Make sure your “kitchen” has the necessary tools for a successful class: measuring cups and spoons, bowls-small and large, sharp knife, cutting board, spoons, forks, plates, napkins, cups, wax paper, baggies, and towels. Any small appliances you may need like a blender, food processor, grill press or slow cooker you can find at almost any thrift store for a fraction of what a new one would cost. Remember, you aren’t going to be using them daily like at home.

Somethings will need to be prepared for class. Make sure everything is chopped, peeled and ready to use so you don’t have to waste time during class. Have everything, as the chefs on the FoodNetwork say, mis en place (in it’s place).

A lot of items I usually just bring from my home kitchen because buying even a small jar of mayo can be wasteful if you only need a few tablespoons for a recipe. Buying non perishable items, however, can be worth it, especially when you have classes on a regular basis. These items include olive oil, salt and pepper, vinegar and other spices. You’ll be able to plan other classes around items you already have on hand.

Sometimes buying packaged food can be costly, check with the deli if they have any sales going on that you can take advantage of and plan your class around. You don’t need to advertise precisely what you plan to make, but rather list your theme and create your menu around the ingredients you can get. And you don’t have to make three course meals. A smaller scale version of your menu is fine, because people aren’t going to be eating plates of food, but they will want a taste. Talk to your local grocer and ask if they would be willing to donate a small amount from the deli to your class in exchange for a free advertisement with your patrons.

Always have some recipe books on hand, too, for your patrons to checkout.

And always encourage tasting. My tag line is: Come Hungry. Tasting is Mandatory.

The post Adult Programming: How to Have Cooking Demos Without Cooking first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In this second in a series of posts about crafting at the library, I will detail how to make Bleach Shirts. This is one of the easiest crafts you can do in the library. You will need a sink, so as long as you have a water source, you, too, can teach this class. It doesn’t take long, about an hour is all you need.

Supplies you need are: 100% cotton shirts, newspaper or cardboard, gel bleach pens, vinegar and water. Make sure that the t-shirts are 100% cotton. Any polyester blend will not take the bleach. The darker the material the better: black works best. And it doesn’t have to be a t-shirt. It can be any kind of garment or piece of material as long as it is 100% cotton. Leggings are also a fun garment to work with, and the results can be fantastic. Garments should be clean and free of lint and animal hair. A great place to find suitable t-shirts is at Michael’s craft stores. At regular price they are a great deal. Buy several shirts in different sizes for those patrons who come without a shirt or who may bring the wrong kind of shirt.

You can find the gel bleach pens online at amazon.com. Be sure to purchase the gel pens. The gel is easier to use on fabrics, especially for intricate designs. Regular bleach pens may be too liquid and not allow you to get a clean line. Use the newspaper or cardboard as a separator between the layers of fabric so that the bleach doesn’t bleed to the opposite side of the garment.

Apply a thin line of gel onto the fabric in any shape or form. Words work well, too. Pinterest has visual examples to show students the possibilities they have when working with the gel. Stencils also work well, as does some larger stamps, for those afraid to freehand a drawing or text. Use painter’s tape to make geographical designs. Let the bleach stay on the fabric for at least 20 minutes. You will be able to see the color change, especially on dark or black fabric. You can also use liquid bleach and a spray bottle. This, of course, is going to be a bit messier and may need extra newspapers to lay down around the garment, but it can create a nice speckled effect.

After 20 minutes, rinse the shirt thoroughly and then set in a solution of 1/2 cup of vinegar to 2 gallons water. Soak for about 5 minutes and then wring dry. Provide plastic bags so that patrons can take their shirts home to dry. They also can wash their shirts with regular soap and water while still wet in order to get all of the vinegar out.

There will also be a lot of left over bleach left in the pens so you can reuse the pens for another project.

In the end you have a t-shirt with a handmade one-of-a-kind design.

The post Easy Craft Programs for Your Library: Bleach Shirts first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

For this class, find someone who has extensive experience in home canning; in water bath and in pressure cooker techniques. One of the best resources to find an instructor is the community itself. A resource that is not always utilized is the Master Food Preservers for your county or state. Masters are required to give at least 20 hours volunteer time per year to public outreach. Check with your state’s Extension program. Chances are there is a Master Food Preserver in your area.

