We can’t say that this is an activity that would work everywhere. It seems quite situation-dependent. For example, ours Adult Library Lock-In consisted of a core group who grew up attending lock-ins and other library programs. However, this time they brought their college friends, roommates, co-workers, and significant others to meet the librarians and former classmates they spent hours with at the library sometimes as long as five years ago.

How does an adult lock-in look different from a high school lock-in? Instead of large coolers filled with lemonade and water there is a carafe of very strong coffee and some 2 liter bottles of soft drinks. There isn’t a litany of rules to go over at the beginning so everyone behaves because everyone is an adult now. Anyone can leave when they want because most have cars, so there isn’t a need to call an over-sleeping parent and remind them to come get their child in the morning. There is more talking among the participants at the beginning of the event as they catch up with each other on what they have been doing since the last time they saw each other. Even in the age of social media it seems like talking face-to-face is still the best way to get information. There are also new friends from outside the community. It isn’t just kids from the local schools in the area.

How does an adult lock-in look the same as a high school lock-in? There are current and retro-gaming systems set up around the building. Tables are filled with board games ready to play. One television is ready for movie-watching. There is still pizza to eat, and someone still wants to organize a game of capture the flag. There are still people who decide to curl up in a niche on a comfy chair and read during the night, and there are still one or two people who decided to sleep for an hour or two during the event.

Why an adult lock-in? Whether these new adults are attending some type of post-secondary education in the area or farther away, they still want to come home. For many of them the library was their home during high school. This was their third place other than school and home. They could be themselves here. Now they want to share that with their significant other, their college roommate, or their co-worker who likes the same things they do. It is also a time to show the important adults in their lives, the librarians, that they have grown up and become something. Now they tell the librarians about their jobs, their classes, and their internships. And just like during high school, the librarians listen attentively, praise their efforts, and remind these young adults that they still believe they can do anything.

These kids aren’t kids anymore. They are now able to vote for library levies and generally support or ignore libraries. Soon they will have kids of their own, and hopefully they will bring their babies to your library for storytime!

The post Library Lock-ins for Adults first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Buy in Bulk

Purchasing craft supplies in bulk means that I can stock up on craft material for a reasonable price. I use Amazon Prime for the free shipping as well as Dollar Tree to purchase additional items. One would be surprised at all of the crafting possibilities there are for one dollar! Some staples to have in your craft collection are Mod Podge, acrylic paint, ribbon, and E6000 adhesive. Of course, my office is swarming with “crafts in progress” and several different types of adhesives, but I have saved a lot of money by going this route. What’s more, I can preserve my programming budget and use it for artists who specialize in an art form, like basket weaving.

Crafters Block

Trying to make budget-minded crafts that look great has proven to be a challenge. To expand the range of possibilities, I started asking the craft-program attendees for ideas. I have found they have startedy donating some supplies and also proactively bringing me ideas for future projects. This crowdsourcing has helped not only in keeping the crafts classy but also with crafter’s block.

Community=Friendships

Bringing patrons in to your library for crafts creates a following. I started out with only a few persons in attendance and now I have a waiting list. I have patrons coming in for Girls’ Night Out events, as well as mothers, daughters, friends, and sisters. I love how the attendees have formed friendships and am happy to hear about them going out for drinks after the program! If only I could draw more men…

The Product

So, what are some of the crafts we have made? To name a few, we have created dinner plate clocks, burlap pumpkins, yarn Christmas trees, Easter egg garland, concrete stepping stones, Independence Day door pallets, cupid’s bow wreaths, terracotta wind chimes, shabby chic skeleton key chimes, mason jar snow globes, dryer vent pumpkins, garden plate lawn flowers, clay leaves, picture frame wreaths, and shadow painted canvases, etc. I plan craft programming ahead of time so that I can estimate what supplies will be needed and also provide a sample to boost interest. This also allows me time to solve issues that might come up ahead of time, such as the glue not holding.

For more ideas, please feel free to contact me at marchpane81@gmail.com. Share your crafting ideas in the comments!

The post Crafting at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

During a recent tour of the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland, Michigan, with librarian Ervin Bell, I was intrigued to learn about the challenges and opportunities of providing library services in a prison setting. The facility houses Level I, II, and IV prisoners, who are convicted of both violent and nonviolent offenses. Prisoners are entitled to six hours in the law library per week and may request time in the regular library on a strict schedule. While moving through each building, Ervin greets many men who are regular library patrons. Some of the men proudly respond in Spanish, as Ervin is teaching a basic Spanish class as part of his educational programming.

Similar to a public library’s, Ervin’s patrons are interested in financial literacy, legal research, nonfiction, and fantasy, and Ervin develops the collection to best serve the needs of his patrons. One of the biggest challenges he faces as a prison librarian in comparison to other librarians are the state-mandated restrictions on materials. Strict directives on what can and cannot be included in the collection must be followed for all types of materials.  Newspapers are especially tricky as any articles contrary to the mandate must be removed. A restricted publications list must be consulted before materials are allowed into the library. Legal databases are provided so patrons can do their own legal research during the hours they are entitled each week, but Internet access is not allowed.

Low literacy rates among prisoners also affect the services provided. Seventy-five percent of the state prison population did not complete high school or are classified as low literate.^[1] Low levels of financial literacy are an issue as well, and Ervin hopes to soon provide a basic financial literacy class. Ervin has also served as a GED examiner for over fifteen years. Arts and culture is not forgotten—art and creative writing contests, along with movie nights and corresponding discussions, are also a part of library programming.

Preparing his patrons for the next step of community reintegration is high on his list of goals. A great emphasis is placed on programs specifically geared towards successfully transitioning prisoners back into society and, even more specifically, back into their respective neighborhoods and communities. These programs are usually conducted by department staff or contractors and tend to deal with issues such as alcoholism, substance abuse, cognitive restructuring, anger management, parenting skills, employment, and job skills. They focus on the fundamental personal issues and coping skills that will lead a prisoner to future success.

While the prison walls and the mandated restrictions are confining on different levels, the greater passion for helping a patron is the same wherever a librarian works. Ervin Bell clearly cares deeply about giving the best service he can and wants his patrons to be successful. So do we.

Reference

[1] “Adult Literacy Facts,” ProLiteracy, last modified January 11, 2016.

The post Programming in Prison Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Pew looked at approximately three thousand people aged eighteen and older and researched how and where these adults learned after leaving formal education. What they found is that the Internet is secondary in most respects to physical classroom learning: “For the 75 percent of adults who identified as personal learners, only a third turned to the Internet for most or all of their learning. The study also found differences when it comes to education and income level. For those with a bachelor’s degree, technology is helping. But for those with just a high school diploma, it’s not playing a big role.”[1] Some of this may be accredited to home access: Lower education and lower income households may not have access to broadband and/or are unacquainted with online learning tools like Kahn Academy.

“As a rule, libraries’ performance in learning gets better marks from women, blacks, Hispanics, those in lower income housing, and those ages 30 and older.”[2] Pew Research Center also found that 74 percent of adults have taken “personal learning” programs over the past year, and that 63 percent of full or part-time workers have taken courses or job training programs to inprove their professional skills. Additionally, they found that recent library users are more likely to take courses related to personal interests and or attend learning related events than those who do not use the library.

Pew reports that 62 percent of local libraries offer online career and job related resources, 35 percent offer GED prep courses and materials, and 33 percent offer programs on starting a new business.[3] Libraries provide the perfect opportunities for their patrons to become life-long learners. They provide the location and the instructors for these classes, as well as additional information via books, magazines, or Internet access if a student wants to explore the topic further.

As an adult who went back to school via an online master’s program, I have a first-hand approach to discussing this. I must admit that navigating the world of online education was daunting and was a learning process in and of itself. I made the choice to go online for my education for several reasons, but mainly because of the time and travel commitment of campus life. I felt a sense of dread when I thought about having to drive to campus, find parking, locate buildings and classrooms—not to mention inclement weather. Walking across campus in the middle of a snowstorm cannot compare to the option of attending class on my laptop in my living room, next to a fireplace while drinking a hot beverage.

That said, there were definitely times I wished that I was in a classroom, learning with others. Although online courses allow the option  to interact and ask questions to the class and teacher, I still felt that my learning abilities made human interaction necessary when I struggled with a concept. I do not think I am unique in this regard. Many adults prefer classroom leaning because it is familiar and comfortable because this is the way they were taught to learn in the first place. Similarly, libraries are, for many, a familiar and comfortable source of education and research. Whether you are learning how to file your taxes, taking a coding class, or even attending a jewelry-making or knitting seminar, your local library is a wonderful resource for continuing your lifelong learning experience.

Some adult oriented classes that are offered at my local library are:

• Extreme Couponing: includes tips, tricks, and time-saving methods for maximum couponing.
• Computer Basics: a hands-on class that is an introduction to the computer and includes a mouse tutorial.
• Internet Basics: learn basic Internet terms, as well as how to browse and search using a search engine.
• Compost Workshop: how to make compost and make your own garden fertilizer.
• Cake decorating: learn how to decorate a cake with fondant and gumpaste flowers.
• First Aid: learn skills such as how to treat bleeding, sprains, broken bones, shock, and other first aid emergencies.

Please share with us the classes your local library offers!

References

[1] Elissa Nadworthy, “For Adults, Lifelong Learning Happens The Old Fashioned Way,” nprED, March 22, 2016.

[2] John B. Horrigan, “Lifelong Learning and Technology,” Pew Research Center, March 22, 2016.

[3] Ibid.

The post Adults Prefer Physical Classrooms to Virtual first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

And what would storytime be without a little discussion?

