I was particularly impressed by the infrastructure that the Akron-Summit County Public Library in Ohio had developed to support this process, including a form that library staff (at all levels) can fill out to propose becoming an embedded librarian. The form includes the expected time commitment and a description of “how will engagement with this organization benefit the library?” It is very smart to think about the staffing implications that emerge when library staff spend significant amounts of time working outside library facilities.

In any case, Barb White from the Akron-Summit County Public Library has continued talking about and developing her library’s approach to embedded librarianship. Most recently, she presented at an Ohio Library Council day-long symposium “Community Engagement @ Your Library: Creating Vibrant, Diverse, and Inclusive Communities.” At this event, librarians from across Ohio shared how they practice embedded librarianship. The possibilities are endless! Sarah Glover Crawford from Lima Public Library states that we should be doing more to “Take [our] programming abilities and skills and show them off (almost) anywhere! Today more than ever it is critical that libraries start thinking and moving outside their walls and establish a strong presence outside in the community.”

Here are two examples of librarians doing just that — embedded librarianship in laundromats and Zumba classes. You may have heard of librarians delivering programs in laundromats. This idea has recently taken off, and has received some high profile media coverage, including by PBS’s News Hour, the U.S. News & World Report, and in the Chicago Tribune. These efforts involve partnerships between local public libraries (Chicago Public Library and the New York Public Library, respectively) and the non-profit organization Libraries Without Borders.

Brian Bannon, commissioner and CEO of the Chicago Public Library, stated that “Kids are not really being engaged while they’re at the laundromat … What if we could use them as an outreach point – a place where we could support literacy and engage with children and families? It’s an unlikely place in a lot of ways, but it’s a likely place in that it’s a traditional area where kids and parents go.”

This, in a nut-shell, is what embedded librarianship is all about: Meeting people where they are and finding ways to add value to people’s lives through this process.

Meanwhile, in the rural community of Odell, Oregon (population 2,255), Patty Lara of the Hood River County Library District practices embedded librarianship by taking library services to a weekly Zumba class. She writes in the article “Impacting Rural Hispanic Communities by Reaching Out, Connecting and Providing Services at Different Levels” in the Oregon Library Association Quarterly that she started practicing this form of embedded librarianship in 2014: “This opportunity came to be because of my little sister. She took me to a free community Zumba class offered in Odell. As I quickly discovered, this was a perfect opportunity to promote library services. I attended the next Zumba class where I presented my ideas to promote the library to the instructors, and they were excited to partner with me. I now carry with me a crate of books, laptop, and scanner. I have the ability to register new patrons and provide library services once a week.”

Lara shared this story in her article: “Just last year, I had an older woman ask me for a library card. She was a little quiet and reserved, and she told me she was specifically looking for a certain book. I told her I didn’t have it at that moment, but I would bring it to the next class. She came up to me during the following class, and I showed her the book. She was so happy and told me she would have never been able to get a hold of a book like that because she didn’t have the resources to get to the library.”

The local media in Hood River has also reported on Lara’s embedded librarianship at a Zumba class. Read more about her work here.

Where do you practice embedded librarianship? What impacts has it had? Share your story in the comments.

The post Embedded Librarianship: From Laundromats to Zumba Class first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Active Life, Active Mind, is an annual programming series the library has offered since 2013. This year, over 250 events will place across the county, including everything from Star Wars Yoga to an author talk with Sarah Ashley Neal, author of Emotional Sandwiches. Other programs include knitting groups, walk and talk sessions, Tai Chi, coloring and lego clubs, ballet for the over 50’s crowd, smoothie biking (a stationary bike with a blender hooked up to it), and bollywood dancing. See the full list of activities at https://www.devonlibraries.org.uk/web/arena/health-activelifeactivemind.

Photo used with permission.

Photo used with permission.

Photo used with permission.

This year’s series will be bigger than every previous year, with programs for people of all ages and interests. According to the library’s Communications and Marketing Assistant Rachael Miles, during the last Active Life, Active Mind program series “over 2,500 people attended … with 80% of participants stating that the event helped them to make new connections within their community and 35% stated they were encouraged to be more active.”

Colin Bray, Service Development Manager, said: “The New Year brings a new outlook and new opportunities, but for some, this time of year can be somewhat challenging and isolating. Libraries are the perfect venue to bring people together, our spaces are welcoming and our staff are warm and friendly. [We] encourage people to try new activities and learn new skills or simply to meet like-minded people. The programme helps promote positive mental and physical health and wellbeing through a range of events, working alongside a number of specialist partners. Libraries also signpost to relevant reading material, local services and places for support.”

The library could not do all these programs without the active support of partners, who include the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), Cancer Research UK, Lloyds Pharmacy and The Stroke Association. Each partner has been specially selected for their knowledge and expertise and their role in supporting and advising people to live happy and healthy lives.