The class should go over the specifics of how to preserve your garden harvest using the hot water bath method, pressure canner techniques, drying, and freezing. Bring in a variety of pots and other equipment that can be used for canning. Outsource your books: utilize your library system’s collection and bring in books on canning, preserving, fermenting, and homesteading for a table display. Offer your patrons who can’t make the class, or those who attend further reading.

There are online resources available for the novice preserver or the experienced one.  YouTube has many videos from reputable sources. One resource that can greatly improve a class is the Ball Canning’s website. Their Canning 101 video and pdf printouts are invaluable. It will help you save time writing out your own notes and, as the video is in the public domain, your presentation is already set. This is a virtually no cost class presentation, perfect for adult continuing education.

If your library has its own seed library, this is a great program to help promote it. For those libraries that have one, or even a community garden, the best way to promote growing is by showing patrons what they can do with their harvest. Cooking classes or demonstrations are also effective ways to show people what they can grow in their garden and what to do with it when it’s time to harvest.

The post Anyone Can Make Homemade Pickles: Teaching Canning at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

To limit participants and raise some money for the library’s Friends group, spellers pay a $5 fee to enter the bee. Audience members get in free, but can donate money to sponsor spellers who cannot afford the fee.[iv] Spellers can also purchase cheats at the time of registration, ranging from a $3 ‘Ask a Friend,’ where a friend in the audience can spell the word for them from their own knowledge, to a $15 ‘Mulligan,’ where a speller can stay in the competition after misspelling a word.[v] A “Big Cheat Deal” package gives contestants several cheats at a discount, and was so popular in the second year of the event that nearly everyone bought it, said Bonnie Brzozowski, a reference librarian at the library and one of the spelling bee coordinators.[vi]

These fees brought in enough money to allow the event to break even in its first year, after the Friends donated the proceeds back to the library’s programming budget. In its second year, with a change in venue, the event ended up costing the library $1000.[vii]  This year, the event cost between $500-750, Brzozowski said.[viii]  Although the event doesn’t raise as much money as it costs, the library will likely continue doing it in the coming years as it attracts a hard-to-reach demographic.”People react to the event as something to keep going because it brings people to a library event that we never see at a library event, the 20-  to 30-somethings,” Brzozowski said.[ix]

With the bee’s large number of contestants and the benefits of the cheats, a big challenge has been timing. In the second year, Brzozowski said the event lasted nearly four hours before a champion was crowned. This year, an “end-of-bee” round was introduced, in which 20 words are given and all remaining contestants at the end of the round are declared winners. This allowed staff to limit the event to two hours.[x]

Another important consideration is the bee’s word list. Official Scripps spelling bee lists are difficult to come by, so the library’s spelling bee committee makes its own list of about 500 words per year to challenge contestants.[xi] Committee members ask for suggestions of difficult words from friends and coworkers, look up lists of frequently misspelled words, and use their own leisure reading time to collect words. “Any word I find that’s a great spelling word, I write it down and keep a list all year long,” Brzozowski said.[xii]

References

[i] “Sip & Spell: An Adult Spelling Bee | Programs That Pop.” Library Journal.  Accessed June 22, 2017. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/05/opinion/programs-that-pop/sip-spell-an-adult-spelling-bee-programs-that-pop

[ii] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in an e-mail interview with the author, June 22, 2017

[iii] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in a phone interview with the author, June 20, 2017

[iv] “Sip & Spell: An Adult Spelling Bee | Programs That Pop.” Library Journal.  Accessed June 22, 2017. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/05/opinion/programs-that-pop/sip-spell-an-adult-spelling-bee-programs-that-pop

[v] “Sip & Spell Official Rules.” Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. Accessed June 22, 2017. https://cbcpubliclibrary.net/pdf/SipandSpellOfficialRules2017.pdf

[vi] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in a phone interview with the author, June 20, 2017

[vii] “Sip & Spell: An Adult Spelling Bee | Programs That Pop.” Library Journal.  Accessed June 22, 2017. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/05/opinion/programs-that-pop/sip-spell-an-adult-spelling-bee-programs-that-pop

[viii] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in a phone interview with the author, June 20, 2017

[ix] Ibid.

[x] Ibid.

[xi] Ibid.