As toddlers, we talked about how the dinosaur might roar and how many ducks were on the page. Later in life, many of us still have a desire to discuss what happened in the story. That’s one of the reasons we have book clubs. With storytime for adults, some libraries, like the Berkeley Public Library, Berkeley, Calif., have incorporated a brief discussion of the selected story to the program.[2]

If you’re considering starting this kind of program at your library, but feeling a little anxious about the endeavor, you can find a myriad of tips for reading aloud online. One great entry comes from the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America website. While this article is written more specifically for authors who are doing readings of their works, it has practical advice for anyone reading aloud. Several tips are given for selecting a good work, like making sure you don’t have an overabundance of characters, especially if you’re going to try to do different voices. Other ideas on how to make sure you’re doing a good job of reading the story, like making sure you are speaking at an appropriate volume are also provided.[3]

Most adult storytime programs select short stories to read. With all the wonderful options out there from classic to contemporary, it’s hard to imagine running out of possibilities! But, if you do, there’s still poetry and short plays – maybe you can convince a colleague to be a part of a theatrical piece for two!

[1] The Associated Press. “Winona library debuts story time — for adults.” MPRNews. September 14, 2015. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/09/10/winona-library-debuts-story-time–for-adults (accessed September 17, 2015).

[2] Berkeley Public Library. “Events.” Berkeley Public Library. n.d. https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/events/storytime-adults-central (accessed September 17, 2015).

[3] Kowal, Mary Robinette. “Reading Aloud.” Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. August 16, 2009. http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/reading-aloud/ (accessed September 17, 2015).

The post Storytime: It’s Not Just For Kids! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

“The gate count is over 1,000!”

On August 8, 2015 we were two hours into our library’s first ComiCon and attendance was surpassing anything we had imagined. By the end of our four-hour event, over 1,700 had come to share their love–correction, passion–for everything that the heroes and villains of Sci-Fi, fantasy, comics, games, graphic novels, and gaming meant to them. Community “geeks,” obsessed with their hobby, had discovered our library!

How did four young library staff members, who share their love of geek culture and the literature that inspires this fandom, manage to stage such a fantastically successful event? Never have I met committee members on any project who spoke in such concert, who agreed on their goals from the start, and who never faltered in what they hoped to achieve. What follows is their collective voice relating how they brought the first Electric City ComiCon to our library. Perhaps the specific details and the actual process they went through will inspire you to host a Comic Con at your library.

OUR MISSION
We are fascinated with the geek culture, especially when fans bring their favorite characters to life from literature. We all promote literacy and already had formed a bond through social media. When we found out two years ago that the 2015 theme for Summer Reading would be “Heroes,” it hit us that a comic convention or Con would be the ideal way to culminate the program. Some of us had been to Cons and were already familiar with how they worked, but they were more adult-oriented. We wanted to offer a safe place to our library patrons in real space for their passion and interests, and what place better represents a safe haven to our community than our library! And, more importantly, we wanted to focus on our younger patrons, our Tweens and Teens. We wanted parents to come with their kids to find out what we have to offer, and we insisted that our Con be “family friendly.”

PERMISSION AND PLANNING
We pitched the idea, first, to the Head of our Children’s department. She gave us overwhelming support, became part of the initial planning stage, and was integral throughout the process. Next, we had to convince our library director, Faith Line. She was reluctant to let us hold such a venue without a lot more research on our part. Did we really know what we were getting into? As we worked on gathering more information, she took a leap of faith and gave us the go-ahead. She was a very exacting mentor, and we learned to think more from her position as director and to consider all the issues involved: Library Board approval, security, staffing, and a hundred logistical matters. Well in advance of our Con we had to write our photography policy and post it publically. We wanted to have those who attended in costume have the opportunity to be photographed digitally against the green screen with the background of their choice. Those photographed were advised that their digital photo might be posted on any of our social media sites.

Our learning curve was huge and the planning took us over a year to complete. We deeply appreciate the guidance Faith gave us and the hard work she put in with us, right up through the day of our event.

FINDING FUNDING, PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Faith sent some of us to Spartanburg, SC, to attend their SpartanCon. Their organizers graciously shared all their planning notes with us, but it was obvious from their event that they had a substantial budget while we had zilch to spend. We concentrated on where to find funding. Friends of the Library gave us money and we wrote an LSTA grant tied into the Summer Reading program to help pay for publicity. The Children’s department purchased a green screen for us to use for the photography part of the venue.

This was a brand-new library event and we had no track record to convince potential partners or sponsors. We developed a sponsorship packet, which didn’t turn out as effective as we wanted because we started too late in the year to approach big corporate sponsors. We had no way to judge how popular our ComiCon would be, so we couldn’t make solid projections or promises of return for their participation or advertising. We did a lot of pleading to our sponsors,and they too, had to take a leap of faith.

Books-A-Million and Planet Comics agreed to be our major partners. Smaller local businesses donated gifts for the panelists or food for our Green Room. The Independent-Mail, the local newspaper, provided free ad space. An up-scale downtown inn, The Bleckley, provided lodging for one of our guest panelists. People’s Bank, BlueRidge Security, Forx Farm, (ever taste goat’s milk fudge? Wonderful!), and the SC  State Library sponsored us in significant ways. We were fortunate that, as we evaluated the costs, we only had to use library funds for prizes for the FanArt and Cosplay contest.

PLANNING PROGRAMS
As lead-ups to our ComiCon, we engaged regional artist Enoch Vaughn to hold three Super Hero Creation workshops aimed at teens to adults. We also decided to sponsor a FanArt Contest, which we initiated two months ahead of the Con. FanArt is a huge part of the geek culture, as you can see when you go to Instagram and Tumblr and search the hashtag #fanart. Artists are constantly reimagining characters or placing characters in weird worlds and having character cross-overs. Although FanArt contests are not typically held at ComiCons, we used the contest as an inexpensive way to advertise our Con and to get our community engaged in the world of heroes. We were hoping it would appeal to our teen demographics; however, our contest was open to all ages. Entries would be judged on the day of the ComiCon. Two weeks before the Con, we only had a dozen entrants and we were worried that it wasn’t being well-received. In that last week the entries flooded in and we were blown away by their quality, in all age divisions.

We weren’t sure if the patrons understood what “cosplay” was—that it’s a combination word: costume + role play, not intended for a stage production. Our director bought a dozen or so books on cosplay topics and we set up a display. Those books were checked out immediately! To heighten interest we contacted Sybil Todd of White Knight Cosplay—who knew we had such an expert in our own backyard?–and she presented two “Getting Into Costuming and Cosplay” workshops for teens in early July.

GETTING PANEL PARTICIPANTS
Since our ComiCon was the culminating event of the Summer Reading program, we planned two sessions for our local young heroes in the Children’s Department on “How To Be a Hero.” These were presented by Heroes in Force, a regional group specializing in motivational activities for kids. Thanks to them, Batman made an appearance at our Con and wowed the kids. We scheduled their programs so that panel sessions would not be competing with them.

We sought experts for the authors, cosplay, and artists panels who understood heroic characters for young adults, and we wanted local or regional authors and artists. We also wanted artists of comics and graphic novels who could speak to young people about combining art with words.

We contacted local cosplayers to talk about cosplay etiquette, how to approach weapons and mask making, what steampunk costuming is, and what cosplay design involves. We already had been going where authors, artists, and cosplayers were appearing—the DragonCon and AnachroCon in Atlanta, SC Comicon, and other regional Cons—in order to make personal contact with them. We attended book signings. We sent them brief inquiries via email and told them what we were planning. We also sent out letters and made myriad phone calls inquiring whether stated fees could be waived. We worked on the philosophy of “why not ask?” and took a chance. Our mantra became, “They can’t come if you don’t invite them.” The trick was to get them all to come for free!

One of the most pleasant surprises was to find out how willing authors, artists, and cosplayers were to work with us once we told them our objectives. Those who responded “yes!” are great advocates of libraries and literacy and we were thrilled to have them as our panelists. We owe special thanks to David Weber, Megan Shepherd, Delilah S. Dawson, Robert Venditti, Tara Lynne, George Farmer, Allen Swords, Marla Roberson, Gypsey Teague, and Amanda Finley for their support of our event. On the day of our Con, we were very disappointed when Robert Venditti cancelled due to illness. Enoch Vaughn agreed to substitute and the panel went on as planned. ComiCon people do form a very cooperative community.

STAFFING AND DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
We shared the responsibilities and all of our decisions were made by consensus, although we each had specific tasks we worked on. We didn’t move forward until we all agreed that what we were going to do met our basic goals. And we also knew that there was no way our library could hold this event without the help of staff.

The Summer Reading/Electric City ComiCon staff T-shirts were designed by Sara Leady. With special ALA approval, she modified the official library logo by dressing the Big L in a green superhero cape with mask. Each staff member who worked our Con wore a special T-shirt, with the same logo on the front as the Summer Reading T-shirt, but with the logos of all our sponsors on the back, a salute of thanks to them for their support.

VENDORS
You can’t have a ComiCon without vendors, but we had to get Library Board approval to waive the rule of no commercial activities in our library. We started looking for potential vendors almost two years ago. We visited vendor booths at all the major Cons, craft fairs, and through location-based searching on the internet. We narrowed our list of over one hundred down to thirteen—the number determined by our space limitations. One advantage for the vendors was that we did not charge a booth fee. The authors had booths and their books were available for purchase and autographing. Some of the cosplay panelists had booths dedicated to costume accessories. Our IT department installed an additional access point to our Wi-Fi so that vendors had internet access from their locations.

MAPPING THE FLOW
We mapped what we thought would be effective crowd flow. We had no idea how many people to expect and how much open floor space in our two-level library we would need for crowds. We wanted everything located in logical, accessible places, with freely-flowing traffic between events, without blocking the day-to-day routines—we performed normal library operations during our Con! For weeks prior, we posted signs throughout the building warning our patrons to expect a lot of noise on Con day.

We debated how we would set up the vendors and eventually agreed to assign them all to one space to allow equal access to the attendees. We had to deal with the main stairway and elevator ingress/egress to the upper level when locating the FanArt display, the panel tables, and audience seating. We were concerned that the activities in the Children’s area on the main level would be overlooked by those immediately going upstairs to the panel presentations and the gaming stations in the Teen Center. Our fears were unfounded. The huge attendance meant that all areas were visited by large numbers of people.

