Social Library, Volume 167
We continue the Social Library series with more examples of the innovative ways libraries connect with their communities. This edition includes a video series with professionals presenting on their careers, passive programming for families, celebrating milestones with partners at meal pick up sites, Medicare counseling appointments, and a community music and art project celebrating the Hmong community. If you'd like your library to be featured in an upcoming edition of the Social Library, let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.
- Los Angeles Public Library in California, has been hosting weekly online sessions with professionals discussing their careers in the Virtual Career Day Series. “We've got an inspiring line-up of guest speakers for our popular series! Meet professionals who will discuss their careers, how they got into their fields and what their day-to-day jobs are like. Teens, college students, recent college graduates and curious adults are encouraged to attend.” The sessions are usually an hour long, hosted by different branch staff throughout the system, and have featured guests representing multiple fields, from fashion to the FBI, and from aviation to architecture. And this week’s Virtual Career Day celebrated National Library Week with Careers at the Library! The videos are collected on the library’s YouTube channel.
Tishomingo Public Library in Mississippi has been sharing Suggested Family Activities through Facebook and on their website, a wonderful approach to passive programming for all ages. Some of the activities are related to special events, like National Crayon Day and National Women’s History Month, but most are fun for any day, like Book Spine Poetry. They also invite patrons to send photos of their families doing a activity, and photos are shared in the online photo gallery.
- Beaverton City Library in Oregon shared this wonderful photo in a post to celebrate their work at school meal pick up sites, giving away 9,032 books since the beginning of COVID. "A big Thank You to Beaverton School District and everyone at Beaverton School District Nutrition Services for letting us visit meal pick up sites. We have LOVED getting over nine-thousand books into the hands of kiddos in the last year. Looking forward to giving more books away!"
- Jasper Public Library in Indiana partnered with their state's health insurance assistance program (SHIP) to provide access to free monthly counseling for those in the community seeking Medicare guidance. SHIP offered free, unbiased Medicare information and counseling at the library, for four hours on two different days. Do your local health and social service agencies know that you can provide them with a table or booth in the library, to help improve access to their free services?
Appleton Public Library in Wisconsin has begun sharing short video posts from local artists selected to be part of Community Chords: Engagement Through Music and Art. The project "celebrates Hmong American Day that occurs on May 14. It is a time to recognize and remember Hmong people's stories, history, and contribution in the Vietnam War. The project highlights Hmong narratives and skills and brings everyone together through a shared love of music, art, and literacy - all components that make Appleton a thriving community." Five pianos have been donated to the Community Chords project and the "five selected artists will use the donated pianos as their canvas. The reinvented pianos with Hmong-inspired designs will be placed across the community for public engagement throughout the month of May." Learn more in the short video announcement, and stay tuned for May celebrations!