Pursuing excellence for library service to children
Inside the toolkit, you will find practical, easy to implement tips and sample programs for incorporating intellectual freedom and Information literacy into library cornerstone programs and services, including storytimes, book clubs, outreach, and STEAM activities.
Everybody needs a little fun…especially now, right? In addition to my Homeschool @ the Library programs and Homeschool Book Clubs, I offer Homeschool Hangout. Usually once a month, we gather together on Zoom to play games and do different activities. Some I’ve created on my own; others are games that I adapt for this virtual environment. All in all, the hour of Homeschool Hangout flies by, and everyone leaves smiling!
Summer Reading Virtual Once More So, for most of us, summer reading 2021 will be virtual once more. For some, it meant outsourcing virtual programming, with others flipping coins to see who’d go in front of the green screen. But overall, this is the future of public library programming. Need some help? Read on, fellow green screeners! Best Practices Understand that best practices are still being established, and represents an evolving skillset. We are understanding the platforms and their capabilities as we go along. When it comes to producing content, though, many standard best practices for streaming and broadcast apply. TWITCH DISCORD Appears to be a combo of equipment and broadcast practices broadly applicable to streaming in general: Streamer and moderator best practices Consistency with schedule Marketing and promo Equipment and software It’s a communication tool, not a vault Organization is key Library specific recommendation is to connect with local servers to promote programs Don’t @everyone Keep posting,…
When Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) closed to the public nearly a year ago, children’s librarians scrambled to adapt programming to the virtual world. Library Lab STEM programs began with a cooking demonstration showing the chemical reactions in Snickerdoodle cookies and expanded to a variety of science and coding experiments.
I like to start a school class visit to the public library where I work by walking up the stairs to the front door and stopping before entering to say, “When you go inside, be sure to look up!” The branch has very high ceilings, and there are two murals painted to mimic a cloudy blue sky, with seagulls flying around the light fixtures. Even the teachers and chaperoning parents get excited when they see the murals! My hope with this is that it sets the stage for the library to become something memorable, and a welcoming place they know they can turn to. With our system being closed to the public for almost a year, we have shifted to virtual class visits to connect with students and teachers. During these visits, I try to impart that same welcoming feeling, but have had to come up with some new pitches. …
It’s been quite a while since I last wrote about something other than book recommendations – most of my time is spent with books these days, so in many ways that’s become my default. But this month I’m proud to present a program series planned and implemented by the incredible Youth Services team at Darien Library, one that I hope will resonate with some of you and find a home in your libraries as well. The program series is called Little Library Boxes, and to provide information about it – from conception to implementation – I’ve interviewed the brains behind the operation herself, Children’s Program Coordinator Samantha Cardone.
COVID Slide and Summer Slide Meet There are no definitives in this article. I’m sorry. Some split infinitives assuredly, though. So, 2020 and summer reading was new for us. Most of our library systems are going to continue circling the in-person programming wagons in 2021 in favor of going online. The system I work for, in fact, is purchasing online programming, which was actually pretty well received. But, as in the past, I wanna light a fire under you. You’ve already met summer slide. And we’re pretty sure there’s a COVID Slide. So, what happens when they start dating? What do their children look like? Wallflower No More I understand why you may have sidelined yourself last summer. It was chilly water. We stood back and watched, waited, hoped, and tried to remain optimistic. We waited largely to see what other systems would do. But we didn’t do much else….
In a few weeks, the newest Mars rover, Perseverance, will touch down on the Red Planet, more than 200 days after it launched. Perseverance’s job is to look for signs of ancient life and collect samples for possible return to Earth. With a pretty high WOW factor, and lots of available resources, Perseverance and Mars lend themselves to great programming.