virtual

Money Smart Week is a national public education program coordinated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and delivered by a network of supporters that empowers people with the knowledge and skills to make better-informed personal financial decisions.

This year, like so many other things, Money Smart Week has gone virtual.

Your community is full of influencers who are fantastic advocates for public library services at many different levels, including elected officials, business leaders, local celebrities, and power users from your own patrons. We decided to cash in on this market and help use their personalities and library passion to advocate and promote our library for National Library Week 2020.

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.

If you’ve hosted an author talk or moderated a panel discussion in person, rest assured: online, the drill is pretty similar.

“Nothing is more important than preparation,” says Donna Seaman, Booklist’s Adult Books Editor and an award-winning literary critic who has interviewed hundreds of authors throughout her career. “The more fluent you are in the writer’s work, the better the conversation.”

Over the past six months or so, library workers have bravely plowed into the world of virtual programming. Along the way, you’ve probably picked up more skills than you even realize. (Remember those awkward early attempts at leading a Zoom meeting or recording a story time with your phone?)