Libraries in the United States also offer programs after the holidays to help people with their New Year’s resolutions to try to live more healthily. In Missouri, the Daniel Boone Regional Library’s New Year, New You program involves getting a curated collection of library resources designed just for you. If you share your New Year’s resolutions with the library staff, they will curate a small collection of books and other resources that they will give to you at a special event on January 9. At that event, the library will also discuss the many resources and programs that they offer on an on-going basis to help you achieve your goals.

In Ohio, Clermont County Public Library will offer a series of New Year, New You programs Tuesdays in January, with sessions on “Yoga and other alternative Wellness options for better Health and Fitness.” Also in Ohio, the Huron Public Library offers a special New Year, New You Health Fair on January 5. Participants will be able to “partake in health screenings from Firelands Regional Medical Center, and meet professionals specializing in functional medicine, herbalism, natural foods and supplements, physical fitness, diet, breast health, senior health, and stress relief. Healthy snacks and beverages will be served. All attendees will also be entered to win fabulous, healthy door prizes” In Wisconsin, the Mead Library is offering a six-week series on Tai Chi. In Illinois, the Glenview Library offers an Intro to Square Dance Party on January 12.

Is your library doing special programs to help your community get healthy after the holidays? Let us know in the comments.

Images:

The post Public Libraries Help Support Resolutions to Get Healthy first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

History of Fun Palaces in Libraries
Let’s back up. Where did this idea come from? In the 1960s, people in the British theater world developed the concept, but it was not until 2014 that the idea came to fruition, when venues as diverse as the Royal Shakespeare Company and a Canadian Radio Station opened their doors the first weekend of October for a pop-up, laboratory of fun in which community members shared the activities they love to do with other community members.

Since then, Fun Palaces have become a “worldwide campaign for culture made by your community, for your community.” Every year the number of venues that participate in the weekend of action — which takes place the first weekend of October — has grown, and from the beginning public libraries have been key participants. In 2014, Britain’s Gladstone’s Library offered a Fun Palace, and they found that “every single person [who participated] was new to the library.” Fun Palaces pull people in to engage with libraries in new and exciting ways.

One of the best parts of Fun Palaces are the unexpected discoveries that arise when so many creative people share so many passions all at once in one place. For instance, in 2017 Mark Heaton, who works at Rotherham Libraries in England, tweeted a picture of someone learning Martial Arts at the library with the caption “Didn’t expect to see this in a library! #FunPalaces.”

Bolstered by success stories like these, libraries have enthusiastically joined the Fun Palaces movement. Indeed, in 2017, 54.97% of the 362 Fun Palaces offered worldwide took place in libraries. Writing in CILIP Update, the British equevalent of Public Libraries, Matt Finch writes that “Libraries are inspirational spaces where people can experiment creatively and engage with knowledge, culture and self-directed learning,” thus making them the perfect setting for Fun Palaces.

In 2016, Stella Duffy, the co-director of Fun Palaces (a not-for-profit Unincorporated Association, hosted by The Albany, Deptford), gave a keynote on the movement for the Society of Chief Librarians in England. She said that talking with librarians about Fun Palaces “made a massive difference to libraries taking us on.” At first, some libraries in the U.K. were wary of the staffing obligations associated with this program, but after they saw the impacts that Fun Palaces were having in libraries, and how much support they received from Duffy and the resources she and her staff have put together, even more libraries got involved in the movement.

Something Old, Something New: Fun Palaces Come to U.S. Libraries
Nevertheless, it was not until 2017 that Fun Palaces finally made their way to the United States, when the director of the Huntington City-Township Public Library heard about Fun Palaces in an email newsletter from the American Library Association that mentioned Fun Palaces in passing. Piqued by the idea, the library director researched Fun Palaces, and, according to Henderson, “determined that we be the first library in the US to host a Fun Palace, and off we went!”

The library’s Assistant Director of Library Services, Jessi Brown, wrote in the wrap-up report of the U.S.’s first library-hosted Fun Palace that: “It allows us to be seen as a space for art, for science, for learning new things and excitement. Fun Palaces are important for my community because it allows them to share their passion, and perhaps find someone to share that passion with that they might not have ever found. It allows them to take a risk and try something new and no cost to them. And, it allows people to experience something that they might not ever have experienced because of a lack of someone in their life to teach it.”

Furthermore, the concept of the Fun Palaces fits squarely within the parameters of what a growing number of U.S. libraries already doing. For instance, in Bellingham, Washington, the library has a SkillShare at the library, in which community members are invited on an ongoing basis to share their skills with others at the library. Many library makerspaces also incorporate elements of the Fun Palaces ethos, such as Madison Public Library’s Bubbler, in which local artists share their passions at the library.

Learn What Programs Your Community Wants
In addition to these community benefits, Fun Palaces can also be very helpful for libraries seeking to discover what types of programs their communities want. In Huntington, the library found that the Dungeons & Dragons, calligraphy, and chain-mail jewelery booths “were mobbed all day, each day,” according to Henderson. The library already knew that their community had a big kindness rocks following, so the library made sure they had a station where people could come and paint rocks. “As best we could, if we saw a desire to learn or do something in the community, we tried to set up a station for it (or, failing that, a program at a later date),” Henderson said.

