With shrinking budgets and expanding roles, librarians everywhere have to continue to wearmany hats. Or maybe just one big hat with “Other Duties As Assigned” embroidered on it.With that reality, most librarians must do EVERYTHING, including their own marketing theirown programs. In comparison, larger metropolitan libraries with multiple branches have wholeteams dedicated to just that task. But Mukwonago Community Library, a smaller library in Mukwonago, Wisconsin with only 25 employees total, found a way to strike a balance between the two extremes.
Category: Displays
So Long Stranger Things, Hello Stranger Reads
After nearly ten years, Stranger Things has ended. The saga of Max, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Eleven has come to a close, and the patrons at my library can’t stop talking about it. Our seventh and eighth graders are discussing the show the most. Some even started rewatching it from the beginning again to watch the entire show in one go! These conversations usually end with a question: “Now what should I do?” I always answer the question the same way. “Read a book perfect for Stranger Things fans, of course!” If you also have some Stranger Things fans at your library, here are some great books to recommend.
Passive Programs are Actively Successful!
We love offering passive programs. More importantly, our patrons love having fun with our passive programs! From scavenger hunts to an I Spy aquarium, here are some ideas that have proven successful for us.
Celebrating Indigenous People’s Month with Library Displays
The month of November is dedicated to celebrating the many indigenous tribes native to the United States. A great way to share information about Native Americans with your patrons is through interactive displays. A few years back, I created an interactive bulletin board to celebrate Native American tribes local to our area. It was a team effort, and it is to date one of my favorite displays that I have made
Practicing Politics: Nonpartisan Book Displays
There’s a scene in the cult film Little Miss Sunshine where an endearingly dysfunctional family is driving cross-country to a beauty pageant. At one point the alleged grown-ups get into a heated argument about adult life-style choices. Young Olive, our seven-year-old heroine, is blissfully tuned into her music, but sensing the rising tension, pulls off her headphones and wants to know what everybody’s yelling about. After a moment of adult topic-inspired hesitation, Grandpa comes up with a one-word response: Politics. Thoroughly disinterested, and slightly disgusted, Olive returns to her music. Would that all of us could so effortlessly dismiss this loaded subject. However, we live in interesting times, and no matter where people fall on the political spectrum, we all face a never-ending barrage of media coverage about government actions and our elected officials. Some adults may think children are impervious, but kids can be pretty savvy. They certainly hear…
A Day, er, Month for Dots!
International Dot Day, Peter H. Reynolds’s annual celebration of creativity, is recognized on September 15th-ish. At my library, a colleague and I are taking the “-ish” to heart: hosting a month-long passive program to exalt the humble dot! Staff and patrons alike are encouraged to “make their mark.” Celebrating Dot Day is as easy as 1-2-3!
Share Out: Circulation Challenge
In the last year, I have been purposefully building up the children’s programs to best accommodate the community and to increase the offerings of quality programs. The best thing I did for this was to hire an amazing children’s librarian. Our programs are popular, our numbers for programs are great, the caregivers and kids are really enjoying everything. The only thing I keep noticing is that we are not circulating a lot of books after programs.
Everything I Need to Know I Learned In Library School
When I graduated with my degree in education, I was required to create a capstone binder that outlined how I met “core competencies” related to education and teaching. It included things like assessments, teaching of certain core subjects, and demonstrated student growth over a period of time. After graduating, I was so happy to never do anything like that again. That is, I was…until I got to library school.