• Lists

    20 Titles to Create a Classroom Community

    There’s a lot of talk about reading a book a day during the school year, the importance of reading aloud to students and the need to teach and show kids empathy and kindness in today’s world. This is a wonderful list of titles that you can share at any time…

  • Lifestyle

    Far Too Common a Problem Results in Unexpected Heroes

    I think at this point almost everyone who follows social and community issues has heard of the skyrocketing numbers of deaths due to drug overdoses, specifically that of heroin in the past few years. It’s a national crisis and you can learn more about the startling number of people it…

  • Activities

    Community Connections – Interfaith Education

    I spent a few hours last night at a Sharing Ramadan event hosted by our local Islamic Society. It was a wonderful event with a speaker who took the time to talk about the beliefs of the Islam faith as well as how Muslims are being viewed by the media.…

  • Lifestyle

    Community Survey Results

    We created a community survey using Survey Monkey and also had it available on paper for people who stopped in the library and were willing to fill it out. After about six weeks, we gathered 333 responses, about 1/3 of which were gathered online, while the majority were gathered on…

  • Lists

    10 Read Aloud Titles About Service for MLK Day

    Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day that many people spend time offering service to their community. Small acts to make a big difference. Volunteerism can start with the littlest ones in your family. And sharing some of these stories is a great way to teach kids kindness and…

  • Lifestyle

    Take Action Tuesday (one week late!)

    Week of Tuesday, March 22 Submit the Share Your Advocacy Story webform. Every day you’re out there advocating in big ways and small for the importance of library service to children. Now it’s time to share your triumphs with other Everyday Advocates and inspire them to do the same! This…

  • Lists

    Unexpected Valentine’s Day Stories

    Although not your typical Valentine’s Day stories these are all stories that speak to the power of love among families, friends, and communities.  And if you haven’t read or shared these Unexpected Valentine’s Day Stories with your loved ones, then head out to your favorite library or bookstore and share…

  • Activities

    Enchanted Library – 2015 edition (superheroes)

    Every year, we create an Enchanted Library program (the largest program our library offers all year around).  We found the idea in a Library Sparks magazine a number of years ago and adapted the program to fit our needs.  Here’s a little background – The program itself is a 20-minute tour…

  • Lifestyle

    Library Card Signup Month

    September is Library Card Signup Month and the Honorary Chair this year is none other than everyone’s favorite beagle, Snoopy!  And if you’re looking for help promoting, check out ALA’s press kit filled with press releases, art work, statistics and more!  What’s great is that ALA has created a library use…

  • Lifestyle

    Libraries: Not Just for Books

    I spent the afternoon yesterday at Longwood Gardens – a beautiful space with some amazing features including North America’s largest living wall!  That got me thinking about how I could incorporate more science with a focus on planting and growing into the library.  I’d love to create an outdoor classroom…