[xii] Ibid.

The post Library Spells Success with Sip & Spell Event first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

MELSA previously offered a program called Museum Adventure Pass, which allowed patrons to check out physical passes to local museums and other institutions.  This program was well-loved by patrons but had downsides, including the fact that patrons had to physically go to a library branch to obtain one of a limited number of passes, which often ran out early in the day, and patrons had no limits on repeat checkouts.[ii]

With the new smARTpass, patrons can obtain tickets and passes straight from an app on their smartphones, making them more widely available to MELSA patrons.  These tickets are still limited and still run out quickly, sometimes within hours, but new policies help spread the cultural wealth among patrons.[iii]  First, patrons can generally only reserve one pair of free admissions to each institution per year, unless the institution permits more, and once reserved the admissions cannot be returned – if they are not used the patron still cannot reserve another set that year.  Second, patrons can have only two active reservations at a time, with reservation slots available up to two months in advance.  With this policy, if a patron reserves a set of tickets to two different institutions for the next month, they cannot reserve a set of tickets for another institution until they’ve used the first of their reserved tickets.[iv]

“It works best if you have a lot of cultural organizations that can contribute, so lots of people can take advantage of it,” said Sally Lederer, communications manager for MELSA. “Luckily for us here we have a lot of great arts partners.”[v]

MELSA has partnered with more than two dozen organizations to provide passes and tickets for this program.[vi]  The tickets are provided by the organizations and are not paid for by MELSA; it is up to each institution to decide how many tickets they will offer, with what restrictions, and for what specific dates.  Partners can also offer discounted tickets, which are usually not limited by the free ticket policies, allowing interested patrons further admission to their favorite institutions.[vii]

“The good thing about [smARTpass] is that it’s really scalable for different sizes of organizations,” said Lederer.  “It can be a small theater company or a large museum that’s open every day; it just depends on what the organization has to offer.”[viii]  Current smARTpass partners include museums, orchestras, smaller music ensembles, theaters, and even a dance studio.[ix]

The smARTpass app was built by Nerdery, a Minnesota-based web developer, and the app and website are maintained by MELSA staff.  The app’s backend allows partners to generate reports to see how many people are using the partner’s offered tickets and which libraries the users come from.[x]

The program is marketed with ads on local news sites,  MELSA’s website,  websites of its member libraries, and in individual branches via bookmarks and posters. Currently, smARTpass has about 16,000 registered users, a small percentage of the library population, and “the ones on there are pretty serious about making reservations,” said Lederer.[xi]

References

[i] “Partners.” MELSA smARTpass. Accessed January 21, 2017 https://smartpass.melsa.org/partners/

[ii] Sally Lederer, Communications Manager at MELSA, in a phone interview with the author, January 5, 2017

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] “How it Works.” MELSA smARTpass. Accessed January 21, 2017 https://smartpass.melsa.org/how-it-works/

[v] Sally Lederer, Communications Manager at MELSA, in a phone interview with the author, January 5, 2017

[vi] “Partners.” MELSA smARTpass. Accessed January 21, 2017 https://smartpass.melsa.org/partners/

[vii] Sally Lederer, Communications Manager at MELSA, in a phone interview with the author, January 5, 2017

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] “Partners.” MELSA smARTpass. Accessed January 21, 2017 https://smartpass.melsa.org/partners/

[x] Sally Lederer, Communications Manager at MELSA, in a phone interview with the author, January 5, 2017

[xi] Ibid.

The post Patrons Can Check Out a Museum Pass with smARTpass App first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Free Classes

Enter American Graphics Institute and its Library Partner Program. The program’s purpose is to help companies address the skills gap that many employers experience by helping the workforce obtain new skills or upgrade existing skills in creative, design, and marketing applications and technologies.

The company already offered design and digital marketing training free to Massachusetts based employees this past year through a grant program through the state. Available courses at no cost included Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, HTML, Google Analytics and WordPress and were available throughout 2016.

The courses address specific needs in fields like marketing where skill needs range from the creation and use of video to website and app design intended to make a company’s product stand out from the competition.

Marketing is far from the only field where visual design skills are useful. Those seeking work in manufacturing, product design, game development, and countless other career fields also benefit from design training.