SECURITY
One major concern, of course, was security. Since our building is County-owned, our director arranged for two additional county deputies (three in all) to be on duty throughout the event. One deputy manned the main entrance as a weapons inspector. In cosplay many participants come with prop weapons as part of their costume, and we did see several really convincing Uzi’s in the hands of storm troopers! The deputy inspected and tagged each one to reassure us that they were not real.

The other two deputies circulated through each level during the event. They commented how well-behaved the crowd was. We understood why. For the most part, those who attend Cons come seeking others to bond with, to meet up with others who they may have already communicated with via various social media avenues. We saw several teens from several different schools laughing and talking with each other about their costumes. After all, a Con is a community of fellow-fans geeking together. We also planned a combination vendor supply room and public first aid/lost and found station adjacent to the vendor area and near the main entrance.

FOOD & REFRESHMENTS
We discussed having a public food concessions but our director nixed the idea for valid reasons. We had already bitten off a big hunk of this Con to manage, and having to deal with food, inside or out, would add another responsibility or headache, not to mention burden the clean-up crew. We decided that a Green Room for panelists and vendors would be sufficient for this year.

POST EVENT ANALYSIS
For us, the Electric City ComicCon was a mind-blowing success! We already have our second Con calendared for August 6, 2016, from 10-5. We learned a lot about how to improve our event:

HOURS AND ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING

• Add three more hours to avoid overlaps in the schedule and provide more time between panels.
• Relocate the panel stage to avoid crowd noise and traffic.
• Add a steampunk panel.
• Have an Artists Alley with prints and posters for sale.
• Host more lead-up events for Tweens and Teens.
• Provide more cosplay workshops.
• Have more comic books for sale.
• Readdress the location of photo station and traffic flow by it. It was such a popular activity that traffic got jammed up and blocked access to other areas for children.

STAFFING

• Involve more geek volunteers. (We had one enthusiastic volunteer this year.)
• Involve more staff in the preplanning.

PROMOTIONS

• Create a brand for our Con that is used on all our advertising and everything we print, display, or digitally broadcast.
• Consider selling Con T-shirts. Many, many attendees wanted to buy our staff T-shirts.

FUNDING

• Start early to solicit corporate partners and sponsors for next year. Funding will always be the big issue, but fortunately we’ll have this year’s impressive gate count to entice more sponsors for 2016!

OTHER ISSUES

• Consider shuttle buses to and from city parking lots to address limited parking issue.
• Investigate providing ATM access.
• Print more programs. We only printed 500 and had to run off copies on-the-fly.
• Encourage survey returns. We had a survey on our website and included a printed survey in the tri-fold program. Although the survey results were overwhelmingly positive–Bigger! Longer!–we didn’t get back a significant percentage of them.

We overheard one of our attendees say enthusiastically, “The library is interested in what I’m interested in!” That’s why we held our own ComiCon, not only to have people come through our doors, but to shift the attitude held by so many of what they think a library is into what we know it can be for them…to see the possibilities of libraries…the possibility of their library. For more information, contact us at: electriccitycomicon@andersonlibrary.org

Resources:

Banaszak, Mark. “Library Articles. Convention Development: Creating A Mini-Con At The Library.” Diamond Bookshelf. January 20, ? http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/Home/1/1/20/181?articleID=130000 (accessed August 28, 2015).

Cruz, Rebecca. “Comics, Super Heroes, Pop Culture, and Libraries.” Public Libraries Online. August 17, 2015. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/08/comics-super-heroes-pop-culture-and-libraries (accessed August 28, 2015).

Hamdan, Kate Denwiddie and Kareemah. “We Put On a Comic-Con (And So Can You!).” Virginia Libraries. July-September 2013. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/VALib/v59_n3/pdf/denwiddie.pdf (accessed August 28, 2015).

Lynne, Tara. “Introducing Electric City Comic Con!” The Geekiary. June 3, 2015. http://thegeekiary.com/introducing-electric-city-comic-con/25050 (accessed August 31, 2015).

MacDonald, Heidi. “How to Throw a Comic Con at Your Library.” Publishers Weekly. April 18, 2014. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/61940-how-to-throw-a-comic-con-at-your-library.html (accessed August 31, 2015).

Anderson County, SC website: http://www.andersonlibrary.org/

Electric City ComiCon Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/electriccitycomicon

Spartanburg, SC Spartancon website: http://www.infodepot.org/zReaders/Spartancon.asp

David Weber’s website: http://www.davidweber.net/

Megan Shepherd’s website: http://meganshepherd.com/

Delilah S. Dawson’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DelilahSDawson

Robert Venditti’s webpage: http://www.dccomics.com/talent/robert-venditti

White Knight Cosplay: https://www.facebook.com/whiteknightcosplay

Heroes in Force website: http://www.heroesinforce.com/

Enoch Vaughn: https://www.facebook.com/enoch.vaughn

George Farmer’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ArtofGeorgeFarmer

Gypsey Teague’s website: http://www.gypseyteague.com/

Amanda Findley’s Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/AmandaFinleyCrafts

AnachroCon, Atlanta, GA: http://www.anachrocon.com/

DragonCon, Atlanta, GA: http://www.dragoncon.org/

The post Geeking @ the Library: Con is Community! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One of the great aspects to this program is that not only are they reaching out to young girls, but they are also inspiring the girls’ mothers, providing an opportunity for both generations to learn in a fun environment. This ten-part workshop series provided opportunities to learn about circuits, engineering, architecture, art, and more. Many of the classes had the participants considering ways to better their worlds, like the first program where attendees considered how to make human experiences better in public spaces, or the workshop where they worked on posters highlighting shelter animals up for adoption.[1] Looking at the pictures in the Make-HER blog shows a glimpse of the fun had by attendees while learning.

Leading the instruction was a group of ladies who all have myriad experiences that enabled them to teach various skills to the attendees. Looking at their bios, one of the impressive things about the instructors was that they all had different backgrounds; some of them had studied their field of expertise, while others were self-taught.[2] What a great way to showcase the wide variety of ways you can learn and be excited about a topic!

While writing this post, I was thinking quite a bit about why a program like this is important. Providing an opportunity for girls and their mothers to work and learn together is a huge benefit. However, knowing what I’ve heard about girls and women studying and working in careers in STEM fields, I decided to see what kinds of articles I might find on the topic. Several pieces came up regarding girls and the maker movement, many of which focused on using making as a way to get girls interested in STEM studies.

One article that provided some insight came from Kristin Houser for iQ by Intel. The article mainly discussed findings from a report called, MakeHers: Engaging Girls and Women in Technology Through Making, Creating, and Inventing. This report says that the maker movement “could help bridge the gender gap in STEM fields.”[3] By hosting programs for girls, Sunnyvale is contributing to closing this gap. Houser also had information from Forbes stating that girls don’t often have female mentors or role models in the STEM world.[4] By having all female instructors for the Make-HER program, Sunnyvale Public Library has provided the participating girls with women they can look up to as examples.

Not only did Sunnyvale hold all these programs, but they put much of the information on their website. Check out the activities at home (or maybe in your library, too). A listing of some of the major materials used for the various projects is also included. I know looking at the different projects definitely got ideas flowing for me!

[1] “Blog.” Make-HER. 2015. https://sunnyvalemakeher.wordpress.com/blog/ (accessed August 19, 2015).

[2] “#LadyMakers.” Make-HER. 2015. https://sunnyvalemakeher.wordpress.com/ladymakers/ (accessed August 19,      2015).

[3] Houser, Kristin. “Girls in Technology: Maker Movement is a Natural Entry Point.” iQ. January 16, 2015.

http://iq.intel.com/report-shows-maker-movement-natural-entry-girls-women-technology/ (accessed August 20, 2015).

[4] Ibid.

The post Make-HER at Sunnyvale Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Library as Refuge
A recent Public Libraries Online, The Little Library That Lent a Hand, detailed how the Ferguson Municipal Public Library District in Missouri remained open during the recent protests, encouraging protesters to take refuge in the library as a quiet place to ponder, a safe area, and even as a space for learning and meals when schools were closed. We celebrated the library director, Scott Bonner, for remaining open as an oasis to those exercising their rights. He is amongst the 2015 Library Journal Movers & Shakers.

The Library as Educator about Rights
Public libraries across the country have gone even further to aid communities working for social change. The New Orleans Public Library has hosted “Know Your Rights” seminars for teens and adults in partnership with the New Orleans Police Department. It offered an opportunity for communities to meet and foster relationships with officers from the local precinct. Moreover, residents could ask real world questions such as those listed on the publicity flyer, “Do I have to show my ID?”, “What does reasonable suspicion mean?,” and “When does an officer need a warrant to perform a search?”

Oakland Public Library responded with “Listen, Learn, Participate: #BlackLivesMatter,” an ongoing series of programs. OPL has placed itself directly into the center of the community, providing information and discussion on issues surrounding racial inequality. They are hosting lectures, documentary films, and maintaining an online finding aid for researchers seeking to learn more through the libraries collections. Read more about their work at http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/from-main-library/listen-learn-particiate-blacklivesmatter-event-series. Similarly, the Multnomah Public Library in Portland, Oregon established a resource page for researchers studying the issues at https://multcolib.org/blog/20141211/%E2%80%9Ci-can%E2%80%99t-breathe%E2%80%9D .

William “Billy” Martin,  renowned civil rights attorney and guest on MSNBC’s Politics Nation, presented “Is Stand Your Ground Law a Great Idea Today?” at the DC Public Library. In Wisconsin, public librarians partnered with the ACLU to host “Know Your Rights! AN ACLU Workshop at Milwaukee Public Libraries,” a series of discussions in English and Spanish.

The Library as a Launch Pad for Civic Engagement and Civil Rights
A group called “Utah Against Police Brutality” held a series of planning and organizing meetings at the Salt Lake City Public Library. Partnering with the Salt Lake City Tribune, the group held the “Town Hall Meeting on Deadly Force:  A Community Response to Police Shootings” also at the Salt Lake City Public Library.

