Making Lemonade Out of Lemons - Part 2

Image by Rachel C from Pixabay

Our guest blogger again today is Stacey Brown, Young Adult and Adult Services Librarian at the Augusta (WI) Public Library.  In Part 1, Stacey shared the background on how the group of IFLS teen librarians got together to pool their energy and ideas for shared virtual teen programs. Here she shares more details on how it all works!

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons:  an opportunity from the pandemic - Part 2

The teen events have a variety of themes: cultural holidays, gaming and ‘adulting’, as well as exploring several types of art from music to photography.  Each event lasts about 2 hours divided into 15-30 minute segments so that each librarian has a chance to lead an activity.  For the events, we create grab bags with snacks and crafting supplies that teens pick up at their own library.  This makes it easier for them to participate since they really seem to enjoy making crafts.  One of our best attended events was when we created graham cracker cottages and made various crafts that they were able to give as gifts.  After our cooking demo, we received an email from a mom who said her son enjoyed our program so much that he made crepes for his family the next day!

An unexpected effect of the collaboration was how teens from different communities across Wisconsin got to know one another. They enjoy sharing their common interests, especially a love of reading! At one of our events, a teen asked if we could take a field trip to visit all the libraries in person.  We weren't quite sure how to work out the logistics of this - and still aren’t.  This would be a fun adventure, not only for the teens but also the library staff, most of whom have never met in person before our collaboration.

With the school year coming to an end, we are reassessing the need to continue our collaboration.  Some of the libraries are planning in-person programs this summer and don’t feel able to collaborate but hope to resume in the fall.  Others are planning virtual events this summer and will continue to share and collaborate.  

It has definitely been a learning process, and we’ve had more than a few things to figure out. For starters, we found out that 1-2 hours is plenty of time for this type of programming; if it goes too long, we tend to lose people.  We’ve also had to set registration deadlines. Often, teens will wait until the last minute to register then we end up scrambling to make another grab bag for them.  It’s important to keep in contact so that ideas and suggestions can be addressed when they come up.  The larger the collaborative group, the more difficult it can be to find a time that works for everyone to attend a meeting. I think about 3-5 librarians in a group is ideal.  

During the process of collaboration, we have learned a lot about ourselves and the teens that we serve.  For some of us, we didn’t have teens from our own communities that participated, but we nevertheless had the opportunity to engage with teens and contribute meaningful interactions and activities for them.  Many times after our sessions ended, the librarians stayed on Zoom and shared our struggles and offered each other encouragement and support. 

As librarians, we can all relate to the unusual circumstances and challenges of 2020-2021.  Even with these strange times, we have found new opportunities and solutions that will impact our future programming decisions.  The hope is to host hybrid programs, to reach out to those who can attend in-person and those who feel more comfortable participating virtually.  The pandemic forced us to look outside the box for new opportunities and gave us the initiative and interest for collaborative programming.  I think it’s safe to say that we are all grateful for the opportunities and new friends we have made because of challenges faced together.  We have learned to make lemonade out of lemons.

[YSS Blog Note: A special thanks to IFLS System Youth Consultant Leah Langby for sharing the news about this collaboration with us so we could reach out for this article!]

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons - Part 1

Image by Rachel C from Pixabay

Our guest blogger is Stacey Brown, Young Adult and Adult Services Librarian at the Augusta (WI) Public Library. She and her IFLS colleagues discovered great success when they teamed up to provide teen virtual programs.

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons:  an opportunity from the pandemic - Part 1

All of us have experienced various challenges in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. One challenge for librarians has been how to stay connected to teens when the library is closed. For those of us who plan teen programs this has been even more difficult due to slow or no internet access or parents that only permit teens to use the computer for school work.  For many teens isolation from their friends and being unable to spend time in connection with their peers are huge issues. 

Last summer, I participated in the virtual National Teen Lock-in with two teens from my community.  It was there that I saw the amazing ways that librarians connected with teens via Zoom.  This virtual event included games, activities and crafts led by librarians from across the country. Both of the teens from my community enjoyed the experience so much that they asked if we can do something like this again.  This planted the seed in my mind.

Later during one of the weekly virtual check-in sessions led by Leah Langby at IFLS, I shared with other YA librarians about the experience.  I asked if anyone would be interested in collaborating to plan monthly virtual teen events.  I created a survey which I sent out to the YA librarians in IFLS to see who might be willing to help me plan a collaborative virtual teen event.

In the fall of 2020, a group of YA librarians formed a collaboration: Stacey Brown (Augusta), Valerie Spooner (Ladysmith), Caroline Herfindahl (Ellsworth), Cindy Koller (Park Falls), Claire Parrish (Rice Lake) and in January 2021, Jenna Giles-Turner (Chippewa Falls) joined us.  Each of us had been struggling with teen programming, since we couldn’t meet with teens.  Initially, we filled out surveys to share our abilities and interests to determine who would fill the various roles in coordinating the monthly teen events.  We utilized several tools: a Google drive folder for our ideas and resources, spreadsheets to keep track of the registrations and attendance, Zoom for monthly planning meetings, and exchanged group emails. 

Each month we rotate our duties so that each librarian has an opportunity to host events, this includes creating flyers and Facebook events.  The host records the attendance for that month’s event, determines the theme, pays for presenters and creates the schedule of activities for the program.  During the registration process the host notifies the team which students have registered at each library.  Each librarian shares various talents and ideas so that the events aren’t planned by just one person. 

