Libraries around the country are taking on sustainability initiatives. These initiatives can include building improvements to make them more efficient, implementing new policies and procedures to minimize waste and increase equity, and increasing library resiliency efforts in the face of natural disasters. These are all big, library wide and even community wide efforts. Where does children’s services fit in? To get us started, let’s make sure we’re on the same page. When I think about sustainability, I think about the Triple Bottle Line, which is the definition used by ALA and the Sustainable Libraries Initiative: To be truly sustainable, an organization must embody practices that are environmentally sound AND economically feasible AND socially equitable. Learning about sustainable habits early on is the best way to make them stick. How many kids automatically buckle their seat belts as soon as they sit in a car? Hopefully all of them, because they…
Tag: sustainability
Spring into Recycling
“Don’t throw that away, I can use it” is absolutely a familiar sentiment. The recent ALSC post Trash to Treasure highlighted some great ideas about how to repurpose common items into creative crafts. Recycling materials keeps them out of landfills (hooray!), and models sustainable practices. What a valuable alternate to the ever present googly eyes, glitter, and disposable giveaways all too common in youth services. This all got me thinking about a great pop up display or activity, just in time for March 18.
Sustainable S.T.E.A.M. : Thoughts for a new year
A favorite S.T.E.A.M.-making activity with school-age kids in my public library space is slime—it is sensory, it is fun, it is dynamic, it is real chemical science, and the kids love it. But each time I host a slime program, I have this little nagging feeling as I look around at all the glue that we’ve used as part of our recipe that will never-the-less be tossed in the waste after the programming hour or class visit is done. We do our best to recycle materials, reuse containers, and limit the amount of supplies used, but at the end of the day, when a ball of slime is thrown into the trash, I know it isn’t going to decompose nicely back into the ground. It may even go on to be harmful to animals and plant life – specifically sea life. (Here is a more eco-friendly alternative to your borax…
Sustainability and Children’s Services
Earth Day is one month away, but what happens all year long matters just as much, maybe more. Ever since the ALA endorsed sustainability as a core value, there’s a recognition of the key leadership role libraries can play in community knowledge and resilience in response to climate change. While I often plan programs around nature-based activities, getting youth outdoors to appreciate the natural world is only one step toward ecological thinking. After joining my library’s sustainability team, I’ve begun to center thinking about the kinds of practices that lend themselves to children’s programs and services with a lighter eco-footprint. Here I’d like to share some reflections and resources I’ve found helpful on my continuing journey toward greater sustainability in children’s services.
Teaching Children Banned Words
Enlightening & Teaching 2017 was a whirlwind year, with many, many unprecedented changes, challenges and fear. To help our youngest patrons, it is critically important that we aid in their enlightenment, making them more socially aware, teaching them new concepts, and making them more culturally competent. For 2018, I encourage you to explore these terms through your youth programming. This will aid not only the children, but their parents as well. So, let’s go! Following each term will be suggestions for aiding you deliver these important concepts: Diversity My wife – Marianne Dolce, a highly successful school media specialist – showed me how to take a picture book or a story and build a theme from it – to reverse the storytime building process, and thereby integrate diverse materials into storytime – Every. Single Week. Read up on ALA’s “Importance of Diversity” Entitlement These quick “fables” help teach children all…
Build a Better World – Sustainability STEM programming!
STEM and STEAM this summer! Summer reading is a great time to market ourselves, but it’s even better for starting new programs. Get kids hooked on STEM and STEAM programming! Focusing on “Build a Better World”, try these three “hot” topics that all touch on Sustainability: Global warming Princeton University created a game and teaching guide that children from fifth grade up can enjoy and learn with – The Wedges Game! This is a “team-based exercise that teaches players about greenhouse gases, plus technologies that reduce carbon emissions” (Wedges Game) Try out this resource for even more ideas! STEM Learning Take these programs a step further! Have kids debate the issues Have kids draw up policies and recommendations to present to local councils Nothing increases a child’s understanding of topics better than a little research, a bit of debating and then presenting to others. And what better way to build a better world than…
Summer Reading 2017: On Beyond Lego!
Let’s get ready to build stuff! The 2017 Summer Reading theme is “Build a Better World” and I wanted to touch on two key options: Building sets Recycle, reuse and re-purpose Building Sets: looking beyond the ordinary Giant Crystal Connectors by Constructa Retro! 4″ interlocking discs with eight slots Translucent, and brightly-colored Cardboard construction tools – Makedo! playful cardboard construction 30 reusable parts build creations from junk! You supply the stuff – cardboard, foam, whatever – and Makedo makes it possible to construct anything you can dream up. Re-usable and SAFE! From the trenches: Denver Public Library loads up their programming room with recyclables for attendees to build stuff. Imagine combining that with Makedo kits! SmartMax by SmartMax Explore magnetism! Strong, large pieces Safe for kids as young as one High-quality, sonically-welded bars Learn about magnetic attraction and repulsion while constructing towers, bridges and other creations. The magnets are strong enough to hold…