More than fifty book titles are available to libraries at no cost, as well as supplemental video training and lesson files. These materials act as self-paced courses or allow readers to take individual lessons to learn a specific skill.

Qualifications for libraries to participate

All libraries in the United States, including individual branches and library systems are eligible. While the courses and books are free, libraries are responsible for promoting the course and books to their patrons.

How to Participate

Interested in participating? Fill out this form on the American Graphics Institute website. Once you have made your request, the company will contact you about joining the library partnership. It really is that simple.

The program is offered to any user who is working at your library. They do not have to sign-in or create an individual account to take the courses. According to the institute, “We will only contact them if specifically requested to do so, for example, to answer a technical question.”

Many times “free” programs like this come at a cost either to you or your patrons, even if it is just in requirements for them to sign up for a newsletter or emails from a company.

Whether this program is right for your library or not is something you will have to determine for yourself. It’s nice to know that it is available along with Massive Online Open Courses offered by major colleges and universities, and other free online learning opportunities for library patrons.

The post Free Courses Offered to Libraries by American Graphics Institute first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Unsurprisingly, both librarians discussed the prevalence of downloading and streaming collections, such as Overdrive and Hoopla. Many users, they stated, rely solely on digital borrowing without ever physically visiting the library. Listeners called into the show excitedly touting these services and praising their ease for those with an on-the-go lifestyle.

During this conversation, Dunn indicated she was unaware libraries offered this service. Once aware of it, her reaction was positive. This response does not particularly surprise me, as many members of our community are unaware of our e-offerings, despite my library’s marketing efforts.

Another takeaway was that while circulation of physical items may be dropping, more people are visiting the library for programs. The importance of family library programs was discussed, as well as the role of the library as a community center. Foot traffic for these types of events and resources is higher than ever in many public libraries, and both Kiley and Krieg-Sigman spoke about their significance.

This episode mirrored many other discussions I have been seeing in the library industry over the last few years. Library users generally have a positive view of what we offer and like that we are more than just a traditional repository for books. This drives home the importance of thinking outside the box and offering more untraditional services. Digital lending and increased programming are just the first step of this, but both are excellent examples of learning and responding to our patrons’ needs.

Additionally, this episode drives home the importance of marketing our services. Dunn clearly possesses a love for libraries but still did not know about our digital initiatives. As such, it is likely that many members of our communities who do not frequent public libraries are also unaware. This is certainly something to keep in mind as we evaluate our offerings.

Have you noticed similar trends in your library? How relevant do you feel to your community? Share your thoughts in the comments!

References

[1] “How Relevant Is Your Public Library to You?” Interview. October 25, 2016. Accessed November 28, 2016. http://www.wpr.org/how-relevant-your-public-library-you.

The post Public Libraries: How Relevant Are They? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Sonoma County library system is not the first to include fitness classes in their programming. Jessica Zaker, a 2015 Library Journal “Mover and Shaker” and supervisor at the Sacramento Public Library’s Arcade branch, created their popular Punk Rock Aerobics class and a Zombie Survival Fitness class. The Alamance County Public Libraries in North Carolina have had an extremely successful adult Zumba class in the evenings, as well as a dance and exercise class for kids called “Moving and Grooving.” The Programming Librarian discusses this growing movement as kinetic or physical literacy. “Physical literacy gives us an awareness of our bodies in time and space; it allows us to ‘read’ what is going on in any given environment and figure out how to respond…This self-awareness can go a long way toward empathy for others and self-acceptance.”[1]

Taking your library in a health-minded direction can also offer new partnership opportunities. Many of the libraries mentioned in this post, including Sonoma County, partnered with outside groups including the YMCA, a junior college, and the Northern California Center for Well-Being. Public libraries already practice outreach and often connect with outside groups to enhance their programming and broaden their reach, so this is simply another avenue with a different focus. You don’t need a $30,000 federal grant to get started, although it certainly helps.