Minneapolis high school students gathered in front of the Minneapolis Central Library on Nicollet Mall to share poetry and remarks before marching around the downtown area to protest the recent deaths of unarmed black men Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO and Eric Garner of New York City. A group of Activists calling themselves “First Night against Police Violence” planned a “die-in” to protest police brutality in front of the Boston Public Library in the Copley Square Area during the First Night celebration to celebrate the New Year.

Customers are turning to public libraries as an oasis for information, and even as a place to express their civil rights. Many public libraries are taking the lead in educating customers about their civil rights and supporting the community. How is your library responding?

Sources

“Is Stand Your Ground Law a Great Idea Today?,” http://dclibrary.org/node/46956

Kristina G, on Jan 13, 2015 (8:30 AM) “Know Your Rights! An ACLU Workshop at Milwaukee Public Libraries / Conozca sus Derechos! Un Taller en Milwaukee Public Library,” http://www.mpl.org/blog/now/know-your-rights-an-aclu-workshop-at-milwaukee-public-libraries-conozca-sus-derechos-un-taller-en-milwaukee-public-library

Lonetree, Anthony. “Students rally in Minneapolis against police brutality,” Star Tribune Updated: December 8, 2014 (5:15AM) http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/285041591.html

“Police Brutality Town Hall,” Salt Lake City Weekly. http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/police-brutality-town-hall/Event?oid=2720511

Quinn, Garrett “Protests against war, police brutality planned around Boston First Night activities,” December 29, 2014 (6:31 PM) http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/12/protests_against_war_police_brutality_first_night_boston_2015.html

“What Libraries Do: Scott Bonner, Ferguson Municipal Public Library, MO,” Library Journal, Movers and Shakers 2015, Community Builders: March 15, 2015. p. 58 Volume 140, No. 5.

Zeman, Marybeth. “The Little Library That Lent a Hand: Ferguson Municipal Public Library,”: Public Libraries Online, February 12, 2015. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/02/the-little-library-that-lent-a-hand-ferguson-municipal-public-library/

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Attending the seminar New Uses of Public Libraries (organized by the Province of Barcelona with the Library Consortium of Barcelona, the IFLA Section on Public Libraries and the IFLA Section on Library Buildings and Equipment), I learned that these two libraries had kitchen and cooking programs. I emailed both library directors a few questions. [1]

Children’s Mexican Cooking Workshop at the Central Library of Castelldefels

Public Libraries Online: What made your library decide to start activities about cooking?

Mariona Chavarria Domingo (Biblioteca del Fondo): Seeing the multicultural context of the neighborhood, the municipality, [and] aiming for social cohesion, [we] thought about the idea of “cooking” as a central point to all cultures, and as an excuse to bring diversity together and build a community by creating mutual trust.

Marta Granel Dalmau (Central Library of Castelldefels): Our library specializes in cooking, [so] these activities are the ideal complement for our specialty. We complete our cooking programs with a collection of books about cooking, for kids and adults.

Children’s Mexican Cooking Workshop at the Central Library of Castelldefels

PL Online: What information, tools, and processes did you need?

Mariona: One of the halls of the library has a complete kitchen installed, prepared to cook and to perform cooking shows. It is equipped with a hotplate, electrical oven, microwave oven, fridge, [and] dishwasher. It is also equipped with enough kitchenware (a list of which was provided by a local Restoration School). We have gathered information about legal points to take into account (related to health and food security, hygiene, and first aid). A Commission has been established in order to think about the project named “Cuines del Món” (Cuisines of the World), which includes the kitchen and a section of the library collection (books and other document types).

Marta: We need professionals to do the activities, normally local collaborators, [as well as] multipurpose spaces and users interested in activities about cooking.

Children’s Mexican Cooking Workshop at the Central Library of Castelldefels

PL Online: How did you determine what activities to organize?

Mariona: The above mentioned Commission “Cuines del Món” (which includes: representatives of the municipality – politicians and technicians; representatives of social, educational, and cultural entities of the neighborhood; representatives of the University of Barcelona Campus de l’Alimentació – Food and Nutrition  and representatives of Fondo trading association as well as a well-known Chef, Víctor Quintillà, whose restaurant La Lluerna has been awarded with one Michelin Star during the last three years). The overall objective of the “Cuines del Món” Project is to be a tool helping to bring together diversity; bringing down walls of lack of trust; and, being a public library, to promote reading habits and skills. We have oriented the activities in three main directions or levels:

a) Academic level – about food, nutrition, science and cooking – inviting cooks as well as university lecturers;

b) Informative level – bringing together people from different backgrounds to share a cooking session while explaining similarities and differences of cooking, for instance about rice, potatoes, or about the use of species or different kinds of oil, etc.; teaching to cook nutritive meals to people with low incomes; teaching children cooking habits, etc.

c) Reading Promotion: the library, in collaboration with educational and cultural entities of the neighborhood, organizes activities connected to its own activities (storytelling for children and families, a reading club for adults, people learning Catalan or Spanish, etc.).

In some cases we offer the kitchen space for activities organised by others: i.e., by a psychiatric center nearby, or by other similar associations; by groups working with children with social risks, etc.

Marta: First we contact the collaborators and look for the activities, we want the activities to be attractive, easy, and possible to be done in the library, without fire. Normally we try to organize the activities in cycles, for kids and for adults.

Cooking Workshop at the Biblioteca del Fondo

PL Online: What challenges did you face?

Mariona: The main challenge is to implement good projects that keep the kitchen lively and used at its best. Linked to that, another challenge is trying to keep with a regular activity in the kitchen while not having enough library staff for that, having to work with volunteers (good on one side, but unstable on the other). Also the follow-up after the activities in the kitchen (the washing up and putting back stuff in the cupboards) is an unsolved problem. I wouldn’t call it a challenge but it’s challenging.

Marta: The challenge is making programs varied, attractive, and cheap.

PL Online: What kind of positive results have you had? (And, any negative ones?)

Mariona: We are “young,” yet the fact that this library, situated in such a popular neighborhood, has a kitchen, has put this place in the newspapers for something good and unseen before. It gives a new/better status to the surrounding area. The kitchen opens us easily to different collaborations (for instance with market stall holders or other commerce in the area, or the University Campus, lecturers, and students).

Marta: The results are very positive, the users are very happy and thankful about these activities. The are usually no vacancies in these type of activities.

Cooking Workshop at the Biblioteca del Fondo

PL Online: About how much time does it take?

Mariona: It takes a lot of time: meetings, contacts, preparation of the space, being close during the activities in case of any need, and collecting and washing the kitchenware.

Marta: We spend a lot of time to program these activities. First we look for the possible collaborators who could do the activities, and sometimes we have to pay for the activities. Then we have to do advertising and registration. Afterwards we send the participants an assessment questionnaire, as we want to know their feedback.

PL Online: What advice would you give a library wanting to do something similar?

Mariona: I feel it is too soon to be able to give any good advice. The only one I can think of is: don’t be afraid to start a similar project!

Marta: At the end of the activities the users are so thankful and happy!!

Sources:

[1] Mariona Chavarria Domingo’s e-mail to author (03/19/2015); Marta Granel Dalmau’s e-mail to author (03/25/2015). The interview questions were inspired by Kate Theimer, Web 2.0 Tools and Strategies for Archives and Local History Collections, Facet publishing 2010

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Deciding to hold a Mini Maker Faire was easy. PPLD was in the process of opening a new location, Library 21c, with a heavy focus on the maker movement, and already had strong maker programs throughout the district. Having partners for this endeavor was important. When looking at the community, the Colorado Springs Science Center, the Colorado Springs Science Festival, and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Center for STEM Education seemed like natural fits to work with PPLD to bring a Mini Maker Faire to the area.[1]

Then, it was time to apply to Make for a Mini Maker Faire license. The application process requires quite a bit of information, including several short- answer questions, letters of support, and budgetary information. Once accepted, certain aspects of the Faire have to be handled in particular ways, like publicity being approved and specific websites being used. Carolyn Coulter, Information Technology Officer for PPLD, stated, “We felt that the branding and relationship with Make magazine was valuable to us, and we will continue that relationship in coming years.”[2]

At the beginning of planning, the team broke into sub teams to address various components of the Faire: funding, marketing, and programming. In the early stages, some of the items that had to be tackled included Faire website set up, Facebook profile development, marketing material creation, reaching out to makers in the area to attract participation, and maker fees. We also needed to come up with some criteria for vetting makers according to the goals for the event.

As we drew nearer to the day, marketing materials went out, including flyers, posters, and press releases. Members of the team attended events, like the Southern Colorado Manufacturing Expo, to tell people about the library’s Mini Maker Faire. The Faire was also publicized throughout the Colorado Springs Science Festival

Planning the building set-up was quite a task. Fortunately, several people involved with the planning had prior experience with large festivals. After the team walked the building, one of the PPLD staff, Sean Anglum, was able to create a map with all of the information on where we could set up tables, including power capabilities. Armed with this knowledge, we were able to assign the makers space according to their needs while also having a variety of activities spread throughout the building.

Volunteers were another big part of the day. Several high school students came to assist with set up, helping makers find their assigned table, and answering directional questions. To add to the festival atmosphere, we had food trucks in the parking lot and our café in the library provided snacks. Volunteers were given a credit that they could use to eat while helping with the event.

What were some of the cool things coming out of the Colorado Springs Mini Maker Faire? From Coulter’s perspective, “More partnerships and more visibility into what the library is doing and becoming. I felt a great deal of enthusiasm for this sort of programming and education at the Maker Faire, and people really seemed to be on board with our vision of continued growth at PPLD.”[3]

To see some of the highlights, check out our recap video.

Sources:

[1] Coulter, Carolyn, interview by Becca Cruz. Information Technology and Virtual Services Officer (January 9, 2014).

