building relationships

The Exhibitions

The Vespasian Warner Public Library District in Clinton has been looking forward to this month (January of 2022) for almost two years. The library was selected by Illinois Humanities to be one of six host sites for Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, a travelling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition is on display now through February 5, 2022 and admission is free and open to the public.

Pandemic Programming – Baby Goats, Churros, and Pumpkins

Are you looking for a new way to gather input and spark ideas in your community? Try a community conversation.

The Vespasian Warner Public Library District in Clinton held a community conversation in August thanks to grant funding from Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL).

The fall season may seem like an odd time to think about gardening, but it is the perfect time of year to start a Seed Library.  

Back in June, it was with cautious optimism that I emailed our staff to say “we’re getting the band back together!” It was time to dust off the prize wheel, order tchotchkes, air out the tent, and get back out into the community for some personal interaction with residents. We received a number of invitations to fests and gatherings, and I said yes to as many as I thought we could handle. We had great fun, meaningful conversations, and new experiences. Here are some bullet points to consider as your outreach schedule comes back to life:

Small and rural libraries play a critical role in connecting community members to vital resources and programs.  Each year nearly 30 million Americans are served by the nation’s approximately 4,000 rural library systems.  This number illustrates the value that local communities place on library services.  Small and rural libraries are the heart of the community they serve.  Like their counterparts they are a place of information, a community hub connecting people to people offering safe havens for their users while providing the range of information resources ne

I have a love/hate relationship with August.  I hate August because it sometimes feels useless.  August is long and hot and dreary.  Summer reading is wrapping up or is over already, but it is too soon to start thinking about next year.  Patrons seem to be far too preoccupied with tying up their own summers and getting ready for back-to-school to participate in programming.  Most autumn activities and programming don’t kick into high gear until after Labor Day.  And, there are no universally recognized holidays in August to offer staff a mental break from their

What happens when you realize that your community is unaware that they have access to a library? You apply for a My Library Is... grant and use those funds to create awareness that the public library is combined with the school library!

As a youth services programmer this year has been tough.  Severe restrictions on space ensured an inability to fully engage and collaborate in person throughout the pandemic.  This restricted access made it difficult to feel connected to the community my library sought to serve.  In order to help bridge this gap, the Robert R. Jones Public Library has collaborated with the Village of Coal Valley’s Parks Department to provide Coal Valley's youth a fun-filled summer of possibilities through a revamped 2021 Day-Camp program.

Due to an out of state move, The Lisle Library District is saying good-bye to our amazing Home Delivery Coordinator, Winona Patterson, who has run the program since 2015. LLD’s Home Delivery program began in 1993 with two patrons and one volunteer and has grown over the years to approximately 70 participants and 3 community volunteers. This post shares some of Winona’s insights into the challenges and rewards of facilitating a successful Home Delivery program.

How would you describe LLD’s Home Delivery program?