References

1. (1)http://www.programminglibrarian.org/blog/kinetic-literacy

Additional Resources:

http://sonomalibrary.org/events/programs/healthy-living-at-your-library

http://www.alsc.ala .org/blog/2016/06/yoga-storytime/

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/03/people/movers-shakers-2015/lori-easterwood-jessica-zaker-movers-shakers-2015-innovators/

https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2014/02/getting-fit-the-library/

https://sonomalibrary.org/about/strategicplan

http://www.sonomahealthaction.org/content/sites/sonoma/cnha_2016/Sonoma_CHNA_FINAL_Report.pdf

Link to source article: (1)http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/6121752-181/get-fit-healthy-at-sonoma

The post Promoting Health and Fitness Literacy at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

At Queens Library (South Hollis Branch), I was glad to connect two such groups recently, our Basic English Class and our local Gardening Club. To explain, across the street from our library, an abandoned building was recently converted to a shelter for homeless veterans — it is now called The Hollis Garden Apartments. At that point, I was just a spectator, wondering what would happen. All 120 units got filled in no time. Of course, I was really excited to have more patrons to serve. The more people we can help, the better for the community.

One thing that I learned a long time ago is to take a step back and observe first. To help people, first I need to learn about them. From day one, I made sure that all the veterans and all the workers involved with the shelter felt welcome at the library. I love talking to people and hearing their stories. Every person who comes to the library is like a walking book, just waiting to be opened up!

Since the Hollis Gardens Apartments do not have a meeting space, often their regular events like tenants meetings and special programs like acupuncture are held in the library’s meeting room. Our door count went up as well as program attendance, circulation numbers, and library card registrations. I also attended the special events at the apartments, such as the grand opening ceremony. It was really special to hear workers from Hollis Gardens thank the library for its support.

Members of an English class and a local gardening club worked together to convert a plot of land into a garden near the Queens Library in South Hollis. Photo Courtesy of Kacper Jarecki

Another special thing that Hollis Gardens did was to create a Gardening Club! They converted an empty plot of land into a real garden. They built raised beds with wooden planks and got fresh new soil to create an edible garden in conjunction with trained gardeners. I was there when they first met and I threw some pennies in the soil for good luck. The Gardening Club met twice a week, and I would visit to help out. Even though it was warm in the summer time, it was fun to have an excuse to go outside and work the soil, plant little seedlings, and to water the plants. The veterans were also very friendly and I had a good time working with them.

Our library also has regular English classes ran by a volunteer instructor. I talked to the instructor, and she was showing me pictures of her garden at home. I told her about the community garden and she wasn’t even aware of it. So we decided to go together and we brought along the English Class. The class was excited to be outside.  They walked around and observed all the plants. The gardeners even asked the English Class to make labels for the garden. The class learned about the different plant names in English, and they told us the plant names in their native language. It was a special event and I was happy I could make it happen. Everyone went home with fresh basil!

The library is already a force that connects people with books and movies. The library also connects people with other people, where they make friendships through different clubs and events. The library can bring different organizations and community groups together!

The post Connecting Community Groups at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Public libraries have responded to societal trends for decades, so it’s no surprise that librarians are serving patrons with dementia. The approaches I uncovered are anything but cookie cutter style, varying in focus as well as in the required resources and expertise.

If you are intrigued by programming options for this audience, consider Memory Cafés. A Café, designed for those with dementia and their caregivers, is a gathering with conversation, games, or entertainment.[2]  The Library Memory Project is a successful, collaborative effort by a group of libraries in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin.[3] Rachel Muchin Young, director of the Franklin Public Library in Wisconsin  spoke of the their cafés, known as the Memory Project, as a common ground where every attendee participates and one doesn’t necessarily know which participants are the caregivers. An advantage to the Café model is that it combats the isolation that can occur for those with dementia and their family members. They are welcomed into a safe space and have the chance to meet others with similar experiences. Memory Project Cafés generally offer conversation and a sensory experience: tables with manipulatives or puzzles followed by a musical performance, an ice cream social, or a visit from Humane Society pets, all with opportunities for verbal sharing.[4]

Programming, of course, takes on many forms and sometimes the library simply serves as a host site for a community partner. That was the case at Lewiston Public Library in Maine. The Maine Alzheimer’s Association trained college students to become volunteer scribes. Then the library hosted an event introducing the opportunity for trained scribes to interview and write the life story of an individual living with dementia.[5]

