At the panel “Sustainable Choices in Library Prizes and Promotional Materials” on June 25 at the American Library Association’s 2021 Annual Conference and Exhibition Virtual, four librarians shared how they’ve balanced sustainable practices while still rewarding engagement. “I feel pretty bad about handing out a lot of plastic stuff to kids that I know is … Continue reading Green Swag and Memorable Experiences
Brownsburg (Ind.) Public Library, where I work, abruptly closed last March. As was the case with many libraries, when we realized the virus wasn’t going away, we had to decide if we wanted to cancel our summer reading program or adapt it to our new normal. We went ahead with summer reading to give our … Continue reading Summer Reading Realities
The answer for most: online programming, such as virtual storytimes, science experiments, and small-scale cooking demonstrations. “Our plan is to do a pretty strong and regular slate of virtual programming put out on Facebook,” says Luke Bentley, assistant director at Guernsey County (Ohio) Public Library (GCPL). While that will feel very different from last year’s … Continue reading Summer Reading Switcheroos
Why the urgency? “Sure, we want to increase literacy and provide fun events,” says Flock. “But I was more concerned about my teens’ mental health. Social interaction is super-important for a teen’s development. Also, for some of them, the library is a safe place away from the issues that they may be having at home. … Continue reading Digital Escape Rooms and Other Online Programming
They’re some of the activities that thousands of libraries across the country are putting together to celebrate space exploration in their summer reading programs, with “A Universe of Stories” as the slogan. And the sky’s the limit. The umbrella initiative, Summer of Space, is a partnership among NASA, the Collaborative Summer Learning Program consortium, and … Continue reading To Space Education … and Beyond
PPA organized the discussion to educate congressional staff about libraries’ role in developing literacy, especially during the summer months, and to encourage members of Congress to look to libraries as leading partners in education. PPA staff worked with the American Association of School Librarians and the Texas Library Association (TLA) to identify librarians in the … Continue reading Texas Librarians Help Capitol Hill Slide into Learning
Know your audience Who do you want to know about summer learning? Parents and caregivers? Teachers? The teens themselves? Other organizations serving youth in the community? While the answer is undoubtedly all four, think about your library and community. How does word get around about your events? Maybe it’s from parents reading your quarterly newsletter … Continue reading Get the Word Out
Like many parents, I worry about how to keep my videogame-obsessed child from becoming a couch potato without spending a fortune on camps. Public libraries have been a reliable ally in the war on “summer slide,” the loss of academic gains made in the previous school year. This loss tends to hit children from lower-income … Continue reading Plan Now for a STEAM-y Summer
95 Percent of libraries that offer summer reading programs, according to the American Library Association’s 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey. 4-5 Number of books children should read over break to prevent “summer slide,” a loss in reading achievement experienced by young readers between school years, according to a 2004 Harvard study. Studies show children from low-income … Continue reading By the Numbers: Summer Reading
It’s understandable. Summer is a busy time at the public library, and repeating a program saves work, even if it’s not the best thing for your youth participants or staff. Though your plans for summer reading are probably set, now is an opportune time to take inventory of what you’re doing, what is and isn’t … Continue reading Summer Reading Reboot
Sophia Hanson, general manager of New Castle County Public Libraries, got the idea a few months back to start a letter-writing summer program for kids called “Letters to Amy,” inspired by Ezra Jack Keats’s 1968 picture book A Letter to Amy. Hanson decided to apply for a minigrant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation—which offers … Continue reading Letters to (and From) Amy
Colleen Hall, Lexington Public’s youth services manager, hopes that having beacons placed in the city’s retail establishments will get the whole town reading. “We’ve been targeting the middle schools because that’s the target audience of the book,” says Hall, of outreach efforts. “But I think we’re going to get a lot of people who aren’t … Continue reading How to Get Teens in the Library this Summer
