At the library I have tried to share these types of positive experiences I have had, while learning new languages. Here are some examples:

• First, when I was the manager of Queens Library at Seaside, I spoke with a woman who wanted to volunteer for the library. I asked her about her background and she said she was a retired reporter from Columbia. With her background in writing and communication, I suggested that she start a Spanish club and she did. We scheduled this program once a week in the afternoons after 3:00 pm. What was interesting is that we got senior citizens who just wanted to come in, chat, and learn something new. Adults who learned Spanish at school or college, wanted to refresh their memories. We got native Spanish speakers who just wanted to speak in Spanish. And we got one or two high school students who were taking Spanish and they wanted to complement their learning in school (and have someone check their homework). It took some time to build a following, but eventually this became a very popular program. I think  it is important to remember all the customers and staff coming in the door have something special to bring to the table. Take time to find that “thing” it can pay-off big!
• Another example, as manager of Queens Library at South Hollis I still had my Japanese lessons on my mind, and we had quite a few customers who were interested in Japanese animation. So, I started a Japanese Language Club. At first I used books and videos. I called it a self-study group since I am by no means proficient in Japanese. But after a while, it seemed like there was a need for someone to teach us. I did some research online and found a plethora of language instructors. I found a native Japanese-language speaker willing to do lessons for a reasonable fee, via Skype. We decided to try it for the Japanese Language Club at the library and she was excellent! One of our customers, a veteran, said it was his first time using Skype. He also chatted in English to ask questions about Japanese culture. I was happy to facilitate this dialogue and create a new experience for our customers. We do the lessons every week now, and they’re a lot of fun!
• My third example is meeting people where they are and just accepting them as they are. For many customers, including school aged children, English is not their first language. So using volunteers from our Library Friends Group, we were able to create a Multi-Lingual Homework Help Service, with volunteers helping kids do their homework in their native language including Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole. I thought this was a fun and re-affirming program. As an immigrant myself, I know the loneliness of feeling like you’re different from everyone because you don’t speak English. I felt as a librarian, I was able to go full-circle and create a welcoming atmosphere for my patrons, and send them a message: You’re not alone, we’re here for you!

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

When I worked as manager at the Seaside Library, in Queens, I collaborated with Matthew Allison, manager of the Peninsula Library. Together we put on the first ever “Rockaway Author Expo.” We pooled our resources and our contact list to create an event that brought local authors and readers together. We had Queens author and fellow librarian Tejas Desai come in. So we had librarians from three different libraries involved in different ways – two as organizers and one as a participant.  Another example of  a collaboration is when Robert Wilson, assistant manager of the Far Rockaway library at the time, came over to do an Elvis performance for the patrons at Seaside. It was a rocking good time, and we had one patron even dress up as Elvis himself dancing throughout Wilson’s show. He was a burning hunk of collaboration!

My current library is South Hollis Library in Queens, where I work as a manager. Recently we did a Holiday Brunch for the veterans who live across the street from the library. We partnered with a local organization to bring food and refreshments. However, what really stood out during our Holiday Brunch is that we had Nancy Almatare, customer service specialist from the Langston Hughes Library come to South Hollis for the event. She performed belly dancing and did henna hand art. The veterans said it was the most unique and enjoyable holiday brunch they’ve ever experienced.

The biggest collaboration I was a part of was the recent Haitian Arts Festival. I remember having lunch in early 2016 at the Urban Librarians Conference in Brooklyn with fellow New York librarians, Sharon Banks, Cambria Heights manager, and Reginald St. Fort, then Assistant Manager at St. Albans. After lunch, we decided to collaborate to put on a Haitian Arts Festival at our libraries, all of which had a significant Haitian community. This eventually became a library collaboration among four New York libraries: Cambria Heights, St. Albans, Rochdale Village, and South Hollis. Not only that but we had different departments at the Queens Central Library helping us as well as the Friends groups from our four libraries. It was one Mega-Collaboration! We had regular weekly meetings and we pooled our resources and skills to make it happen. All the participating libraries had great art hanging on their walls. The art was also a fundraiser for the library so it was win-win. I had a great time working with so many different people, and meeting new library personnel.

I think because of our profession in public service, many of us tend to be modest. But be proud of who you are, your interests, and all the things you know. If you organize a great program at your library, there might be another library where it will also be a hit. Don’t limit yourself to one library! Don’t just share your books with others, share your uniqueness and yourself!