An alternative to programming is to provide specially designed training for library employees. The Chapel Hill Public Library in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, joined a federally funded county-wide initiative that encouraged local businesses and organizations to earn a dementia-friendly designation.  According to a press release, “The Dementia-Friendly Businesses Campaign will start with 10 local businesses that have pledged to enhance support for people with dementia and their caregivers, and as a result, improve quality of life and promote understanding and respect.”[6]  The campaign provided training for public services staff to help create an atmosphere that is comfortable for those with dementia said Molly Luby, library experiences assistant.[7]

If you want to grow your knowledge, be sure to explore the Alzheimer’s Association’s website. Don’t be afraid to contact their helpline at 1.800.272.3900 for answers to sophisticated questions you might have or connect with one of the 81 local chapters for expert advice on collection or programming projects you’re considering. Your chapter may be open to collaborative work with you as well. For library-focused learning, PLA offers an on-demand webinar that outlines a tech-based programming model:. If you want to broaden your understanding of products appropriate for the audience, one site to check out is the Alzheimer’s Store.

If your library is striving to be more inclusive, consider service options for those with dementia and their caregivers. With a focus on dementia and a dash of compassion, we can better serve an audience truly in need of a safe space.

References

[1] @alzassociation, “Latest Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures,” Latest Facts & Figures Report, 2016, accessed September 13, 2016, http://www.alz.org/facts/.

[2] Http://www.facebook.com/AARP, “Memory Cafés Offer Normalcy to Caregivers and Alzheimer’s Patients,” AARP, accessed September 13, 2016, http://blog.aarp.org/2013/07/17/sally-abrahms-memory-cafes/.

[3] “Lake Country Libraries Memory Project,” Lake Country Libraries Memory Project, accessed September 13, 2016, http://www.librarymemoryproject.org/.

[4] Rachel Muchin Young (Library Director) in telephone interview with the author, September 2016.

[5] By Allowing Students to Record Their Life Story, Those with Dementia Provide Students with Invaluable Lessons about Life with an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis., “Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter, Volunteer Scribes Program,” Lewiston Public Library Maine RSS, , accessed September 13, 2016, http://lplonline.org/events/alzheimers-association-maine-chapter-volunteer-scribes-program/.

[6] “Welcome to Orange County, NC,” Welcome to Orange County, NC, , accessed September 13, 2016, http://www.orangecountync.gov/news_detail_T4_R419.php.

[7] Molly Luby (Library Experiences Assistant) in telephone interview with the author, September 2016.

The post Memory Care at Your Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Some libraries included Recorded Sound programs, where music buffs would come together at libraries to share their recordings, listen to some rare treats of opera and soloists, and discuss and critique the music or the recording. Since then there have been many free concerts at night, music during courtyard lunches, and more.

More recently at the Music Library Association meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, public librarians Laurie Bailey (San Diego Public Library) and Steve Kemple (Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County) presented some newer ideas for music in the public library.

One San Diego program, “Jammin’ @ the Library,” offers beginning guitar instructions through a partnership of San Diego State University and Taylor Guitars. Cincinnati Library’s “Little Bits Synthesizer Orchestra” invited participants to assemble unique synthesizers using Korg Little Bits Synth modules and concluded with a performance of the sounds made with their creation. Group instrument lessons have been offered as well, helping patrons enjoy the music found at libraries.

Some of these music programs are documented now on the Internet. A March School Library Journal article contains information about several sing-along events at libraries. Orange County Library lists a number of interesting programs and concerts. Jacksonville Public Library concerts, Music @ Main, have included world premieres of more than a dozen newly-composed works in a variety of vocal, choral, and instrumental styles. Printed program guides accompany each performance, providing information about the compositions and the performers, as well as selective listings of related reading and listening materials available from the library’s superlative collection of music resources.

As people, musicians, and libraries experiment with new ways to draw people in so they can appreciate and understand creative endeavors art and music, we continue to look for ways to engage our public.

The Knight News Challenge accelerates media innovation by funding breakthrough ideas in news and information. Winners receive a share of three million dollars in funding—and support from Knight’s network of influential peers and advisers to help advance their ideas. Innovators from all industries and countries are invited to participate. A recent Knight News Challenge was, “How might we leverage libraries as a platform to build more knowledgeable communities?” There were forty-four participants and 675 ideas, and forty-six ideas were evaluated. Only twenty-one participants won. Although none of the winners were in music programs, it seems every public library could and should have taken part in the challenge to promote their own music (and other) programs. The newest challenge is found here.