Trying out the trumpet at Huntington City-Township Public Library’s 2017 Fun Palace. Image courtesy Jessi Brown.

Somewhat surprisingly, though, the library found that they did not have to invest an inordinate amount of time in planning the event. Henderson stated that “we spread word around the community around August that we’d be hosting it, and that we were seeking volunteers from the community to lead sessions during the two day festival,” and many people stepped forward to share their skills.

Bring the Fun Palace Idea to Your Library

Despite a massive building renovating beginning at the end of August, the Huntington City-Township Public Library is definitely doing another Fun Palace during October 2018’s Weekend of Action (October 6 and 7). In early August the library sent around a press release asking community members “Do you have a talent, hobby, or passion that you would like to share with others [at the library’s Fun Palace]?” Follow them on social media to see how their second Fun Palace develops and get inspired to try this idea at your library! The library has also shared a great deal of planning and marketing materials, as well as photographs, of its first Fun Palace on Facebook. In addition, the Fun Palaces organization, based in the United Kingdom, has put together an incredible amount of advocacy and logistical tools that can be used by any organization wishing to host a Fun Palace. Their website contains annual reports, films, and pretty much everything you need to get started offering Fun Palaces at your library.

Even dogs got involved in the fun at Huntington City-Township Public Library’s 2017 Fun Palace. Image courtesy Jessi Brown.

It may be too late for your library to join Huntington City-Township Public Library and host a Fun Palace in 2018, but it’s not too early to start planning for 2019!

*Blog Headline Image: Advertisement for the United States’s first library-based Fun Palace, hosted October 7-8 in Huntington, Indiana. Image courtesy Devon Henderson, Marketing, Web Services, Huntington City-Township Public Library, Huntington, Indiana

The post “I Didn’t Expect to See That at the Library” – Fun Palace Engages Community first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The vast majority of these programs receive support from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service’s Summer Food Service Program, which since 1968 has been providing free lunches to at-risk youth aged 18 and under across the country.[1] The program has expanded from 1,200 sites in 1968 to over 50,000 sites in 2016,[2] including hundreds of public libraries across the country.

For instance, in California alone in 2018, 198 public libraries will serve an estimated 275,000 free meals, all fully reimbursed by the USDA, through the state’s Lunch at the Library program.[3] California, like Ohio, Montana, Colorado and other states, have embraced the summer feeding program, contributing substantial state time and money to ensuring that public libraries have the tools they need to participate in this free program.

For instance, in Montana the state library has offered a free webinar for the last few years on the topic of “how your library can collaborate with the Montana Summer Food Program to match programming up with feeding Montana’s kids a nutritious meal.”[4] The webinar has featured the stories of actual Montana public librarians who have participated in the summer feeding program, inspiring others to get involved. Similar educational opportunities have been offered in Colorado,[5] Ohio, and elsewhere.

In Ohio, the state library prominently includes the summer feeding program in its 2018-2022 Five-Year Plan. The plan states that

“The State Library has initiated a strong promotional initiative encouraging public libraries to participate in the USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Summer reading programs have long been a pillar of library literacy programming for young patrons but hungry kids don’t read. They can become trapped in a cycle of poor school performance and ill health that can have lifelong literacy and learning consequences. The State Library works with public libraries to help youth experiencing food insecurity by becoming an SFSP site, becoming an SFSP sponsor, partnering with existing sites, publicizing the program and/or connecting young patrons to the program. In 2016, 39 public library systems participated in SFSP, allowing 133 individual library sites (branches) to participate. Over the five years 2012-2016, there has been a 60% increase in the number of library sites, and nearly double the number of library systems participating in SFSP.”[6]

California has done similar work, sending out a survey in Spring 2018 inquiring about any obstacles public libraries may face that prevent them from participating in the USDA Summer Feeding program.[7]

And indeed obstacles do  exist. For instance, a discussion on the Programming Librarian Interest Group group on Facebook revealed that in some parts of the country libraries do not see summer feeding as an appropriate task of the library. In Spring 2018, a librarian in Indiana wrote that

“I had [a summer feeding program] all organized [at my library] and then my board told me I couldn’t do it We were going to go through the USDA’s program. It wouldn’t have cost our library a dime! We are in a very traditional town. They are making a lot of forward strides but this was really saddening.

Luckily the local church agreed to pick up where I left off, so the kids will be getting food. I just wish the library would get the PR for it.”

This story illustrates that we still have a way to go before summer feeding is completely accepted within the public library profession. To learn more about how and why to bring summer feeding to your library check out these free resources:

• “More Than Summer Lunches–Social, Cultural, and Healthy Connections” Janet Reynolds, Librarian, Library District #2 of Linn County, La Cygne, KS (Population served: 2400) discusses how and why her library started serving meals, and how they developed programming around those meals so that the summer program was more than just a free lunch. http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/bigtalk/previous-conferences/2018-presentations/more-than-summer-lunches-social-cultural-and-healthy-connections/
• The non-profit WebJunction has embraced ending food insecurity as a priority area. Check out their free learning resources to discover how libraries can get involved. https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/hunger-and-libraries.html & https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/beyond-food-for-fines.html.