The post Interlibrary Collaborations first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I love mangas and I order them all the time for our library. But most importantly, our young adult circulation went up 48 percent as a result of the increase in manga variety and availability. They are especially popular with our reluctant young readers. So, with the aim of finding out about all of the new mangas, I applied for the Pro Pass and headed to the show, along with my colleague Jermaine Dennie. Dennie runs our library’s popular weekly Animation and Graphic Novel Club. He also bought a pass out-of-pocket for one of his club regulars, Clayon Gaile, an 18 year old who dreams of having his own series called Captain Nitro. (After he talked to Gaile’s mother to make sure it was okay for him to miss a day of school that day).

Since it was early, and Dennie and Gaile weren’t there yet, I just walked right in and went straight to the exhibits. There were so many booths as far as you could see, each one selling or displaying something exclusive or one of a kind. However, the biggest attraction is the fans themselves because so many people were wearing really amazing costumes. I stopped by the Sanrio Booth, and I got a photo with the official Hello Kitty Mascot.

Author at SanRio Booth at New York Comic Con.

In addition to exhibits, there were many panels and workshops. I attended a few panels, one of them being the unveiling of the preview for “Regarding my Reincarnation as a Slime,”  a new manga about a young adult who dies and gets reincarnated as a slime.  There were other manga titles featured including one that takes place in the future with people “upgrading” their bodies into gem stones. One manga that really sounded interesting was “Cells at Work,” in which each cell in the body looks like a person with a job to do.

I also attended panel discussions, including one about reading and experiencing graphic novels in 3-D using virtual reality. Imagine being able to live in the world of our favorite characters and stories. At another panel discussion I heard about  plans for “virtual libraries” where patrons put on a visor and get transported to a virtual library. They can browse books and read them without ever having to leave home.

Meanwhile, my colleague stayed in line for over an hour to make sure Gaile got his pass to get in. He encouraged Gaile to talk to the different artists and pick their brains about what it takes to succeed in the comic book industry. In fact, one week later on Dennie got an On-the-Spot Award from the library director, which our library gives out in recognition of someone going above and beyond their line of work.

The post New York Comic Con 2016 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.

My current library, Queens Library at South Hollis, has a ton of teens and kids. Many of them are play ping pong for the very first time. I like to think that when these kids grow older, they’ll remember their first experience of ping pong at the library, and they’ll be ardent supporters of the library! Ping pong is a great fitness activity that helps teens release energy after school. But teens aren’t the only ones who play!

• My first library as manager was by the beach, with a big retirement community and a lot of tourists. The players were older but experienced and good! In fact, one day a seventy-year-old lady came to play ping pong, and she tripped and fell on the floor! I was so scared, but she insisted that she traveled to our library and that she wanted to play! So I got her a library chair, and she played the rest of the match sitting down.
• A home for homeless veterans recently opened across the street, so now I get to play ping pong with veterans. I even have a daily morning routine to play with one of the vets!
• We also have a group of disabled volunteers every week. Even if someone is in a wheelchair, they can still play ping pong!
• Occasionally, I also get to play ping pong with different guests, including my library director, the chief librarian, various police officers, local politicians, and other visitors. It’s a fun way to talk about things in a more relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Our ping pong table is out on the floor basically every day. It has wheels so I can put it away for special events or wheel it to events nearby, like when the veteran’s home had a grand opening celebration. I also ordered some books and DVDs on ping pong. And if anyone misbehaves, I can be like a parent and easily take away the table as a punishment. I always say, “This hurts me more than it hurts you” because that’s how much I love to play. You can ask, “How does the manager have time to play ping pong?” And I can say, “I love doing customer service, and this is my way of making people feel happy and giving them happy memories.”

