Start your Recipe Club with a theme; gather recipes that pertain to that theme and make copies to be handed out at your first meeting. For example, start with lemons. Search for recipes that contain lemon, and it doesn’t just have to be desserts. Just googling Lemon Recipes, I found several places to go for reliable recipes. Braised Chicken with Artichokes, Olives, and Lemon  is from Martha Stewart. Basil Shrimp is from allrecipes.  And of course, my favorite, Lemon Bars from Ree Drummond at The Food Network. As a courtesy, I also like to print out information on the ingredient featured, like how it is grown, any unusual features about it, where you can get it if it is a more difficult to find ingredient, and the nutritional value. But the best way to showcase a food is to bring samples of it for members to taste.

Graduate to a Recipe Cookbook Club, where you can pick out a popular cookbook, bring copies in from other libraries for your members to check out, and create some of the recipes featured. Be sure pick a cookbook that you can get copies for. Many times, good cookbooks aren’t always the popular cookbooks and other libraries don’t stock them as much as they do the ones in high demand. Keep a list of cookbooks that you can get readily so you don’t have to hunt for them every month.

When you have a constant attendance of regulars, think about starting your own recipe cookbook. A community recipe cookbook is always sought after by locals and tourists. You can make your cookbook into a fundraiser for your library’s friends group or for the club itself. One thing I’ve always wanted to do was to invest in bakeware that patrons can check out. For our cookbook, we went with the Morris Press Cookbook company. There are other places out therethat you can investigate too, but this one had the best prices for the amount of books we wanted.

And as always, Happy Eating!

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Infused oils and alcohols take a little longer to make than waters, which can be consumed immediately after mixing. If you want to make infused oils or vinegar for gifts, you may want to invest in some decorative bottles which can be bought at any craft or home goods stores. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the bottle with a tag reading what is in the concoction. Infused alcohols can be mixed and presented in mason jars. Make sure which ever bottle or jar you use is clean and dry. Any moisture left in the bottle can turn an oil rancid.

Infused water is a wonderful treat for scorching summer days, after a work out, or at a party. You can use a regular pitcher to set your fruit and herbs in, let sit for about 30 minutes and serve. Fruit frozen in ice cubes makes a pretty addition to your waters. To find some fun and delicious combinations, go to Infused Waters for inspiration.

Infused oils make a beautiful addition to kitchen decor, and even better when they are homemade. For recipes start at Instructibles. It gives step by step instructions on how to make infused cooking oils and oils for skin. The most important thing to remember when working with oils is to use clean, dry bottles or jars. Any moisture left can cause the oil to spoil and turn rancid, as will any herbs not submerged in oil. Let your giftee know that when they use their gift to tuck the herbs down into the oil or to simply cut it off and use it for cooking. Oils need time to steep so make sure if you are wanting to use it as a gift, start at least three months in advance of the gift date. Keep your oil in a warm, dark place and just let sit until you are ready to use it.

Infused alcohols are a fun and easy gift for those who like to make more complex mixed drinks. Like the oil, it needs time to infuse. For some great ideas head over to Booze and Infused. Any kind of hard liquor can be used for infusion. Use the bottle it came in or put your mix into a tall ball jar with a label. Place your infusion in a dark, cool place for several months to let steep.

Vinegars can also be used for a flavor infusion. A step by step recipe can be found at Organic Authority. Like the oils, vinegars look great in a decorative glass bottle. Don’t forget to label your newly concocted creations! And don’t forget to sample!

The post Like Oil and Water: Infused Flavors Craft Class 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.

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!

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Science is an important part of education. It provides a basis for understanding the world around us. In a report to the president, his advisors on science and technology wrote one of the ways we need to address challenges to STEM education was through inspiration, working to generate curiosity and experiences that create interest in the topic.[1] In public libraries, we are uniquely positioned to do just that and we are taking up the call. Programs are occurring across the nation to promote these important learning facets.

