community engagement

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:

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!

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is home to several programs designed to facilitate meaningful collaborations that address state and regional challenges, promote growth, manage change, and build stronger communities.

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?

For the fifth consecutive summer, my library will serve as a summer meal location to provide free, healthy, boxed meals for children over the summer. We provide this service from the Dundee Library, our main location in East Dundee. The meals are distributed to all kids 18 and under and are paid for by the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally funded program managed by the USDA and operated by the Illinois State Board of Education in conjunction with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, who prepares and delivers the meals. 

If you hear the term “marketing,” does your mind jump to Madison Avenue types like Don Draper? Or do you start thinking about what’s on your grocery list? Maybe something in between? Here in Libraryland, the species known as "Ipsum bibliothecarii" (marketing librarian) has only recently evolved. We still don’t know a lot about them, and just when we think we have them figured out, they surprise us.

What is a Storywalk©? It is a book that has been disassembled, laminated and presented page by page to promote reading and exercise on a trail, bike path, or in store windows. The StoryWalk© Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk© is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

This unprecedented year has been rough on us all. As the Assistant Director of a small public library developing and implementing dynamic children’s programming was at the forefront of brainstorms throughout my workweek. Pre-pandemic, my library staffed by five was akin to offering three-five programs a week for our community’s youth. I loved the challenge of finding new ways to engage my community’s youth in order to foster a lifelong life of learning and literacy.