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

Cover Photo Credit: Science Gallery Dublin (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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A few months ago, Arlington Heights Memorial Library’s Shannon Distel, Business Services Supervisor; Julie Kittredge, Business Services Advisor; and I ventured out to Chicago to visit five different coworking spaces. Our goal was to better understand the needs and values of entrepreneurs. If you aren’t familiar with coworking spaces, they are shared workspaces where entrepreneurs can have a place to work, meet, create, and collaborate. Chicago boasts more than 100 coworking spaces.[2] Some are geared toward start-ups while others cater to long-time entrepreneurs; you’ll find kitchens and showers in some and gyms in others. Additionally coworking spaces can act as tech-friendly incubators or artsy blank canvases.

Regardless of the space, the trend and message is clear: entrepreneurs want to work where it is quiet but also allows for collaboration; where they can get creative but have business meetings with clients. It is so important for libraries and librarians to recognize this fundamental need of so many entrepreneurs. The good news is that meeting entrepreneur needs simply means ascribing to the coworking concept. Here are some steps that Shannon, Julie, and I have taken:

• Host networking sessions. Shannon and Julie are starting networking sessions that are open to all small businesses, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and business enthusiasts. At these sessions, either Shannon or Julie will be in the library’s Business Center to provide information on business services and resources like the business book collections, business magazines and newspapers, investment newsletters, and library databases. Additionally, they will encourage these professionals to network and share business information. Something else that you can do before a business program or workshop is to encourage the participants to introduce themselves and share a little bit about their business and expertise. The important thing is that you are encouraging people to make connections. See more information on networking sessions at http://www.ahml.info/business.

• Rethink programming. This winter, I will have fashion students from a local community college bring their designs and collections to the library. In a casual environment where people can mix and mingle, participants will have an opportunity to talk at greater length with these fashion entrepreneurs and form meaningful relationships. Additionally, Shannon and Julie host quarterly networking book discussions for professionals to exchange business cards and have a thoughtful conversation.

• Share stories. At the Barrington Area Library, I have an ongoing entrepreneur podcast series in which I interview local entrepreneurs about their business path.[3] These recordings are posted on our website and social media. Additionally, in the ongoing Business: It’s Better in Barrington series, local business owners can share their story with the community in the form of videos.[4] Again, this is shared on our website and social media.

Human connections are the main reason that entrepreneurs are drawn to coworking spaces. These professionals do not want to work from home or at an anonymous coffee shop; they want to develop meaningful relationships, share their opinions, and receive feedback from peers. The library has an opportunity to be one of those places where entrepreneurs can succeed and thrive.

Works Cited:

[1] “The Difference Between a Solopreneur and a Side-Gigger (Infographic).” Entrepreneur. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239522>.

[2] “Has Co-working Jumped the Shark in Chicago?” Crain’s Chicago Business. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141108/ISSUE02/311089997/has-co-working-jumped-the-shark-in-chicago>.

[3] https://soundcloud.com/balibrary

[4] http://www.balibrary.org/business/videos.html

The post Working Outside the Box: Meeting the Needs of Entrepreneurs first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The primary goal of Health Happens in Libraries is to increase the capacity of library staff  to respond to patron requests for information regarding the Affordable Care Act. Libraries are uniquely situated to help patrons sift through the information and point them in the direction of qualified, professional help. Librarians can take part in regular free webinars and other training opportunities through the program. Additionally, they may subscribe to news updates to keep abreast of trends and hot topics.

Health Happens in Libraries also provides librarians a chance to share their success stories so we can all generate new ideas for health programming. Check out out the Library Stories section – you’ll find tons of great ideas: http://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/ehealth/library-stories.html.

References
[1]http://webjunction.org/explore-topics/ehealth.html

Further Reading
http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/OppForAll2.pdf

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War Ink is an extraordinary and moving online experience presented by Contra Costa County Library (CA). The exhibit, created by Contra Costa County Library manager Chris Brown, together with Jason Deitch, expert and scholar in the combat veterans’ post military experience, brought together veterans from nearly every county in California, to describe, display and record their war memorial body art.

Check out the trailer for War Ink:

The finished project, body art and narratives, came together on Veterans Day 2014 in a finely conceptualized and equally masterful documentary-art experience, entitled War Ink. The public library exhibit, entirely online, was made possible by the support of partners who joined the vision shared by its co-creators to make possible the veterans’ war experience through the stories told in tattoos. Funders for War Ink included The Institute of Museum and Library Services, Pacific Library Partnership, and Cal Humanities. Support was also given in a variety of ways from Eureka! Leadership Institute, StoryCorps, along with generous businesses, and dedicated individuals.

War Ink provides an online storytelling platform for all veterans, their families, friends, and anyone who is interested in understanding the experience of war and its lifelong impact on returning veterans to all of our communities. Through documentary photos, personal and poignant stories told by veterans returning from war, War Ink visitors begin to understand why war experiences were documented as a permanent reminder to wear throughout a lifetime.

After your visit to War Ink you’ll understand why over twenty public libraries partnered to provide access to the exhibit for their public library communities. Veterans were contacted by both Chris and Jason after calls for entries were made in counties throughout California. This was accomplished by searching for veterans’ participation through online queries, sought from men and women veterans from all branches of the US military.  Veterans responded to the call and were selected on their unique story and the way in which their tattoos memorialized their unique experience. The exhibit required the participation of library leaders, veterans, partners and many others interested in supporting telling the veteran story.

This collaboration helped patrons spark an overdue dialog, truly hear veterans’ stories, and begin to understand how painful it is to return home with all of the war stories held inside. Visit War Ink About to experience a poignant and intimate glimpse into how War Ink’s production affected each veteran’s life.

The success of the project—and perhaps what makes the exhibit so visually moving—is the juxtaposition of the armor-clad warrior toughened by war with the vulnerable and intimate images displayed on their exposed skin. Veteran participants report that War Ink opened the door to tell their story, which was so impactful that they memorialize it on their body for a lifetime. Their stories surprised and touched both online visitors and those who are closest to them. But for everyone who visits War Ink, the stories delivered by this unique medium will bring a new awareness of the veteran experience. Patrons will be drawn in by the revealing portraits of war told by the men and women who survived and want to share their story with an audience.

War Ink unfolds their experiences in four touching chapters: We Were You; Changed Forever; Living Scars; and Living Not Surviving. Men and women recount the pain and loss of combat, how it changed their entire world, and describe the self-actualization that returning home often brings.

War Ink has been covered nationally and internationally by news media including Newsweek, Inked Magazine, PBS News Hour¸Veterans Today and continues to draw attention as a result of newspaper, radio and television coverage.

The Creators of War Ink

Chris Brown is the project director, grant writer, and co-curator for War Ink, and has the ability to create community by leading momentum for library projects that are relevant to peoples’ lives.

Jason Deitch is co-curator, a social researcher, and a veteran advocate. Chris and Jason recruited men and women veterans from every branch of the service by making calls, connecting with veterans’ centers and tattoo artists, and by driving up and down the state of California. Some meetings happened by chance and others by word of mouth. Chris feels that War Ink is a natural extension of public library service since libraries are in the story business, and veterans have stories to share as they re-enter civilian life.  Chris manages the Walnut Creek and Ygnacio Valley libraries at Contra Costa County Library.  His enthusiasm for the project and for making connections with grantors, partners, and dedicated community supporters created mounting momentum and strong supporters in and out of public libraries.

“…In an ideal world we would all recognize each other as rich and complex people, each deserving of respect and compassion.” –Chris Brown, Project Manager and co-curator, War Ink

“…Without shared understanding, the men and women who have served cannot come all the way home.” –Jason Deitch, co-curator, War Ink

The post War Ink: Veterans, Tattoos, and Public Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Teamwork
This author event was achieved with the help of a large number of people. Ally Condie’s visit was the first author event that I have planned. As the Teen Services Coordinator, I was in charge of the event, but I didn’t do it alone. Thirty-two staff members from the Teen Services Team, Community Engagement and Outreach Office (public relations), Facilities, and Security made this day go smoothly. We also had 20 teen volunteers.

Funding
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund sponsored Condie’s fee for the day with a very generous grant, which we applied for with the help of the PPLD Foundation. Once we received the grant we had one year to find an author and plan the event. Additional funding was donated by the PPLD Foundation to, in part, pay for buses so students from area schools could join us. One teacher commented in a survey, “Thanks so much for providing the transportation. Without that, my students could not have attended.”

Schedule and Statistics:
9 am student presentation: 281 students and adults

11 am student presentation: 311 students and adults

6 pm reception: 24 winners and guests

7 pm public presentation: 417 patrons

8 pm book signing only (just waited in line; didn’t see the presentation): 75 (many more people had their books signed!  Condie signed books for 2.5 hours!)

We had 1,108 people attend the five programs associated with the event!

Promotion:
School visits for booktalks and resource classes provided us with a captive audience to promote the author event.

Partnership with Barnes & Noble: They sold books at the event, so they were willing to put bookmarks and posters up. Independent book stores also helped us promote by putting up posters, but selling books at the event wasn’t something they could do.

One of the local newspapers (The Colorado Springs Independent) had an article about the event.

PPLD’s one book, one community program is called All Pikes Peak Reads. Matched was the teen selection. This synchronicity provided another way for the event to be promoted.

Word of mouth was very important. Staff members were excited, so it was easy for everyone to talk about it. We also used social media to get the word out on Facebook and twitter.

Feedback
I put together a survey for the teachers. The comments were wonderful! Here are a few:

“Great presentation, and very motivational and engaging.”

“The day went exceedingly well. Our students enjoyed the presentation very much. Condie was well prepared for all of the questions and gave many helpful tips to aspiring writers.”

“My students liked the personal nature of her remarks. Several of them talked about wanting to write books. I think hearing her, they realized that they could write too.”

When I started planning this author visit, I was quite intimidated. To prevent myself from having a nervous breakdown, I took a lot of deep breaths, created checklists for every aspect of the day, and got help from a lot of people. Amazing things are possible and, as Condie’s characters frequently remind each other in Matched, “Do not go gentle”[1].