In August 2016, Krupicka-Smith, started a program, called “Science Stop.” This weekly program takes place in an open, highly-trafficked part of the library, and features a quick experiment run by Krupicka-Smith with a brief explanation of the science behind it. The whole thing usually takes less than ten minutes.

The inspiration for this style of program came from needing to overcome some common roadblocks: staffing, time, space, and money. Krupicka-Smith estimates that each month she spends around two hours with planning and conducting and usually less than twenty dollars for the weekly experiments. With more than one hundred patrons reached so far, Science Stop has had a great return on investment.[2]

The most popular experiments have been the ones that provide a bit more of a visual reaction, like Elephant Toothpaste. While preparing, Krupicka-Smith has been able to find great information and activities from the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering website and Pinterest boards. If you’re interested in starting a similar program, Krupicka-Smith recommends not getting too complex as many science concepts can be shown simply. It’s also helpful to plan ahead and pick experiments that might use some of the same ingredients around the same time period so you can save money on supplies. Have a cheat sheet handy for doing the experiment and explaining some of the science. Most importantly, show your own enthusiasm for the subject. It’s contagious![3]

Looking around the country, you can find all kinds of science programs. Chicago Public Library has several science events listed for kids and families, like Science on the Spot and Science after School. The Queens Library has a variety of science related programs throughout the year, just search through their calendar. Orange County Library System has programs like, Science Smart and Science Tuesdays.

The possibilities are endless. Maybe it’s time to experiment a little with science!

References

[1] President’s Council of Advisor’s on Science and Technology. “Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Education in Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America’s Future,” (Washington, D.C.), September 2010. (accessed September 15, 2016).

[2] Antonia Krupicka-Smith, Pikes Peak Library District programming librarian, in an e-mail message to the author,

September 15, 2016.

[3] Ibid.

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The Uniondale Library is a safe, well-utilized institution in the community and Kendrick-Samuel knew that music would bring teen patrons in the doors. Through funding from the Best Buy Community Foundation, Margaret E. Edwards Trust, and a Uniondale School District 21^st Century Learning grant. Kendrick-Samuel made “young adult services” music to the Uniondale Library’s teens’ ears.

The program initially was offered as a two-part workshop led by vocalist and music teacher, Michelle Taylor Bryant. Bryant drew on her first hand experiences at Carnegie Hall and the Long Island Conservatory of Music. She offered students vocal coaching and most of all, lots of encouragement and positive praise. Bryant put together a curriculum that included getting the kids up and singing as a group plus offering tools and techniques to improve individual and group singing. She also developed students’  music appreciation—increasing their sensitivity to the power of a song, its impact on a listener, and how a song’s message can be communicated by a singer’s individual rendition. All of this culminated in a small group of the Dewey Decibels performing as an all-female group, “The Jolies,” in the library’s annual talent show. It was a hit.

When it looked like Bryant’s broken ankle would shut the show down the following year, Uniondale native Twyla Sommersell, an academic designer/editor at McGraw-Hill School Education specializing in music, stepped in. Sommersell added a few more workshops and partnered students as performers and directors, creating an interesting dimension. Students performed and the audience provided carefully guided constructive criticism. The library had assembled its own rendition of “The Voice”—and soon there was huge interest (that is, a large number of boys joined the group).

Sommersell’s goal was for “students… to perform in some way or another, promoting confidence.” Kendrick-Samuel’s goal: to get students into the library and off the streets. Both women realized their dream—when the group stood and performed its rendition of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” at the annual talent show. Students were empowered through music and through the library.

The Dewey Decibels are now a permanent part of the Uniondale Library Young Adult Services programming, one that everyone can’t wait to hear. Syntychia Kendrick-Samuel said, “Sure, it was great to see kids get up on stage…or see painfully shy kids perform for the first time, but the best thing about it was seeing how the library could make a difference. That’s why I became a librarian. This is the kind of thing that makes it all worth it.”

The post Dewey Decibels: Teens Creating Music at Their Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.