I recently took a 3-month break from hosting story time, due to life, travel, and the fact that my normal Thursday morning slot was being used for another program. It has been three years since I started hosting bilingual family story time (BFST) at my branch. My program is in English and Spanish. Some of our other branches have story time exclusively in other languages (Spanish and Mandarin) that are hosted by contracted story tellers. Here are things that I do that have helped me find success in my story times.
Category: Diversity
Affirming Inclusive Library Services at #alaac26
In between my poster sessions this afternoon, I made a mad dash to room 175 to see my new friend Courtney Walker present her session on Affirming Inclusive Library Services. While I have seen Courtney share about her Libraries For All initiative previously, her session at #alaac26 dove deeper into how to equitably serve patrons with significant disabilities in school libraries.
Beyond the A: Creating Space for Pacific Islander Cultures & Stories during AANHPI Heritage Month
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is a longstanding celebration in schools, libraries, and communities across the country. While Asian cultures are often prominently featured during this month, Pacific Islander cultures can sometimes receive less visibility. Elevating Pacific Islander stories, traditions, and voices is an important way to create a more inclusive celebration and deepen understanding of the rich diversity represented within AANHPI communities.
Windows, Mirrors, and Doors in Play
Just as stories provide mirrors, windows, and sliding doors for folks – toys can too! Being intentional with the items we place in our public spaces makes our spaces more engaging. Being creative with our toys and play spaces also helps us make our limited budgets go further. One way we’re being intentional within our library play space is through our doll play. We were able to purchase the “Play-All-Around Dollhouse,” furniture, and “Lakeshore Block Play People – Complete Set” from Lakeshore Learning for our children’s area. We elected to withhold the furniture pieces that were choking hazards and only put out what fit easily within the rooms. This also means a little less to clean up. Please note, this is not an advertisement for Lakeshore; I simply find their toys made well for long-lasting play. For the dolls, we chose 34 of the people to create 12 families. Some…
Ramadan Iftar Party for Families!
My library’s community has a small, but richly diverse population of people from all over the world, and this is something I like to reflect in my children’s department through collection development and programming. We have a large Muslim community here and we wanted to take part in their Ramadan celebrations. Earlier this month, we held a Ramadan Iftar Party for families, which included a storytime, crafts, and dinner after sundown. In this post, I will provide a recap of all the components of this successful program!
Sense-ational Learning with Sensory Explorations
Over the past few years, I have seen an increased interest in “sensory friendly” programming at libraries. This has included an influx of programs such as toddler explorations, sensory explorations, and more. Our library has spent the past few years reformatting, adapting, and implementing our seasonal “Sensory Explorations” program. Check out some of the highlights below! What Is It? Sensory Explorations is a program recommended for children aged 2-5 that is hands on, messy, fun. At its core, it is an opportunity for children to engage in tactile, early learning activities at the library. When hosting, I typically plan to incorporate at least five of the eight sensory systems. Yes, I did say eight! Most people learned about the “five senses” as being taste, smell, sight, touch, and sound. However, there are three additional systems we use every day that are lesser known: the proprioceptive system, vestibular system, and interoception….
Afrofuturism in Books and Programming for Children
Every January, before Black History Month, my town hosts Afrofuturism Week. This year, I noticed my favorite local bookstore put up a display dedicated to Afrofuturistic literature. Books by my favorite author, Octavia E. Butler, were present and accounted for. Of course. But the cover of one book in particular stood out: How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin.
Diversity in Craft-ernoon
While I may not be the craftiest person around, I do love crafts! I started hosting craft-ernoons last spring at our branch for tweens on Wednesday afternoons and for families during the summer. They’ve been well received, so I’ve hosted it during official school breaks, and plan to run another spring series later this year. I like to keep the weekly craft different, as it helps create interest in the program. In the past we’ve done terracotta pot painting, Model Magic® clay sculpting, DIY journals, mini canvas painting,friendship bracelets, watercolor painting, bookmark making, and that’s not even the full list!