Please stop by the blog tomorrow to read Part 2 of Stacey's post.

News on Remake Learning Days

Recently  we shared a post inviting libraries in WI to join a collaborative effort called Badgerland Remake Learning Days. This effort is part of a national nonprofit showcase and festival that celebrates engaging  and family-friendly learning opportunities for youth and educators.  

Libraries, schools, community centers and other community learning initiatives were invited to add their virtual, on demand, web-based, on-site or learn-at-home events, resources and activities to the Wisconsin festival calendar for events occurring between April 22- May 15.

Recently we heard that a number of WI libraries joined the effort! Check out the highlights of their programs here!  And watch for an invite next year so you can join this great collaborative partnership!

Outdoor Storytime Know-How

Image by press 👍 and ⭐ from Pixabay

Now that the weather is starting to get warm, perhaps plans are afoot at your library to hold (or resume) outdoor storytimes. 

A recent ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) blog post by a member of the Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee breaks down some of the steps in planning.

Stop here to read the helpful planning tips!

Free Toolkit on Children with Print Disabilities

ALA's Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Committee on Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers has produced their newest free monthly toolkit and it's amazing! 

This longstanding ALSC committee has been leading the way for decades long before the pandemic highlighted how critical the need is to expand our thinking and service. Recently they began producing free, monthly toolkits to help libraries serve their underserved populations better. Chockful of resources, booklists, hints and practical suggestions, these toolkit google docs are extremely helpful.

They write: "This month, our focus is on serving children with print disabilities.  According to Maine – Accessible Educational Materials, “A student with a print disability is one who is unable to gain information from printed materials at an anticipated level for their grade, and needs alternative access or an accessible format (i.e., Braille, Large Print, Audio, Digital text) to gain information from and use those materials. Print disabilities commonly affect students with blindness, visual impairments, learning disabilities or other physical conditions that make it difficult to hold or manipulate educational materials.” For clarification, those with visual impairments can include those who are legally blind and vision loss. Those with learning disabilities can include dyslexia." 

To access this kit, which includes book suggestions resources and suggestions for other materials to purchase, please stop here.

YSS Social: Virtual MadLibs - Tonight at 7pm!

Are you attending WAPL this week?  

If so, be sure to pop in on the YSS Social tonight at 7pm!  We're playing virtual MadLibs with a Youth Literature theme!

These MadLibs were created by the YSS Board, so you're not going to find them anywhere else!

Put on some comfy clothes, grab some snacks and a drink, and join in the fun!

ALL.THE.THINGS. with Jonathan Dolce - May 2021

from May 1 ALSC blog post

Two words: Jonathan. Dolce.

Longtime readers of this blog know that when Jonathan Dolce, an ALSC member/blogger, posts, you will see us re-post here on the YSS blog. His prodigious generosity in sharing tips, links, free resources and humor are second to none in the youth library blogging world.

Sunday May 1 is no exception. In the ALSC blog post Ultimate Summer Reading Programming Guide 2021,  Jonathan shares ideas on programming format options (passive, limited indoor, outdoor, digital and hybrid); ideas for programs; keeping participants COVID safe and then lets loose a flood of free resources.

If you are looking to spark up or jumpstart your thinking as you plan summer (or school year) programming content/formats, you will have a boatload of possibilities to help you!

Thanks again Jonathan!

Monthly Themes for Decoration/Programming

Hafuboti, aka Rebecca McCorkindale, has been creatively tackling library work with children and adults and sharing what she knows for a long time. Among her many areas of expertise is an unerring - and often punny - way with thematic approaches to library adornment and programming. By tying the two together seasonally or sometimes monthly, opportunities pop up to increase patron delight and involvement.

Stop here to get the low-down on her 2020 themes (lockdown edition) which she freely shares - and then get inspired!

Teaching About Juneteenth Webinar

In a recent post on Lee & Low's The Open Book Blog, an upcoming webinar they are sponsoring was announced. Read all about it:

Teaching Abut Juneteenth with Children's Books

Wednesday, May 12, 2021
3:00 -4:00 PM CT

They write: "Juneteenth, a blending of the words June and nineteenth, is an annual celebration on June 19th commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is currently recognized by more than 47 states as a state holiday or observance, with propositions to make it a federal holiday. How can we acknowledge, celebrate, and teach about the significance of Juneteenth?

In this conversation with three experts,  we will explore the importance of this holiday, how and why it’s celebrated across the country, as well as relevant books, teaching strategies, and more. Our panelists are Newbery and Caldecott Honor-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford (Juneteenth Jamboree), alongside expert educators Dr. Amanda Vickery, Assistant Professor of Social Studies at University of North Texas, and Dawnavyn James, Missouri-based Early Childhood and Elementary Educator.

Attendees will come away with an understanding of the history behind Juneteenth; concrete applications for the classroom, library, and home; and a list of recommended supporting materials and resources for adults and students. Whether you are a teacher, librarian, administrator, or parent, please join us for this incredibly timely and essential conversation about an often overlooked holiday that deserves our attention."

To register, please stop here.

Teen Virtual Programs Success!

In a recent Teen Services Underground post, Suzy Card from Texas shares some successes she has had doing virtual programs with teens. Like many of us, Suzy has had challenges attracting teens for programs. But she persevered and found some key programs!

Check out her helpful post here!