“We know that if people don’t have enough food, every other need they have is going to seem secondary,” says Montgomery, associate director of community engagement at Charleston County (S.C.) Public Library (CCPL). The pandemic exacerbated food insecurity throughout the country, with an estimated 3 million more US residents facing food insecurity in 2020 than … Continue reading Fresh Ideas
It’s not unusual for libraries to offer English as a Second Language (ESL) and citizenship preparation programs. But Jones Library (JL) in Amherst, Massachusetts, has designed a program specifically for older adult beginners ages 50 and over. A college town that attracts workers and academics from around the world, Amherst has a higher immigrant population … Continue reading Older Beginners
71 Number of institutions recognized by the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries. These libraries are often housed within public gardens, arboretums, or universities around the world. 2004 Year the first seed library opened in a public library. Hudson Valley Seed Library—which has since evolved into Hudson Valley Seed Company, selling seeds and garden-themed art—got … Continue reading By the Numbers: Gardening
Fears and biases Let’s first discuss library anxiety. I see this firsthand in my own work as a reference services instructor. One of the assignments I task students with is to ask a reference librarian a real reference question and reflect on their experience. Many students report back that they were worried their questions were … Continue reading Let’s Talk about It
“People who come are fully engaged in the process,” says Matt Beatty, branch manager at San Diego Public Library’s Scripps Miramar Ranch Library (SMRL). More than simply decorative, ikebana is about noticing and appreciating the beauty of nature and bringing the indoors and outdoors together. Using principles of minimalism, silence, shape, and line, practitioners select … Continue reading Flower Power
Sustainable living involves making changes in your everyday life to ensure that you leave the planet a better place after you’re gone. These changes can include recycling and reducing waste, of course, but also repairing rather than replacing. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages, interest in sustainability and self-reliance topics … Continue reading Fix It Yourself
American Libraries associate editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Hope Harms, eResources librarian at Johnson County (Kans.) Library to learn more about her library’s journey navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanopy, and supporting today’s job seekers and learners. Call Number with American Libraries Podcast · Bonus Episode: Bringing Films and Series to the … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Bringing Films and Series to the Library
In those early days, libraries grappled with the same issues as everyone else: closed buildings, plans put on hold, and diminished access. With this special report, we take a look at some libraries’ behind-the-scenes decisions to keep their communities connected and missions fulfilled. On the following pages, you’ll find stories about: early-pandemic adaptations and innovations … Continue reading Three Years Later
Three years on, which early-pandemic adaptations have stuck around? Which trends went by the wayside? American Libraries asked public, academic, school, and special librarians to reflect on how COVID-19 changed their work in the short and long term, and what these innovations taught them about their workplaces and users. Curbside service is here to stay … Continue reading From Makeshift to Mainstay
“We’re a fairly tight-knit, smaller community, so we get to know our patrons very well and we hear a lot of different challenges that they’re facing in their everyday lives,” says Lepore, director of North Scituate (R.I.) Public Library (NSPL). She and library staffers began searching for ways to address pandemic recovery with a focus … Continue reading A Checkup for Checkout
When Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District (LVCCLD) closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, the technological barriers that existed within the community were laid bare, particularly those affecting people facing homelessness. Last April, LVCCLD launched its Cellphone Lending Program, an innovative approach to providing hundreds of unhoused individuals with access to needed … Continue reading Libraries on Call
“Sometimes, parents will ask us, ‘What can we do with a cup?’” said Amy Kraemer, youth services librarian at Keene (N.H.) Public Library (KPL). “Maybe your kid thinks it’s a cup, maybe they don’t. You can fill it up with beans and shake it, make a parachute out of it. Let your kid think about … Continue reading Tinker, Tailor, Little Makers