The line at the Ally Condie book signing (Click to expand):

Photo by Tori Sparrow

Works Cited

[1] Thomas, Dylan, “Do not go gentle into that good night,” Poets.org, Nov. 29, 2014, http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night.

Cover Photo Credit: Jeffrey Beall CC BY 3.0

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Define “Young Adult Graphic Novel.” – We started by looking at the young adult graphic novel collection, and we decided we were going to pull some of the series that were showing up on “Best Adult Graphic Novels” lists. That should bring a built-in audience to our new adult graphic novel area. Out of the young adult collection came Sandman, Spawn, and Watchman. The young adult collection thus became the bastion of the superheroes of DC and Marvel with a strong Star Wars presence. It’s not that adults didn’t read these books voraciously, but it brought the content of the graphic novels more in line with the content of the young adult novels we had.

Where are the compilations of newspaper comics going? – Libraries put these books in all different places, including non-fiction and young adult sections. Not that it doesn’t happen, but when did you see a high schooler reading Doonesbury? And many people like Dilbert, but searching in the 700s is a daunting task. We rescued the newspaper comics compilation books from 741.5 and put them in the adult graphic novel collection. As soon as we did, they started circulating quite a bit more than they had before.

Where do the graphic novels go that students may be assigned for class? – Maus and Persepolis are good examples of books that teachers frequently incorporate into their curriculum. These books had been living in the young adult section, but unfortunately no one was reading them. However, we had an eighth grade English teacher ask us about other books similar to these, including some of Gene Luen Yang’s books and A Game for Swallows. Would we be getting additional similar titles, he wondered, because he’d like to assign his class to read some of these types of books? To give these titles more cache and also to entice adults who would also be interested in these books but never find them in youth materials, these books were moved. All “literary graphic novels” now live in the adult graphic novel collection.

How is this section not a repository for unloved books? – Given the more conservative view our community has about books for youth, there were a number of graphic novels we didn’t have in the library’s collection. We now have the graphic novel versions of titles by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Janet Evanovich sharing shelf space with the Walking Dead. We have Sin City and Hellraiser. Without this section of adult graphic novels, we couldn’t adequately accommodate many popular titles that appeal to a quiet minority of our community who never requested we purchase these books but seems to be checking them out regularly.

How do you evaluate success? – Obviously, circulation is one way, and the graphic novels have only been their own section for six months or so. It seems like people are reading the books, even if it’s only the staff who are grudgingly admitting that “there might be something to these graphic novels.” Every time we talk to an adult about Maus, Persepolis, or American Born Chinese and he or she decides to check out the book, we have success. However, overhearing that a 24 year-old male patron said to his friends via social media, “You have to come to the Madison Public Library. They have really great comics [referring to our adult graphic novel section].” That is the best sign of success ever.

You know your patrons best. What do they want in their adult graphic novels? You may decide what makes up our adult graphic novels section does not work for you. Use this as a guide, and no matter what you decide, we hope your section is popular with the patrons of your community.

Cover Photo Credit: carmichaellibrary (CC BY 2.0)

Melanie A. Lyttle is the Head of Public Services Madison Public Library. You can watch her YouTube channel, Crabby Librarian, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rv5GLWsUow. Shawn D. Walsh is the Emerging Services and Technologies Librarian at Madison Public Library.

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The Westport Library in Westport, Connecticut, has contributed a great deal of resources towards several expensive high tech purchases. One such acquisition is the SolidWorks computer-aided design software.[1] This was used to reach out to a niche community—primarily postgraduates trying to hone their skills—a purchase that benefits a fairly small audience.  Funding such projects could be controversial in some communities since it is funneling general funds towards a service that requires a fair amount of expertise to use and hence is fairly limited in reach.  The other way to view this is that the library is providing value to a group that might not otherwise look to the library for services.  It can also be a way to create advocates in the community from different sectors, particularly in this instance where it was in response to a suggestion from a local biomedical engineer.[2]

Generally, these decisions might be difficult to gain support for, but outside funding sources can greatly impact how an idea is sold to the Board of Trustees and the broader community.  The funding for a pair of programmable NAO Evolution robots was provided by a family foundation.[3]   While the funding for the robots was provided, it still required time and effort to promote these purchases, create programming around them, see that they are used in a manner that keeps them in good repair, and avoid any usages that might cause harm to patrons or the device.  This is not for every library, but it seems to have been well utilized by Westport.  The library received a great deal of media attention from news services throughout the country and from Russia, Spain, and Vietnam.[4]  This publicity can greatly enhance the library’s visibility and can inspire community members to look to the library for non-traditional services.

Yet investing in makerspaces is not only about creating media coverage. The high tech resources allow the library to create and share knowledge in new and unconventional ways.  Maxine Bleiweis, executive director for Westport Library, has noted how these additions are in line with the latest information on learning theories and how creating new content shows a high level of understanding of a given concept. She also correlated these costs to subscription costs for databases.[5]

Libraries should consider whether they can and should contribute part of their collection development budget towards new learning technologies. A key question that every library needs to consider when making a large investment of time and resources is how it relates back to the institutions mission.  The mission of the Westport Library “to empower individuals and strengthen the community, providing a welcoming destination that stimulates curiosity, encourages lifelong learning and promotes the open and lively exchange of information and ideas.”[6]  The high tech additions of the makerspace seem to effectively fit into this mission, and they have the resources to support this new technology.

A recurring question in library circles is what the library of the future will look like.  A key aspect of this is the extent to which makerspaces and particularly high tech makerspaces are a part of this future.  While it is unlikely that every library will have highly technical, expensive equipment, it should not be inconceivable that a library can provide this type of support if there is the community desire and the available resources.

Works Cited

[1]    Enis, Matt.  “Westport Maker Space Expands with Robots, SolidWorks Courses and Volunteer Training.”  Library Journal.  Accessed November 22, 2014.  http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2014/10/hardware-2/westport-maker-space-expands-robots-solidworks-courses-volunteer-training/

[2]    ibid

[3]    ibid

[4]    ibid

[5]    ibid

[6]    “About WPL.”  Westport Library.  Accessed November 22, 2014. http://westportlibrary.org/about

Cover Photo Credit: CSM Library CC BY 2.0

The post High Tech Makerspaces first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In direct correlation to their higher comfort level with technology, a significant 36% of this age group has visited a library’s website in the last twelve months, 8% more than the 30 and over sector. While the majority of millennials do not indicate a tremendous familiarity with their library’s offerings, this age group is more likely to have read a book in the last year than their older counterparts. In fact, Americans in their late teens—ages 16-17—are the most likely demographic to read books for pleasure, school, or work, and to utilize the library as a research source. Interestingly, older teens also gravitate towards print books over electronic material and are the only demographic who prefer to borrow their reading books over purchasing them [1].

These findings present an interesting task for public librarians. Because millennials are voracious readers and are so deeply rooted in technology, they can represent a wildly untapped market in a library. My library, for example, offers a wide variety of programs and displays for children, teens, parents, and senior citizens, but the age group in between is admittedly underserved. Why is this the case? Many recent political campaigns have focused extensively on marketing to the under-30 bracket with the mentality that young people are traditionally less likely to come out and vote while representing the future of the United States. Shouldn’t we apply this same logic to the public library?

The good news is that with the increased popularity of the “New Adult” genre of fiction—generally geared towards individuals who have recently outgrown YA—there is plenty of fodder for attracting millennials to the library, both through collections and programming. The Pew study shows this demographic is already visiting the library to borrow items; why not also hook them with an innovative program such as a generation-specific book club or interesting lecture? The more we attract millennials, the more likely they will be to remain life-long library users and eventually instill this interest in their children. In short, this age group may be the future of the public library.

Has your library created any specific collections or programming to cater to millennials?

Works Cited

[1] Zickuhr, Kathryn, and Lee Rainie. “Younger Americans and Public Libraries.” Pew Research Internet Project (2014). Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/09/10/younger-americans-and-public-libraries/>.

The post Millennials: The Future of the Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

These are five steps to becoming embedded in your business community:

• Create a list of groups, businesses, or business people that you might work with.  Think of  standard groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Village Hall Merchant Group, Small Business Development Center, and any local career places. Then think of the not-so-typical organizations: church employment ministries, entrepreneur forums, community colleges, and networking groups. Also check out meetup.com to find what types of business or entrepreneur groups are meeting in your area.
• Once you have a list of groups that you would like to connect with, get in touch with someone from that organization. Explain that you would appreciate an opportunity to attend an upcoming meeting to discuss some of the resources that the local library has for small business owners/ business people/ job seekers.
• Whether you have 10 minutes to speak or an hour, make your information relevant to your group. I try to refrain from mentioning typical library things like “we have business books” because that doesn’t surprise people. Talk about the type of resources that they would have no idea the library has: subscribed databases, technology training opportunities, meeting spaces, one-on-one appointments, workshops, and so forth. Make the presentation fun and interactive.
• The worst thing that you can do once you’ve got your foot in the door is to say “thank you for your time” and leave. You must create follow-up opportunities: promote an upcoming event at the library, offer to provide a group training session on a particular database or technology, and emphasize that you’re available for individual appointments. Have your business cards ready to pass out.
• Keep your face in the business community by attending as many opportunities as you are able. Try and think outside the box: ribbon cutting events, open houses, networking scrambles, exhibits, career fairs, job seeker series, etc. The same type of people go to these events so it’s a great opportunity to learn about the business community, find out what their needs are, and develop your reputation.

It’s important to remember that being truly embedded in your business community is not something that will happen over night. It will take time and a willingness to put yourself out there and listen to people’s stories about their business or career journey. The ultimate goal is to move from a mindset of “it’s strange that the library is involved in the business community” to a mindset of “it would be strange if the public library weren’t involved in the business community.”

Are you trying to reach out to the business community? What has your experience been like so far? Share your comments below!