References

[1]  United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service’s Summer Food Service Program website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/program-history

[2] United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service’s Summer Food Service Program: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/child-nutrition-programs/summer-food-service-program/

[3] Civil Eats website: https://civileats.com/2018/06/05/libraries-are-bridging-the-summer-gap-for-hungry-kids/

[4] Montana State Library – Summer Food Service Video https://vimeo.com/channels/403784/262451306

[5] Colorado State Library – Summer Food Service Webinar:
https://create.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/calendar/healthy-snacks-healthy-kids-at-your-library-through-cacfp/

[6] IMLS.gov: https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/state-profiles/plans/ohio5yearplan.pdf

[7] California State Library survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/summermealchallenges

The post Feeding the Body and the Mind – Library Summer Feeding Programs first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

More than 1,500 residents filled out surveys and 300 participated in community meetings. What they found may surprise you. In addition to wanting things like “comfortable seating, a children’s library, a café, a quiet study area, more books, free Wi-Fi, [and] a family events center,” the community also asked for “a place for fitness and exercise.”[1] Indeed, 47.2 percent of survey respondents said they wanted to see “Exercise/Fitness classes” in the new Saugus Library Center, making it the fourth most popular response, behind “Free Wi-Fi,” “Books,” and “Family Events.”[2]

In fact, this trend has been growing now for some time.  One of the newest branches of the San Antonio (Texas) Public Library is co-located within a YMCA fitness center.[3] Similarly, the newest branch of the Calgary Public Library in Alberta, Canada, is also located within a YMCA recreation facility. Mark Asberg, director of Calgary’s service delivery said, “We want to be in spaces where our resources are as available as possible to as many people as possible.”[4]

Some libraries take this trend even further. The London (Canada) Public Library is working intensively with its YMCA to develop a new Southwest Community Centre, scheduled to open in Fall 2018. The new shared facility is being described as a “one-stop-shop for learning, playing, and healthy living: Imagine a place where everyone in a community comes together to learn, play, have fun, and be healthy.”[5]

Meanwhile, in Singapore in Southeast Asia, a new type of public library opened on February 4. Called “Heartbeat@Bedok,” the facility brings together a “sports centre, public library, community club, polyclinic and senior care centre under one roof.” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that bringing these entities together in one facility will enable the hub to becomea “national innovation laboratory” to pilot new services, which could include telemedicine and the pairing of workout data with health statistics.[6]

Back in Santa Clarita, California, the city is committed to meeting community needs by creating a space for exercise and fitness in its newest library branch, which scheduled to open to the public in 2020. The concept for the new library is that it will be a:

• “Multi-generational family destination and gathering place for all Santa Clarita residents
• Vibrant community hub with unique indoor and outdoor spaces
• A place where learning, exploration, imagination and play can happen simultaneously in the same area.”[7]

Maybe you can’t build a new library, but you can think about what you can do to positively impact health and wellness in your community. The Public Library Association currently has an ongoing initiative focused on how public libraries in the U.S. promote healthy communities. Follow this initiative, and get involved, to make a difference in your community.[8]

References

[1] Andrew Clark, “City plans for massive annexation, Saugus library and arts center.” The Signal: Santa Clarita Valley. February 12, 2018. https://signalscv.com/2018/02/city-plans-massive-annexation-saugus-library-arts-center/.

[2] City of Santa Clarita. Saugus Library Center Needs Assessment Survey – April 2015. http://www.santaclaritalibrary.com/files/2014/10/SLC-Survey-Results-April-2015.pdf.

[3] RJ Marques. “New SA library with free Wifi, YMCA to open Friday on far West Side.” KSAT-12. November 4, 2016. https://www.ksat.com/sa-live/new-library-ymca-to-open-friday-on-far-west-side.

[4] Calgary Public Library. “Calgary’s First Express Library Opens in New YMCA.” January 9, 2018. https://calgarylibrary.ca/news/calgarys-first-express-library-opens-in-new-ymca/.

[5] Janis Wallace. “Residents in southwest London are excited about a new one-stop-shop for learning, playing, and healthy living.” TheLondoner.ca. February 1, 2018. http://www.thelondoner.ca/2018/02/01/residents-in-southwest-london-are-excited-about-a-new-one-stop-shop-for-learning-playing-and-healthy-living.  

[6] Seow Bei Yi. “Community facilities under one roof at new Bedok lifestyle hub.” The Straits Times. February 4, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community-facilities-under-one-roof-at-new-bedok-lifestyle-hub.

[7] City of Santa Clarita. “Saugus Library Center.” http://www.santaclaritalibrary.com/about/saugus-library-center/.

[8] Public Library Association. “Promoting Healthy Communities: A Health Information Initiative.” http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/healthliteracy.

