the Library!
One thing I love about being a children’s librarian is school outreach. I love getting to know new children and families, and sharing library resources with them. School outreach is critical in our line of work and I have been trying to improve the field trips to the library. This school year, I am testing out a Junior Librarian field trip experience at my library!