The post Embedded Business Librarianship in 5 Steps first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Who is coming? For Thanksgiving dinner, you make a guest list and send out invitations. Then you wait to find out how many people are planning to come. Not to generalize, but there is always a guest who responds to one of the hosts, when it was the other host who was keeping track of who was coming. Of course, the one person forgets to tell the other. With our open house, we asked for an RSVP. Invitees ended up RSVP’ing to two different people, but each person didn’t realize that the other had a rather extensive list going. Both contact people thought the event would have about 20 guests. Together, the combined RSVP lists were close to 40 people. Fortunately in our case, we knew about the miscommunication the week before the event, not like Thanksgiving where the extra person shows up and there isn’t a place for them at the table!

Will you have enough food? It’s Thanksgiving. You must cook for an army whether or not you are actually feeding one! For library open houses, if you want people to come, you have to have food and assume librarians will be starving. In our case, they weren’t starving. There were a lot of left-overs! So the staff was thrilled!

Is the house clean? Before the Thanksgiving company arrives, the house must be cleaned top to bottom, until it’s spotless. For a library open house, it’s exactly the same. Are all the shelves straight?  Are our displays neat and organized? Just like you know that you should always keep your house picked up, you do your most thorough cleaning job right before there’s company. In a library, signage should always be clear and current. Unfortunately, we used our open house as an opportunity to finally update our signage to reflect some recent relocating of materials. Yes, we should have done it much earlier, but having “special visitors” coming made us finally take the time.

Who is stuck at the kids’ table? Sitting at the kids’ table you still get to eat all the Thanksgiving dinner, but the conversation topics and opportunities to talk are vastly different than at the adult table. It’s the same with a library open house, particularly if the event is while the building is open for business. Some staff members are directly involved in the open house, while other staff members have to keep the functions of the library going. They are all at the library at the same time, but that day their experiences are quite different. This happened with us. The administrative staff was split. Half were involved with the open house and half were involved with the current operations. A staff person who attended the open house said to a coworker who was working out on the library floor, “Oh, it was so good to finally meet Sally (names changed to protect the innocent) at the open house.” The other staff person replied, “I didn’t even know Sally was here. I would have loved to have met her.” Oops! It’s not that one activity was more important that the other. Both were, but one person was left feeling like he missed something. We will definitely be more careful about making all staff members feel included next time.

Who did you forget to invite? It always happens that you find out after Thanksgiving that some relative you were sure had plans spent the holiday alone eating a TV dinner. In our case, it wasn’t that we forgot to invite someone, it was that we forgot to tell some people on staff that there was a special event happening while they were working. That might possibly be worse than forgetting to invite a particular guest! Our library pages didn’t know we were having a big group of people here while they were working. They didn’t know why there were more people milling around the building than normal, and more importantly, the visitors were asking them a lot more questions than they would ordinarily expect. It looked like we didn’t value them enough to include them in the information sharing, but that’s not it at all! Another big oops. We won’t make that mistake again.

What is the take away from this entry besides convincing you to make a reservation at a restaurant for Thanksgiving instead of inviting people over? Be mindful throughout the planning and execution of your library open house event. Make sure that both guests and employees know that they are valued and important to you and that you are glad to see them in your library.

Melanie A. Lyttle is the Head of Public Services Madison Public Library. You can watch her YouTube channel, Crabby Librarian, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rv5GLWsUow. Shawn D. Walsh is the Emerging Services and Technologies Librarian at Madison Public Library.

The post How Is a Library Open House Like a Thanksgiving Dinner? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Education – The first way to keep the technology from being unfairly blamed for problems is properly teaching people how to use the device in question. In our observation, if people are given the tools to understand something, technology or otherwise, things turn out better. If people are just following a specific set of steps in a specific order with no understanding of why, there is more room for problems. One departure from the prescribed directions and the person does not know how to get the technology to behave. A person who understands why the steps work the way they do is more likely to be able to adapt and keep the technology working if some external force acts on the situation making things malfunction.

Patience – This is the first way to begin to figure out what the problem is. Take the time to talk with the person having the problem and understand the situation from their perspective. Watch what the person is doing. Is the problem replicable? If a behavior can be observed and then changed to get the technology to work right, then it’s the person. If the problem is replicable but all behaviors are correct and right, it’s something within the technology.

Respect – If you do not have respect for the person having the technological problem, there will be more technology problems. Whether or not, the technology is ultimately to blame, the person thinks it is. If he or she believes technology is a problem, the person will develop his or her own (sometimes elaborate) ways to avoid technology. Or even worse, they will ignore or not report other problems with the technology because they believe there is nothing that can be done to correct the problem. Additionally you may also have the user who cries wolf. Even if you know without a shadow of a doubt that there isn’t a problem, you must treat the person like their concern is legitimate and help them through it.

History and Home – Each person has a past, and each person has a home. Technology is so pervasive at this point that most people have a history with technology as well as technology in their homes. The biases and experiences from those involvements follow the person. If they can’t figure out how to program a DVR, they may not have a positive attitude about other technologies. If they have encountered  unreliable technology in the past, they may expect a similar experience from all technological interactions.

Due Diligence – Technology has to be maintained, and problems have to be communicated. All people involved, both those that maintain the technology and the people who use it, have to communicate with the other. There is no way to figure out what the problem is if no one talks to each other. In many instances technology issues have a pattern; finding ways to uncover that pattern via documentation can often make the difference in how quickly issues are resolved.

We wish we could tell you there was a specific set of steps to follow to use to tell whether it’s the human or the technology. But perhaps the ideas listed above will help figure out what the problem is.

Melanie A. Lyttle is the Head of Public Services Madison Public Library. You can watch her YouTube channel, Crabby Librarian, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rv5GLWsUow. Shawn D. Walsh is the Emerging Services and Technologies Librarian at Madison Public Library.

The post Whose Fault Is It? The Technology Or The Human Using It? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

With so many possibilities for 3D printing, the excitement is quickly building. New businesses are opening and creating innovative new products that are changing lives in ways that wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago. Just as libraries have always been about providing access to new information and resources, they continue this mission by providing this new technology. The variety of filaments that can be used in these machines is growing, but currently the most commonly used are plastic, usually PLA (poly lactic acid) or ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). However, some printers have been created that can print with food or cellular material.[i]

One of the larger considerations for 3D printing involves intellectual property. This concept is nothing new for libraries, and copyright is something we have had to think about for years, posting signs by our copiers and music collections. However, with creation of content and objects, we must begin to think beyond copyright, and move into the world of patents and trade secrets.[ii]

Further legal considerations involve liability. The tip sheet mentions liability that stems from the actual products that are created using the 3D printer.[iii] Beyond that, libraries will also want to mull over any liability issues from having the machines themselves and the possible dangers that can arise simply from machines whose parts can heat to over 200 degrees.

Then you have intellectual freedom. Libraries are champions of providing information and access to everyone. However, when possible public safety issues, like with 3D printed weaponry, where do our responsibilities lie? The ALA tip sheet also discusses the use of this technology as a way to create pharmaceuticals, and how that same use could spread to illegal drug production.[iv]

These legal matters can be intimidating. The great part is that many libraries have begun this journey and have started thinking about these issues. Warning notices regarding copyright have been created, such as the one at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (available via the link). User agreements and liability waivers have been written with the assistance of legal counsel, like the one from the  Fayetteville Free Library.

Overall, can 3D printing present some daunting issues? Yes. However, the wonderful implications of this technology far outweigh the effort of overcoming the obstacles. 3D printers aren’t the first new product libraries have offered, nor will they be the last. Here’s to being brave new librarians!

Works Cited

[i] United For Libraries, Public Library Association, and ALA’s Office of Info Tech Policy. “American Library Association.” Progress in the Making: An Introduction to 3D Printing and Public Policy. September 2014. (accessed October 13, 2014).

[ii]Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Ibid.

Cover Image Credit: Chris McKenna

The post 3D Printing: New Horizons first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The 1,200 square foot exhibition is based on the original, which has been on display at the NMNH since 2010 and has been visited by more than 20 million people. The idea behind the exhibit–and its accompanying programs—is to provide the public with an opportunity to learn about evolution. To help create this open-minded atmosphere, the NMNH has assembled a panel of scientists and a group of religious and philosophical representatives from a variety of perspectives to develop programs related to the topic. Libraries that are selected to participate in this event will also need to form this kind of committee to assist with the programs.[2]

Some of the required programs include an opening event, a community conversation, a discussion specifically for the local clergy and community leaders, a half-day training for science teachers and other science education-related trainers, and a general lecture for the public on new research being done in the field of evolution. These programs are led by staff involved with the exhibition. The library is also required to hold other programs that fit the topic and are assisted in development by the local committee that is formed.[3]

To apply, each library must select a program director who will attend training in March 2015 in Washington, D.C. The proposal narrative has several pieces of important information that need to be taken into serious consideration, including possible presenters and members of the community panel, as well as detailed information on publicity, partnerships, and the exhibition space. And, did I mention the applications are due November 19?[4]

It’s not every day that an opportunity to bring a piece of a world-renowned museum to your patrons’ doorsteps. The application process and program planning will be detailed and may be a little intensive, but bringing such an amazing exhibition and discussion to your community will have the opportunity to enrich a multitude of lives!

Works Cited

[1]American Library Association. “ALA, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History Announce ‘Exploring Human Origins’ Traveling Exhibition Opportunity.” American Library Association. August 19, 2014. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/08/ala-smithsonian-s-national-museum-natural-history-announce-exploring-human-0 (accessed September 17, 2014).

The post Bringing the Smithsonian to Your Patrons first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

• Are they prepared in terms of collections, services, spaces, programs, staffing and communications?
• Do they have the visibility, identity, and partners necessary to connect with Boomers?
• Are they ready and able to allocate the resources necessary to respond to the age wave?

The traditional paradigm, equating senior services with sedentary and retired adults or homebound individuals, has been replaced by a healthier and more active 55+ population, one that is not restricted to a “one size fits all” description. Some Boomers are still in the workforce, while others are looking to engage in the same activities as their younger counterparts.