The post Health and Wellness at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One of those libraries is the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, halfway between Columbus and Cleveland, in Ohio. Anticipating that people may find this new service a little odd, the library staff prepared an FAQ section on its site to explain it. The library FAQ asks “How does lending bikes fit within the mission of the library?,” and responds “The answer to this question lies in Access. The Library’s goal is to level the playing field for our customers, offering FREE access to materials … they may not be able to purchase for themselves. In our opinion, the next evolution of libraries is, in part, offering access to health and wellness information, health education or health and wellness training and tools.”[1]

This new type of library collection requires new forms of community partnerships. In Mansfield, the library partnered with Richland Public Health and Richland Moves to create the collection. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a local health network, the city government, a bike shop, and active transportation enthusiasts all got together with the library to create the collection. At the Portneuf District Library in Chubbuck, Idaho, East Fork Bikes, a local bike shop, was a primary partner. In Barberton, Ohio, the library checks out bicycles through its participation in a regional bike share program.[2]

Michelle Boisvenue-Fox, director of innovation and user experience at the Kent District Library (KDL) in Central Michigan said, “A ‘bike culture’ is growing in the county and offering circulating bikes to KDL patrons supports this great effort and brings awareness to biking whether it’s for fitness or enjoyment …. It’s been fun to talk about this new service with our community partners. Their eyes light up and they get excited. It’s one more thing for them to fall in love with at KDL.”[3]

Want to get started building your own circulating bike collection? A number of resources already exist! Camrose Public Library in Alberta, Canada, makes its bike borrowing agreement available online, so you can see what goes into checking them out.[4] Mansfield Public Library also makes its borrowing agreement available online. They also have bike safety guidelines available to patrons.[5]

Josh Berk, executive director of the Bethlehem Area Public Library in Pennsylvania, rides one of his library’s bicylces at the ribbon cutting of Bike Bethlehem. Photo Courtesy of Bethlehem Area Public Library.

Librarians have also prepared instructional materials for other librarians interested in expanding their collections to include bicycles. James Hill from the Athens County Public Libraries in southeast Ohio wrote a chapter on how to increase “physical activity with a library card” by checking out bicycles. His library has been circulating bicycles since May 2013.[6] Josh Berk, the executive director of Bethlehem Area Public Library in Pennsylvania, shared his experiences lending bikes in a free webinar held in Fall 2017.[7]

Public libraries aren’t the only libraries checking out bicycles. Roanoke College Library in Virginia checks out bicycles, as does the University of Georgia Libraries and Keene State College in New Hampshire, and many of college libraries in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[8]

Not sure if you’re ready yet to start checking out bicycles? There are plenty of other things you can do to support bicycling! For instance, you could join libraries like Mesa Public Library in Arizona that check out bike locks for patrons who bike to the library but forget a lock.[9] Or you could do what Oakland Public Library does, and check out bicycle tools at the library.[10] Or you could copy Berkeley Public Library, and put up a 24/7 Bike Fix-It station outside your library.[11]

Join the conversation on bicycling and libraries! At the 2018 meeting of the Public Library Association there will be a whole session on how bicycles and public libraries can come together.[12] The organizers are part of a group on Facebook called “Biking Librarians” that exists as a forum for librarians interested in “incorporating bicycling into their outreach services and programming schedules.”[13]

North American public libraries that check out bicycles (Are we missing you? Add your information in the comments below!)

1. Athens County Public Libraries (Ohio) – Book-A-Bike – https://www.myacpl.org/about/bikes/
2. Avon Lake Public Library (Ohio) – Borrow a Bike – http://www.morningjournal.com/article/MJ/20170905/NEWS/170909765
3. Barberton Public Library (Ohio) – Bike Share Program – https://www.ohio.com/akron/writers/barberton-residents-and-visitors-can-borrow-bikes
4. Bethlethem Area Public Library (Pennsylvania) – Bike Bethlehem – http://www.bikebethlehem.org/
5. Camrose Public Library (Alberta) – Bike Borrowing – http://cpl.prl.ab.ca/about-us/policies
6. Centerburg Public Library (Ohio) – Bike borrowing program – http://mountvernonnews.com/article/2017/02/24/borrow-a-bicycle-from-the-centerburg-library-this-year/
7. Dallas County Library Association – Book-A-Bike – http://www.theperrychief.com/news/20170713/book-bike-program-offers-day-long-access-to-bicycles-at-perry-public-library
8. Fitchburg Public Library (Massachusetts) – Bicycle collection – http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_31023460/you-may-be-able-borrow-bike-at-fitchburg
9. Georgetown Public Library (Texas) – Bicycle Checkout – https://library.georgetown.org/bicycles-are-available-for-checkout-at-the-library/
10. Kent District Library (Michigan) – KDL Cruisers – https://www.kdl.org/take-spin-kdl-cruiser
11. Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (Ohio) – Check out a bike – https://www.mrcpl.org/whats-new/bike-lending-program/check-out-a-bike
12. Meigs County District Public Library (Ohio) – Book a Bike – https://www.meigslibrary.org/node/639
13. Meridian Library District (Idaho) – Book-A-Bike https://www.mld.org/book-a-bike
14. Montgomery County Public Libraries (Pennsylvania) – Bike Share Program – http://www.ptma-mc.org/programs/free-bike-share-program/
15. Portneuf District Library (Idaho) – Circulating bicycle collection – http://www.portneuflibrary.org/unique-collections.html
16. Sierra Vista Public Library (Arizona) – Borrow-A-Bike – http://www.sierravistaaz.gov/city-departments/library/borrow-a-bike/
17. Stark County District Library (Ohio) – BikeSmart – https://starklibrary.org/home/services/bikesmart/
18. Winter Park Public Library (Florida) – Checkout Bikes – http://archive.wppl.org/info/checkout-bikes.html
19. Grand Rapids Area Library (Minnesota) – Community Bike Share – https://www.getfititasca.org/non-motorized-transportation

