humanities

Ask anyone who works with teens, inside or outside the library, and they might tell you that 13- to 18-year-olds are a tough crowd to reach.

In November 2022, Programming Librarian shared an article about why programming library workers should get to know their state humanities council. With these ideas in mind, we’ll talk about why libraries are such an important community resource for cultural programming in their communities, an idea that ALA recently shared at the National Humanities Conference (NHC2022).

Does your library have a relationship with your state humanities council? If you are involved in planning programming for your library, it’s worth your time to get to know these knowledgeable humanities experts.

The beginning of 2021 is packed with great state humanities council events! You may be surprised at the range of virtual options, whether you’re looking for a smart lecture to while away a quiet afternoon or an engaging event to share with your patrons on social media.

Below is a selection of virtual events just from the week of January 11, 2021. Find your state humanities council here.

For the past four years, Monique Sugimoto has commuted to her job at the Palos Verdes Library District on an electric bike — a scenic ride along the cliffs in her coastal California town. As she rode, her librarian brain was hard at work.

“When I came across historic locations, I would devise these little tours in my head,” Sugimoto says. “When the pandemic struck, I thought, how great would it be if I could bring these tours out of my head and into people’s homes?” And that is exactly what she did.