“I had no experience but a lot of enthusiasm,” she told attendees of “Library for All: Programming Ideas for Adults with Disabilities on a $0 Budget,” a June 29 program at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. Thanks to her efforts, MPL has hosted 150 programs for adults … Continue reading Inclusivity on a Budget
Through the Diverse Librarianship Career Training and Education (DLCTE) program, seniors from Sumner High School (SHS) in St. Louis can intern for nearby St. Louis Public Library (SLPL), learning the ropes of librarianship while getting paid. DLCTE is a three-year project of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), funded by an Institute of Museum and Library … Continue reading A New Class of Librarians
Institutions continue to innovate while meeting community needs, piloting targeted tools, dedicating roles and spaces to well-being, and investing in specialty programming and services for both patrons and staff. American Libraries spoke with workers from four libraries that are pioneering mental health practices in the field. Supporting Staff Strategically Oak Park (Ill.) Library When, in … Continue reading Working for Well-Being
In the corner broods a striking, enigmatic figure—tall, fastidiously groomed, and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. But that’s not the Duke of Hastings from Bridgerton, and this isn’t 19th-century London. It’s the 21st century, these guests are gathered at Collier County (Fla.) Public Library (CCPL), and the figure in the corner is a life-sized … Continue reading Sip, Sip, Hooray
The American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held June 27–July 2 in San Diego. 4 Number of crown-shaped chandeliers designed by author L. Frank Baum for the Hotel del Coronado, located on San Diego Bay. The hotel, where Baum frequently stayed as a guest, is said to have inspired the Emerald … Continue reading By the Numbers: Literary San Diego
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
“Staff will come down and say, ‘What’s going on? Everything smells so good,’” says Sally Thurston, MPL’s adult programming coordinator and circulation assistant. Since January 2022, Thurston has run the library’s spice club, which offers patrons kits filled with a featured spice, recipes, and other information based on the selection. Patrons then prepare a dish … Continue reading The Spice of Life
Kristan, outreach services coordinator at Ela Area Public Library (EAPL) in Lake Zurich, Illinois, knew that the presence of pets has been associated with health benefits like reductions in stress and blood pressure. In 2022, she introduced robotic pets to the library’s collection, taking them on visits to assisted living and memory care facilities to … Continue reading Librarian’s Pet
During the pandemic, Christian County (Mo.) Library was looking to launch an ongoing service series that would bring staffers and patrons together outdoors. So it turned to some of the rural area’s oldest and most scenic spaces: cemeteries. In 2021, the library started its Uncovering History: Gravestone Cleaning program series. Participants meet monthly from May … Continue reading A Monumental Task
May is National Inventors Month 135,850 Number of items in the Edison Sheet Music Collection, housed at University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor. Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph in 1877, spearheaded this collection as a way for his phonograph company to select vocal and instrumental scores to record. 44 Number of agricultural bulletins … Continue reading By the Numbers: Inventors
“I have a copy of the Magic School Bus that I might have checked out in 1991 from the library in Sandy Springs,” Sloan said. “It’s somewhere in my mom’s house. If you want to go to Stone Mountain, maybe you can find it. I think I have the fine in my purse if you … Continue reading Protect Yourself
Growing up in Rajkot, India, I regularly walked nearly an hour to the closest library to check out a book. It was there that I discovered new perspectives and places. My whole world expanded, and my imagination flourished. It didn’t take me long to read the entire children’s section! When my family moved to the … Continue reading Protecting the Equalizers