References

[1] Mansfield/Richland County Public Library. 2018. Bike Lending Program Survey Results & FAQs. https://www.mrcpl.org/whats-new/bike-lending-program/bike-lending-survey-results-summary-and-faqs.

[2] Paula Schleis. 2017, May 23. Barberton residents and visitors can borrow bikes. https://www.ohio.com/akron/writers/barberton-residents-and-visitors-can-borrow-bikes.

[3] Kent District Library. 2018. Take a Spin with a KDL Cruiser. https://www.kdl.org/take-spin-kdl-cruiser.

[4] Camrose Public Library. Undated. Bike Borrowing Agreement. http://cpl.prl.ab.ca/about-us/policies/bike-borrowing-agreement.

[5] Mansfiled/Richland County Public Library. 2018. Check out a bike! https://www.mrcpl.org/whats-new/bike-lending-program/check-out-a-bike.

[6] James Hill. 2017. Book-a-Bike: Increasing Access to Physical Activity with a Library Card. In Audio Recorders to Zucchini Seeds: Building a Library of Things. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited. http://www.letsmovelibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Book-A-Bike-Chapter.pdf.

[7] Josh Berk. 2017. Bike Bethlehem! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qE06Rsl5WI&feature=youtu.be&t=4m58s.

[8] https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/sustainability/rcycles_bicycle_sharing_program / https://sustainability.uga.edu/operations/transportation/bulldogbikes/ / http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/borrow-a-book-borrow-a-bike-a-library-linked-bike/article_d5fec2a6-af9a-52a9-8ccf-b7fa0c3dba70.html  / http://startthecycle.ca/partner-locations.php

[9] Mesa Public Library. 2018. Stuffbrary. http://www.mesalibrary.org/find/stuffbrary.

[10] Hard Knox Bikes. 2017. Need to borrow a bike tool?! https://hardknoxbikes.com/2017/06/20/need-to-borrow-a-bike-tool/.

[11] Berkeley Public Library. 2014. Tool Lending Library. https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/locations/tool-lending-library.

[12] PLA 2018. 2018. Libraries Taking the Lane: Using Bikes to Connect Communities. http://www.placonference.org/program/libraries-taking-the-lane-using-bikes-to-connect-communities/.

[13] Biking Librarians. 2018. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/bikinglibrarians/.

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Susan Treadwell, who nominated Cipolla for the award, said, “Before her arrival, the Pacific Palisades Library was simply a place to check out books. Now it feels like the beating heart of our community.”[1]

Photo Courtesy of The American Library Association.

In a TedX talk in 2014 produced by students in Cipolla’s Teen Council program, Cipolla discusses her journey. She begins: “My parents escaped the Communist Revolution in China and they brought everything that they could carry in two suitcases. They didn’t speak English. We were impoverished …. ”[2]

Based on these and other experiences, Cipolla told her audience: “I really understand where you are in your journey and I want to help you get launched. Not just now, but for the rest of your life.”

A major part of her work as a librarian focuses on college readiness. She organizes workshops and seminars that bring university representatives to the library to prepare students for college admissions and to navigate financial aid systems.

In these and other programs, Cipolla treats teens like members of the library team. She told them in her TedX talk that “the team is comprised of other librarians and circulation staff [and] sometimes my team is composed entirely of teens like you.” Through her Teen Council programs she invites and encourages young people to play an active role in shaping their library.

Treadwell said, “The fact is, if there is a program you would like to see developed, she will do everything in her power to  make it happen. And because she is a professional in every sense of the word, it will be first-rate. Her community has come to expect nothing less.”

Cipolla also uses her library to address food insecurity issues in the city of Los Angeles. She leads gardening workshops that empower people to take charge of their nutrition by teaching them how to grow their own food. She leads programs called “Teen Cuisine,” “Container Garden,” and “Worm Bin.” She also encourages blooming entrepreneurs to sell produce and products at local farmers’ markets. For instance, Treadwell notes that a popular “workshop involved students making botanical soaps utilizing the herbs from her garden. The students made over 100 soaps and sold them at the local farmer’s market. And in a spirit of giving, they donated their earnings to an orphanage in Mexico.”

To learn more about other I Love My Librarian! 2017 Award Winners, visit their website.