Diantha Dow Schull, principal of D.D. Schull Associates and author of 50+ Library Services: Innovation in Action (ALA Editions, 2013) emphasizes that “chronological age is less important than individual preferences and circumstances.”

In some communities, libraries are creating new relationships with older adults by re-branding themselves as lifelong learning centers as well as establishing themselves as vibrant community centers where older adults can engage in and interact with one another.

Many libraries have developed innovative and creative programs and approaches to working with these Boomers including:

• Next Chapter, @ New York Public Library: special programming, new classes, multiple partnerships, grant-funded projects, a blog, and a Facebook page.

• Senior Moments blog (http://www.bklynlibrary.org/blog/senior-moments ), Brooklyn Public Library’s blog that showcases unique programs for Boomers, such as Xbox gaming classes, poetry readings and computer training at the library.Book to Action (PDF), Multnomah County (Oreg.): book-discussion model where participants read a text concerning a particular social issue, such as local farming or domestic abuse, and then visit a local nonprofit working on that issue to help with a service project or community event.

• The Creative Aging Public Libraries Project, a program developed by Lifetime Arts in a partnership with the Westchester (N.Y.) Library System: an arts education program for older adults.

• Connect Care, Queens Public Library: educational health programs and free health screenings at eight Queens library branches in partnership with Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Still, many libraries lag behind; some continue to offer limited “senior” services. Schull says that large-print books, weekly movie programs, and outreach to senior centers or nursing homes are important and certainly merit attention in order to meet the needs of the frail and isolated elderly.

However, Schull emphasizes that libraries need to acknowledge the demographic changes taking place across the country and the potential for libraries to become community centers for the many independent, active, engaged older adults who are redefining aging in America.

The ALA Office of Literacy and Outreach (OLOS) Toolkit, Keys to Engaging Older Adults @ your library: Libraries can empower older adults with engaging programs and services, offers suggestions for programming, key terms, links to resources and partner agencies as well as funding resources and tools for writing a successful grant. It is an invaluable resource for library systems that want to improve or develop a program that keeps pace with the changing face of the Baby Boomer population.

The Baby Boom population has changed the world many times in the last 70 or so years: a 1950s population boom, the advent of Rock and Roll, as well as a Civil Rights and War protest that changed the face of history.

Now, they are demanding changes in library services.

James Welbourne, City Librarian Director at the New Haven, Connecticut Free Public Library, describes the challenges that libraries have in meeting these demands: “There is a new language addressing this population and it is not “senior.” It is about being mature adult, the third age, the next challenge, productive aging, and much more…We have a lot of ground to cover.”

Whatever word we eventually choose, there is no debate—library services for individuals 55+ need to be re-defined in new and creative ways.

*Blogger, Marybeth Zeman, writes from firsthand experience—a “Baby Boomer”, born in the 1950s, she returned to get her MLIS at St. John’s University in 2009 and is presently pursuing a second career in library science. She intends on providing library services as well as receiving them.

Works Cited

[1] Baby Boomer Generation Fast Facts. (2013, November 6). CNN. US. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/us/baby-boomer-generation-fast-facts/

[2] Schull, D. (2013). 50+ Library Services: Innovation in Action. Chicago: ALA Editions.

[3] Outreach and Diversity. (n.d.). American Library Report 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2014/diversity

[4] Ibid

The post Baby Boomers Aren’t Called “Seniors” Anymore – Next Level Programming for Older Adults first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Some of the typical methods of linguistic learning have included books, audiobooks, videos, and online subscription services. These online options can create a more interactive learning environment, as well as be readily available to a larger audience on demand. Some of the top programs include Mango, Pronunciator, and Rosetta Stone.  With developers constantly working to make their services more responsive to people’s desired methods of learning, these programs will continue to become increasingly user friendly. Some of them already offer accent and pronunciation correction.[2]

Even if your library can’t afford one of the subscription services, you can direct people to some of the free language websites available. BBC Languages has online videos, grammar, vocabulary, and slang for forty different languages. For the traveler, they also have some essential vacation (or holiday, as the BBC puts it) phrases. LiveMocha is another free online language learning option. Users have to sign up for a free account, but then can access lessons and converse with native speakers from around the world! The social interaction extends to the ability to post your language exercises online for feedback from other members.

Because people greatly benefit from forming relationships and having immediate feedback, face-to-face classes or language groups are a wonderful option. Sometimes it can be a task finding someone qualified to lead a sustainable language program. Paying a teacher can be expensive, and finding the right volunteer can be difficult. At Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs, Colo., one rewarding partnership we made was with a local college. One of the language professors wanted his students to have the experience of teaching others, so we were able to have regular student volunteers with their professor running the group. Unfortunately, when the professor left the school, we were unable to sustain that language group. For ESL learners, we have a strong force of volunteer tutors who work one-on-one or in small groups with patrons, as well as classes taught by adult literacy staff.

If the demand for language materials continues to grow, we will need to continue to do more to provide these services to patrons. Even with scant funding, we can still be creative to help our population become prepared for and better able to succeed in our increasingly global world.

Works Cited

The post Language Learning @ Your Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Library outreach services to the incarcerated aren’t just about the people inside the jail. Their children and families benefit from library outreach services as well. Long before our nation’s current shift of attention toward its broken prisons and jails, our leading library systems were focused on serving those in jail and their families within the communities.

Children of the Incarcerated

The National Family Resource Network estimates that there are at least 2 million children with an incarcerated parent. Yet that figure doesn’t count the close to 10 million children who have a parent who is under some form of criminal supervision such as probation or parole. [1]

Nicholas Higgins, Director of Outreach Services at Brooklyn Public Library, was well aware of those figures when he started the “Daddy and Me” program while serving as the “jail” librarian on Rikers Island. That program, which fostered family literacy, included children’s visits with incarcerated fathers at Rikers and DVDs of fathers’ reading aloud books sent home to their children. Suddenly, an incarcerated father didn’t seem so far away, thanks to library outreach services.

Televisit

Now, thanks to Nick’s vision, the BPL, a lot of shared collaboration, and an innovative CISCO telecommunications system called Televisit, those “Daddies” are even closer to home.

Televisit, located at the BPL Central Library branch, is a shared video feed between Rikers Island and BPL where inmates and families participate in a shared family literacy program. It is meant to supplement, not replace, in-person visits.

Having Someone In Jail Is Not Something To Be Ashamed Of

Children, from birth 10 years-old, can participate in “televisits” in one of seven semi-private rooms in the Shelby White and Leon Levy Information Commons at the Central branch of the library. The rooms, filled with Muppets, stuffed animals, books, crayons, and giveaways, are inviting and welcoming. Sesame Street characters from the Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration video series have been donated by Lynn Chwatsky along with support material from the program.[2] The Televisit rooms, off to one side, offer privacy, but in no way are hidden—BPL wants to reinforce the message that having a loved one in jail is not something to be ashamed of.

Offering Children of the Incarcerated Support

According to Families Left Behind: The Hidden Costs of Incarceration and Reentry, children of the incarcerated experience PTSD symptoms and experience the same grief as a child who has lost a parent—with good reason, too.[3] The 2013 Sentencing Project Annual Report found that 59% of parents in state prisons and 45% in federal prisons had not had any personal visits with their children while in prison.[4]

And children of the incarcerated receive very little support—often they receive just the opposite—teasing, bullying, shame. Through the Televisit program and BPL’s Children’s Services, the children of the incarcerated are being offered that support.

Televisit Overcomes The Obstacles of Time And Distance

Televisit offers the child and the parent help in overcoming the obstacles that the Women’s Prison Association counts as ways to discourage children from visiting a parent in jail[5]:

• Inadequate information about visiting procedures.
• Difficulty scheduling visits.
• Geographic location of prison facilities.
• Family’s inability to afford transportation.
• Visiting procedures that are uncomfortable or humiliating.
• Visiting rooms that are inhospitable to children.
• Foster parents or caregivers who are unwilling to facilitate visits.

Instead of a “drug dog” sniffing a baby stroller in the visitor’s room, Televisit offers the child both a comfortable, safe, and welcoming environment as well as a shared literacy experience with a parent.

Nick Higgins understands that shared moments between a child, a parent, and a book are ones that a child never forgets and he wants to create those moments despite a parent’s incarceration. He wants to expose both parent and child to the library services available to them at the public library. For both parent and child, this shared moment can be a lifelong learning opportunity.

Library Outreach Services Is Where It All Begins

The touchpoint to the parents and the children is at New York Public Library’s and now Brooklyn Public Library’s collaborative jail book services at Riker’s Island. Outreach library services to the incarcerated, book services, literacy programs, and re-entry information services provide the connection to their families.

The services to the incarcerated at Riker’s along with services to their children and families converge at the intersection of what we call “outreach services.” Televisit is a perfect example of services interfacing with each other in order to fulfill the needs of more than one part of the library community.

No One Forgets Being Read To

Nicholas Franklin, Coordinator of Transitional Services at BPL, recently sat in at Rikers with one of the inmates while the inmate visited via Televisit with his one and a half year old at BPL. She excitedly ran around the Televisit room picking up toys to show her father as he responded: he read her a book, he sang a song, he played peek-a-boo. All the while, other inmates passed by; some correctional officers peeked in. The inmate was as engaged as his daughter, oblivious to his surroundings or any interruptions. Finally, his daughter ran up to the large screen and began to blow kisses at the screen. He blew kisses back.

The inmate’s lack of inhibition and his engagement manifested his concern for his daughter and Franklin observed, “I think this experience helped him realize what a positive effect he could have on her life.”

Televisit and Jail Library Outreach Services

BPL’s Televisit embraces the family’s role in early literacy and embraces the library’s role in re-entry and outreach services to the incarcerated.

Televisit recognizes the stark reality that you don’t have to be arrested to be caught in the cycle of incarceration.

The post Library Outreach Services Helps Families of the Incarcerated Stay Connected first appeared on Public Libraries Online.