Like a writer and their book, one needs to draw the reader into the story. Helping to build those stories can be libraries with innovative and creative music, art, and writing programs. Go ahead, like the NYPL, have a debate between Shakespeare and Mozart.

The post Music in the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Patrons queued up out the door to wait for their turn to traverse the maze. The library also hid the four Hogwarts house crests inside the maze. Kids were given maze passports, and when a crest was found, their passport was stamped by a staff member dressed as a character from the book series. This allowed the library to have staff in the maze in case of emergency.

Other party festivities included Pin the Sock on Dobby, magic wand decorating, and Harry Potter-themed snacks. Many patrons, old and young, came dressed as their favorite Harry Potter character. After the party, the maze was left up for an additional week so that patrons who could not make it to the party could also enjoy it. Denver Public Library has three levels, so not only could you walk through the maze on the first floor, but you could also get an a-maze-ing aerial view from the second and third floor.

Many libraries around the world have events scheduled all the time in order to engage with their constituents. Often, it seems these are aimed at children; such as, arts and crafts, Lego parties, costume parties, etc, and although Harry Potter is Young Adult by classification, I believe this maze, and even the theme, entices patrons of all ages, which may be one of the things that make it so exceptional and so great. It may be complicated to plan an event that appeals to patrons en masse, but in doing so, it can actually help foster a greater sense of community.  I’d love to hear about your amazing library program — please share details in the comments!

The post An A-mazing Library Program first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The library hosted workshops on writing, blogging, and vlogging while the Waterstone’s and the Civic Centre focused on panels and conversations with local authors. Many of the panels and workshops covered hot topics in the teen and middle-grade world, including diversity, female heroines, trigger warnings, and activism. The festival was also a jumping-off point for the Year-Long Legacy Programme, a year’s worth of visits by festival authors to the Hillingdon area libraries funded by a grant from Arts Council England. These author visits will be held in the neighborhood libraries, and local schools, especially those in disadvantaged areas, will be invited to attend the events for free.

YA Shot was planned to be a small library-run YA event. The Hillingdon Libraries asked several authors to take part, including Alexia Casale, a longtime library volunteer andauthor of YA novel The Bone Dragon. “I ended up taking charge and, true to form, it soon turned from a series of panels into a festival,” said Casale. What was supposed to be an eight-author, one-room event ended up with seventy London-area authors, participating in the festival as panelists and workshop leaders, including Casale, James Dawson, and Taran Matharu. An important feature for the YA Shot program is that all of the authors donated their time to the festival. “YA Shot is based on the premise that authors will welcome the chance to ‘join up’ that generosity to achieve something far greater than any of us could accomplish alone,” said Casale.

The festival had an unexpected impact on the library staff. “Not only did we have enthusiastic teens and young adults attending, but we also inspired library staff who had never read the YA genre to give it a go,” said Samantha Everett, YA Shot co-coordinator and Branch Manager of Manor Farm Library. “They are now better engaged and more enthused to work with teenagers and young adults in the future.” The success of YA Shot will also be helpful to the Hillingdon Libraries in the future as it has given the libraries an “innovative and fun” reputation among publishers, authors, and agencies, said Everett. “We are hoping that the festival will be the stepping stone to allow us to work much more closely with our local schools and to be in better position to really promote reading for pleasure amongst local young people,” said Everett.

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Most public librarians don’t need to be sold on serving teens. However, not everyone understands the importance of connecting with this age group, so a little data to back up suggestions is great for the librarian wanting to develop teen services. When you’re able to show that a quarter of library users are between the ages of 14-24, that can help a discussion about funding. Besides serving all ages, another big reason that library services exist is to be an equalizing force. Many teens are experiencing situations dealing with poverty and homelessness. They are living in a world where prejudice–whether it deals with race, ethnicity, or sexual preference–exists.[2] The library should be a place where teens can come for help, acceptance, and learning.[3]

Not only do libraries need to serve teens, but they need to be doing so in a way that is responsive to how teens interact with the world. These connections are greatly affected by technology and high online engagement. If libraries don’t create a relationship with teens, it decreases the chance that teens will find information that allows them to explore their world and grow.[4]

