This summer, I took a break from Pokémon Club at my library to host a creative writing class for middle-grade children. While they had a blast with the writing class, one question kept popping up over the course of the summer: “When does Pokémon Club come back?” They were excited to hear that I was bringing it back this September! In this post, I will share some new additions to my library’s Pokémon Club. Organization of Pokémon Club In my previous posts about the program, I shared how I had different activity stations. Each session had at least three game stations, one craft station, and a watch party station. The program participants enjoyed having a variety of activities to choose from. However, in the sessions that had a smaller attendance, there would be an uneven amount of children at the stations. This time around, I will try working with just…
Tag: pokemon
Engaging Teens and Tweens in Fan Programs
Often when I am at the library providing reader’s advisory services, I get asked by young folks, “Can you recommend a book to me?” My immediate follow-up is, “Well, what do you like?” I tell them that it doesn’t have to be a book; it could be a favorite character, movie, or activity. This sparks so many conversations about what youth feel very passionately about. Often, I pocket these conversations not only to help in the moment, but also for later programming ideas.
Pokémon Club: More to Explore
In October 2025, ALSC and AASL announced a partnership with The Pokémon Company International to help kickstart Pokémon Clubs at libraries across the country. This launch kickstarted a Poké-craze with librarians, myself included, with many folks interested in starting their very own club. With many librarians asking “how,” ALSC Blogger Ariel Barreras shared some of her preparations for Pokémon Club earlier this year. Now that we are in the throes of summer, and many of our patrons have more time on their hands, I thought it would be a great time to share some additional resources for those who are looking to change up their regular sessions, or for those who are interested in having a summer club!
Art Activities for Pokémon Club!
Get ready for Round #2 of Pokémon Club! In December, I wrote about preparing for my Winter session of Pokémon Club and my January post was about lessons learned from my first sessions. I am currently preparing for our Spring program season, which includes more Pokémon Club. In this post, I will share some art activities that I will be incorporating into my upcoming Pokémon Club sessions.
Round #1 of Pokémon Club!
Like many of you, I currently have Pokémon on the brain! In December, I wrote about how I was preparing to start a Pokémon Club at my library. In this post, I will share the setup for my first session and what I have learned after completing Round #1 of Pokémon Club!
Get Ready with Me!: Pokémon Club Edition
This past October, ALSC announced an exciting partnership with The Pokémon Company International for youth services librarians to implement Pokémon Clubs at their own libraries! I am one of the librarians that applied for and received a kit to start this program. My program will start in the new year and in this post, I will share with you what each kit includes and how I am preparing to run this club as a Pokémon novice!
Announcing the Pokémon Club Program!
Ever wanted to run a Pokémon Club at your library but weren’t sure where to start? The Pokémon Club program has you covered!
Including the Shy Ones: Passive Programming & Interactive Displays
One of the biggest challenges that youth library staff faces is providing programming that reaches the widest array of children possible. We cast huge programming nets in hopes of filling our programs with happy smiling faces that are raring and ready for some fun… but what about the shy kids? What about the children that aren’t super excited about being “trapped” in a room with thirty other kids? How can we engage these children without forcing them into our programs? The answer lies in passive programming. This generally underutilized programming option can be the bridge that connects your more shy patrons with library resources and materials. The trick is to portray the passive program as something else entirely, such as a game or fun activity. From my experience, the best method is to create a program that requires no staff supervision, can be completed with very little instructions, and most…