Resources

Top 10 Health Benefits of Ping Pong / Table Tennis

BENEFITS OF TABLE TENNIS

This Is Your Brain on Ping Pong

The Health Benefits of Table Tennis

10 Reasons Ping Pong Benefits us Individually

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

Our library has a partnership with a day care center for individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Every week, the center sends these individuals to our library and they help seal our DVDs in protective plastic sleeves; the staff also visits the center once a month to alternate between a cooking and a reading program. I always make time to sit down and chat with the volunteers to see how they’re doing.  One day, one of the volunteers, Lorenzo, was telling me that his twenty-seventh birthday was coming up on a day that he comes to volunteer. He is disabled and uses a wheelchair. I asked Lorenzo what he wanted for his birthday, and he said he wanted to dance with a girl. So I got my librarian thinking cap on. I’m lucky we have a diverse support staff that includes a trained chef. When he does his outreach program at the center, it’s a group activity and he gets all the members of the center involved, having them help him find ingredients and mixing the dough (the center even pays for the ingredients). This time, our chef baked a birthday cake. Meanwhile, at our library, I talked to Lisa, who works for another organization but who has also partnered with our library. She does a weekly tabling event to get people in the neighborhood to sign up for health insurance, and she used to dance competitively when she was younger. I asked her if she would dance with Lorenzo on his birthday, and she said yes. I was so happy because everything was falling in place for Lorenzo’s birthday party. Everyone has some talent or potential. And it’s such a rewarding part of my job to be able to connect people together.

On Lorenzo’s birthday, we decided to forgo the volunteer work and just celebrate during his center’s visit to the library. I brought birthday hats and balloons. Another one of our staff members took on the role of a DJ, so the music was pumping in the library and we got to eat the yummy birthday cake. All the customers that morning were part of the party. Most importantly, Lorenzo got his wish of dancing with a girl on his birthday!

I love the flexibility of working in a library. Our mission is to serve the community, so even with limited budget and resources, I’m so happy that I can draw on the staff and community partners to create new stories with happy endings!

The post The Library: Making Stories Happen first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The way I see it, the library is meant to serve the community, and kids are just as much a part of the community as anyone else. Besides, who can I call—Ghostbusters? I can only call on my colleagues and myself to make a positive difference for these kids, even though we are limited in our training and resources. Maybe they should make a class called “Parenting 101” in library school? Goodness knows it would be a very practical class given our day-to-day customer base.

We try to bridge the parental divide in a variety of ways:

Food assistance: Thanks to an anonymous donor, we are able give out healthy snacks to the kids who attend our programs. It’s one thing when an adult asks you for money, but it’s quite another when small kids ask you for food because they’re hungry. One time, police outreach officers donated a big box of apples and bananas to the library. Those boxes were gone in less than two hours! Healthy snacks are usually not their first choice, but when it’s their only choice, they’ll eat it.

Hygiene classes: Our children’s librarian regularly hosts hygiene classes for the kids because, let’s be honest, sometimes they stink. One day she was hosting a dental hygiene program, and I asked a young boy if he wanted to come. He told me he hadn’t brushed his teeth in the last two days because he didn’t know he had to do it every day! We give out supplies like deodorant, sanitary pads, and more. We’ve also hosted relationship classes with a social worker, which cover healthy relationship practices, including what to do when you have a romantic crush and how to flirt in a healthy way. Wearing deodorant obviously helps in the quest for love…

Games: I’m proud of our library’s ping pong table and I am so glad that I can introduce the kids to something new. When they grow up, I hope they can remember their experience playing ping pong for the first time at their local library! Fitness programs are popular because the kids have so much energy, especially after sitting in school all day. Our page also introduced a weekly Hip Hop Dance Club, which was a big hit. Let’s be real, if the kids are going to run around the library, it’s best to have them do it as part of a program.

Speakers: Sometimes we are able to bring special speakers, like Keith Perrin, the cofounder of the FUBU fashion line to talk about entrepreneurship, or James Giuliani, author of Dogfella, to talk about bullying and animal cruelty. Yesterday, our city council member came in to do a storytime. Besides reading a fun story, the kids also got to ask the councilmember about his job serving the community and let him know how important libraries are. Police outreach officers are another great resource, and they brought over McGruff the Crime Dog!

Talent shows/Plays: Sometimes the kids themselves even put on performances. They love to share their singing and dancing talents with the world. Our Valentine’s Day Ball was very special. The kids had one invitation to give to a special adult in their life. During the ball, they had to read a short essay or poem about why that adult was special to them. Many of the adults who were there were crying because they were so moved! Once again, to rephrase my earlier quote, if the kids are going to be loud, give them a microphone and call it a program.

Kids are like plants. All they need is some sunshine, someone to show them that they care. And I can say for sure, one thing that we teach the kids is something their own parents might not teach them— that it’s fun to be a librarian.

The post The Parental Divide first appeared on Public Libraries Online.