References

[1] Susan Treadwell. “I love my librarian! 2017 Award Nomination for Annie Cipolla.” ilovelibraries.org. http://www.ilovelibraries.org/sites/default/files/cipolla-ILML2017_Nomination.pdf (accessed January 3, 2018).

[2] Annie Cipolla. “Sparking Creativity and the Library.” TEDxYouth@PalisadesCharterHighSchool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoeXoP0N6U (accessed January 3, 2018).

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Empirical data paint a far different future of career prospects in librarianship. According to a recently published report on “The Future of Skills” by Pearson, a publishing and educational company, who conducted research with Nesta and Oxford University, “Librarians, curators, and archivists” will be the ninth most in demand occupation group in coming years. Librarians will be more in demand in 2030 than media and communication workers, construction trade workers, and others, according to the report.

Why, despite consistent evidence that public librarians are in demand, do we continue to see articles proclaiming our death? The profession faces the challenge of communicating its continued relevance in changing times. In response to the USA Today article, the Association for Library and Information Science Education wrote a letter to the editor that communicated the continuing value of public librarians: “Public librarians connect patrons to community resources, lead programming for children and adults, and engage in community outreach and advocacy.”

Part of communicating our value involves aligning library services with local and national goals, a fact pointed out by the Aspen Institute’s Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries initiative. The Pearson report highlights seven societal megatrends that public librarians will need to address to ensure continued relevancy. These values include “changing technology, globalization, demographic change, environmental sustainability, urbanization, rising inequality, and political uncertainty.” In response to these trends, human skills that will be needed include “teaching, social perceptiveness, service orientation, and persuasion.”

An article in Library Journal on the Pearson report notes that we need to ask ourselves “How will the people libraries serve be impacted by these megatrends, how will they need to learn, and what skills will they need to develop in order to thrive?” Part of the answer to this question involves advocacy and marketing. Public libraries already address all seven megatrends, and in particular “changing technology” and “rising inequality,” but perhaps we need to do more to communicate broadly on the impacts we are having. We can use reports like The Future of Skills to craft messages that vividly showcase our value now and into the future.

The post The Future Looks Bright for Librarianship first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One of the librarians Dr. Soleri interviewed was Jennifer Lyon, who helps manage a seed library in the Mendocino County Library System. Lyon and other librarians from Mendocino presented at the 2017 Conference of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries on how to start a seed library. In their presentation, the librarians noted that:

“For some communities, getting folks to garden and grow some of their own food is the focus. For other communities, seed libraries may be created as an important step to develop a network of seed savers, to create locally adapted varieties, to respond proactively to climate change or loss of gene integrity due to GMOs, or to preserve genetic diversity.” [2]

Another big benefit to having seed libraries located in public libraries (as opposed to in other institutions), is that when they are in public libraries they are open longer hours. Dr. Soleri found that, on average, seed collections located in public libraries are available to the public for double the number of hours of seed collections located elsewhere. Public libraries can also connect seed libraries to health and wellness initiatives. According to the Cooperative Extension System, “Gardening is a great way to not only enjoy some fresh air, but to get some exercise and increase your physical activity, too!” [3]

Dr. Soleri did not set out to study public libraries, but she found out that most seed libraries (67%) in California are in public libraries. Most of these seed libraries are managed by library staff members who have gardening experience.

Julie Zeoli, Adult Services Librarian at the Yoruba Linda Public Library, California, and founder of Yorba Linda Grows seed library. Photo Courtesy of Daniela Soleri.

Seed libraries rely extensively on volunteer labor. They are truly a community endeavor. Dr. Soleri found that, on average, about 75 percent of the work done to manage seed libraries in public libraries was unpaid, and 27 percent of the public library seed libraries studied are managed entirely by volunteers. Furthermore, the library staff members responsible for managing seed libraries occupy diverse roles. Dr. Soleri found everyone from head librarians to part time technicians are responsible for the seed libraries.

Seed libraries acquire new seeds every year from local and national networks. The libraries then distribute those seeds. Most libraries reported acquiring their seeds from special purpose or mission-driven seed companies, either as donations or as purchases.

Dr. Soleri also found public libraries confronting challenges as they manage seed libraries. One public library staff member reported shutting down their seed library after a year and a half because borrowers never returned seed. However, other library staff report that the goal of seed libraries is not to save seed from year to year, but rather to promote access to gardening. Only 10 percent of seed libraries located in public libraries require having a library card to use the seed libraries, suggesting that this unique example of a “library of things” operates differently from the regular circulating collection.

To learn more about how to start a seed library at your public library, visit this collection of resources.

References

[1] Soleri, Daniela. “Civic seeds: new institutions for seed systems and communities—a 2016 survey of California seed libraries.” Agriculture and Human Values (2017): 1-17.

[2] Lyon, Jennifer and Roseanne Wetzel. “How to start a seed library.” A presentation at the 2017 meeting of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, St. George, Utah, Sept. 7-9.