Several tips are provided to help library staff connect with teens, with the first being to recognize “teens as thinking human beings.” Relating to others can be difficult, and adding an age difference can make it that much harder, but if staff talk with teens about what they care about, they can go a long way to connect. Understanding teens’ use of technology and taking risks with programs and services are also an important part of building a relationship.[5] When staff know what these patrons are interested in, they can help the teens to learn more about what excites them and impart other skills at the same time.[6]

The report recommends several changes from past library practices to possibilities for creating a better environment for teens. Seeing the library as a place for all teens, readers and gamers alike, and having a space and collection that reflect the desires of those patrons are integral. Programs must be created based on the interests of the users with learning opportunities incorporated. Devoted library staff need to be able to focus on creating services for teens, as well as making those connections with them.[7]

Looking at the values expressed in the report for what library staff should uphold while working with teens, you see many of the same things that should be used with all library patrons, which relates back to their point about seeing teens as thinking humans. With adaptability, respect, collaboration, diversity, inclusivity, equality, and intellectual freedom all being listed among the important principles, library staff need to remember that teens deserve the same kinds of services as adults.[8]

No matter what function you perform at a library, you can gain some piece of knowledge about how better to serve teens by reading this report. More and more libraries are actively working to engage their teen patrons through activities, like advisory boards where teens are able to express their interests, and outreach, where librarians offer booktalks on a wide variety of topics to show that all kinds of stories are available. Cliché or not, teens truly are the future of the world, and libraries can help to make a huge difference in making that future brighter for everyone.

References:

[1] American Library Association. YALSA Products and Publications. n.d. (accessed June 18, 2015).

[2] Braun, Linda W., Maureen L. Hartman, Sandra Hughes-Hassell, and Kafi Kumasi. “The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action.” American Library Association. January 8, 2014. (accessed June 18, 2015). Page 1-2.

[3] Ibid. Page 3.

[4] Ibid. Page 5.

[5] Ibid. Page 10.

[6] Ibid. Page 12.

[7] Ibid. Page 15-16.

[8] Ibid. Page 20-21.

The post The Future of Library Services for and with Teens first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

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

The post Kitchens in Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Bacon cites her experiences serving as a branch manager in a Minnesota consolidated regional library system as foundational to her abilities to move her Montana library forward. “Great River Regional Library—with all of its libraries—has an amazing support system, from technology to marketing to collection to policies for all libraries.” It is through this network that she developed the skills she needed to lead in a director role. She also credits her experience serving on a school board as essential in learning the ins and outs of working with a library board.

Bacon shares the credit for her library’s rags to riches story with community partners and her staff. A key to the library’s turnaround was the library staff. Bacon says, “I put skilled people around me. Two received their master in library science degrees within the last five years. I consider myself a director, someone who orchestrates and taps staff for their new skills. That’s really my role, to be the encourager and leader.” Many of the new programs and services she added to BCL came through collaboration, such as biweekly Book­a­Tech sessions offered by the BCL public services librarian.

Bacon advises librarians to be an active member of their library communities. “We all face the same challenges. We are so busy with limited staffing and the budget. It is difficult to get out. Networking and supporting your community are stepping stones.” This community involvement has resulted in a larger network of support for her library, allowing them to become more innovative. It was by advocating for an operating levy and pursuing grant funding that Bacon was able to balance the library’s budget and restore its reserves.

Along with the library’s foundation, Bacon has made a concerted effort to find grant money to pursue new projects. For example, the library recently received 3­D printers through competitive grant funding. Educational classes and community outreach will be included as part of this grant project. She has also retained grants from everything to summer reading program supplies to OverDrive services. Bacon looks for local organizations that have a similar mission as the library and organizations that want to give back to the Belgrade community. Her goal is to for the library to be an equalizer between all ages and incomes.

“The library is more relevant than it’s ever been. We have become the common cultural community center for our community,” she says.

Further information

• The Loaves and Fishes Library | Best Small Library in America 2015
• Belgrade Community Library

Photo:
Back row from left to right – Kathleen Godfrey, Vanetta Montoya
Front row from left to right – Keiley McGregor, Gale Bacon, Rebekah Kamp, Katie Ramstead

The post Lessons from 2015’s Best Small Library in America first appeared on Public Libraries Online.