Early literacy activities are certainly fun—but also valuable. For parents and caregivers who are already reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing with their children, offering tips might seem superfluous. But many aren’t aware that simple, everyday activities—such as listing different food items in the grocery store—can benefit their child’s early language and literacy development and … Continue reading The Upside to Asides
Unlike traditional collaborations, codesign involves library staffers, community members, and youth working together as equals to design programs and services that meet the varying needs of young people and their families. It has emerged as a powerful strategy for making public library youth services more equitable. This approach not only fosters innovation but also strengthens … Continue reading Designing for Equity
Informal caregivers may include grandparents, cousins, nannies, shift-swapping parents, and older siblings. They may provide part-time or full-time care. Some are paid; many are not. Ultimately, without FFN care, it would be difficult or impossible for many parents to work. In my home state of Colorado, formal childcare is in short supply. The options aren’t … Continue reading Inclusive Early Literacy
To achieve equity in youth services, we must build an authentic foundation that centers historically marginalized youth and families. This process is worth a closer look so that we can think more critically about the programs and services we offer. Let’s consider an example: A library in a community with a large Vietnamese population distributes … Continue reading Committing to Equity
In fall 2022, I used gamification to design a six-week professional development series for staff members at my middle school in South Texas, where I work as a library media specialist. Our campus had just adopted a laptop initiative for students, so my goal was to ensure that teachers would retain the skills they learned … Continue reading A Real Game-Changer
We envisioned a club where students, teachers, and caregivers could share a common experience around literature. But it was also important that book selections modeled positive behaviors that align with our school values and fostered conversations around social-emotional learning and equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice (EDISJ). To bring our community together, we turned to … Continue reading Books Model Behaviors
Usually, very few respondents say they have relationship-building skills. When participants are asked to reflect on what they want to get better at, most list skills related to connecting with community members. For example, respondents have said they want to get better at being outgoing, be okay with asking for help, eliminate social anxiety, and … Continue reading Community over Comfort
Sometimes when patrons learn their library will take an equity approach to programs and services, they wonder, “What is going to happen to everything that I love about the library?” In anticipation of this question, equity consultant LaKesha Kimbrough suggested that the planning team for the California Library Association’s Building Equity-Based Summers (BEBS) initiative, of … Continue reading One Goal, Many Approaches
That short exchange planted a seed in my mind: Could public libraries find ways to give kids hands-on library experience in a real-life work environment? If we are to foster learning in innovative ways, shouldn’t we offer opportunities for children who have an interest in libraries? Is this feasible on a library-wide scale? It turned … Continue reading In Training
On the surface, the staffers who decided to put up the banner most likely wanted people passing by to know that libraries provide a variety of services that go beyond checking out materials. Perhaps they also hoped that if members of the community knew more about these services, they would perceive the library as a … Continue reading Achieving Relevance
But instead of helping students understand these phenomena, digital literacy curricula tend to focus on individual behavior and responsibilities: Do protect your private information. Don’t cyberbully your classmates. Do use citations. These lessons often aim to correct perceived misbehavior or build academic skills but do little to raise students’ awareness of the complex social issues … Continue reading Rethinking Digital Literacy
Consider, for example, a library activity in which teens can talk about the spaces that make them feel comfortable and can help design an area of the library that is just for them. In this exercise, teens articulate what evokes happiness and calm—two emotional states that are central to positive mental health—and are given an … Continue reading Crisis Averted