[3] Cooperative Extension System. “Does gardening count as exercise and physical activity?” Nov. 14, 2012. http://articles.extension.org/pages/27727/does-gardening-count-as-exercise-and-physical-activity.

Resources

Peterson, Jennifer. “Growing Library Gardening Programs.” WebJunction. http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/growing-library-garden-programs.html.

The post Check out Seeds at the Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Much of the conference was organized around the unique concerns of library staff in sparsely populated areas. At breakfast on the morning of the first full day of the conference “solo librarians” could gather together to discuss the challenges associated with being a staff of one. At least one session was led by a volunteer librarian, Dianne Connery, who runs the Pottsboro Area Public Library in Texas with an annual budget from the city of $60,000 (supplemented heavily by donations and grants). The library was a finalist for Library Journal’s Best Small Library in America 2017.

Results from a Collaborative Brainstorming Session on “How might the library rebuild mainstreet?” led by Betha Gutsche during a session on how Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces at the Association for Rural and Small Libraries 2017 Conference. Photo Courtesy of Noah Lenstra.

The ARSL embraces this hands-on ethos. The website urges members (the most expensive individual membership is $49 a year) to “Get Involved: ARSL is a volunteer driven organization! With the exception of some administrative functions, ARSL’s work is a result of volunteers who roll up their sleeves and make it happen!” The association’s Twitter (@RuralLibAssoc) asks “Did you know ARSL’s Annual Conference is staffed, planned and organized by volunteers?”

The sessions of the conference itself covered the gamut of public library functions. A common theme centered on rural and small libraries transforming themselves to become vibrant community hubs. Vanessa Adams (Batesville, AR) spoke on how her library went from “virtually no programs and little community support to a thriving hub of activity.” Anna Yount (Brevard, NC) discussed how her library developed  “a dynamic new road map for community success.” Hope Decker (Canandaigua, NY) discussed how to “make the most” of a small library space. Betha Gutsche from OCLC/WebJunction presented preliminary results from the ongoing Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces initiative. She highlighted the public library in Bellingham, WA, which removed two book shelves to create a SkillShare space in the library, in which community members share their skills to offer everything from Tai Chi to Baby Sign Language classes.

Librarians in other sessions discussed taking their services outside through things like library community gardens and partnerships with parks. Still other sessions focused on advocacy and marketing, preparing librarians to tell the stories of the successes they are experiencing, as well as the social and economic issues they are helping to address, such as rural poverty, digital literacy, and multiculturalism.

Work is already underway to plan next year’s conference, which will be in Springfield, Illinois, September 13-15, 2018. Conference attendance rose from 503 in 2016 (Fargo, ND) to over 550 in 2017. Check ARSL out on Facebook and Twitter to stay in-the-loop with this dynamic and growing group of rural and small town librarians.

References

http://arsl.info/about/get-involved/

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/09/lj-in-print/bestsmalllibrary2017/#_

http://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/smart-spaces.html

https://www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org/skillshare

The post Libraries as Vibrant Community Hubs: A Report From the ARSL Conference first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Other libraries across the country have also successfully developed exercise classes for older adults. In Oklahoma, many public libraries have developed Tai Chi programs in collaboration with the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, Public Library’s Tai Chi class proved to be so popular that the library decided to send several of its staff members to receive Tai Chi training through the Oklahoma State Department of Health so that the classes could become regular programs offered on an ongoing basis at the library. Other libraries have organized dance classes, walking groups, and exercise-based fall prevention programs.

In some cases, such as the Brooklyn Xbox bowling league, the programs are specifically for older adults. In other cases, older adults actively participate alongside other age groups. For instance, in Parry Sound, Ontario, a 92-year old woman joined a library yoga class in May 2016, and has since been an active participant in the weekly, all-ages gentle yoga class. In China Grove, North Carolina, an older couple in their 70s who participated in a library program focused on learning how to run were so inspired that they successfully completed their first 5K that year.

These examples show that there are many things libraries can do to have a positive impact on the lives of senior citizens through programs that feature physical activity. Nick Higgins, director of outreach at Brooklyn Public Library, told NPR:

“A good library reflects the needs of its particular community. Our older adult community … is looking for opportunities other than movie night, something active and social. And the public library is a perfect space for that to happen.” [1]

Your library may not start a bowling league for older adults, but there are lots of other things you could try to create opportunities for senior citizens to exercise and have fun together at the library.

References

[1] http://www.npr.org/2017/07/04/534431175/xbox-bowling-for-seniors-visit-your-local-library

Resources

https://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/calendar/library-lanes-bowling-homecrest-library-071817

http://www.altustimes.com/features/community/5780/tai-chi-classes-a-success / http://swoknews.com/health/free-tai-chi-classes-available-library-and-ccl

http://stillwaterliving.com/tai-chi-at-the-stillwater-public-library/

http://www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/creative-aging-our-communities-public-library-project

http://www.programminglibrarian.org/programs/wise-walk

http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/summerreading/Documents/FallsPrevention.pdf

https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-story/6559277-yoga-and-tea-at-the-library-thursdays/

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