Financial Literacy: Partnerships and Pivoting to Virtual Programming in a Pandemic
Partnerships with community organizations can often enhance the financial literacy programming that libraries can offer their patrons themselves.
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2021 Virtual Events from Your State Humanities Council
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.
Media Literacy for Adults: Free Practitioners' Guide and Webinars
Imagine that you are working at the reference desk when a patron comes to you with a question. They cite a “fact” that has been widely debunked, mentioning an article from a publication that you know to be untrustworthy. What can you, as a library worker, do to educate and inform them?
Adult Spelling Bee Virtually!
Adult Spelling Bee Virtually! is a friendly competition conducted in three rounds of easy, intermediate and advanced words.
The program's goal was to bring community members together for some fun competition and companionship as a diversion from the current pandemic.
Teen Reading Lounge: Continuing to Engage Your Teens in a Virtual Space
Join us for a free webinar presentation and panel discussion from Pennsylvania Humanities Council members and library practitioners.
Pedaling Through History: Pedal PV at Palos Verdes Library
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.
Elf on the Bookshelf
You've heard of Elf on the Shelf. I've found that the elf is the best low-cost passive program to engage patrons through pandemic times and advocate for our library. My library elf, Tinsel, promotes programming, library services and reading.
The inspiration came from how teachers utilize their elf for classroom management around the hyperactive holiday season. Libraries can use an elf to promote library events and excite patrons with the silly hijinks that the elves get into.
10 Minutes with Donna Seaman: Virtual Author Talks
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.”
Leading a Virtual Film Discussion in 7 Steps
Nearly as ubiquitous to libraries as book clubs, film discussions can spark powerful conversations and build community. That engagement doesn't have to end because of COVID-19.
Tips for Facilitating a Virtual Group 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?)
What We Learned When We Took Our Financial Literacy Programs Online
COVID-19 isn't just a health crisis; for many Americans, the pandemic has caused economic turmoil as well. As members of ALA's Financial Literacy Interest Group, we know the importance of financial capability skills, and this was a moment for us to step up.
So facing statewide "shelter at home" orders this spring, public and academic libraries made a quick shift to online financial literacy programming. Here’s what we learned along the way.
Black Bethlehem: Documenting the Black Experience in a Majority-White Town
In 2013, Sharon King’s mother, Vivian W. Butts, got sick. With Sharon living in New York and her mother in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the close-knit Black community in Bethlehem rallied to take care of Vivian while Sharon was away.
Virtual Minecraft Club
Virtual Minecraft Club is an online adaptation of our original Minecraft Club program, a program for ages 6 and up to collaborate, compete and build with other local fans on all supported Minecraft platforms.
Virtual Minecraft Club, like its in-person predecessor, happens for one hour once per week.
Startup Sharp with the Augusta Library
Startup Sharp with the Augusta Library is a four-part webinar series that teaches people how to market their own small business from home.
Junior Virtual Art Show
Prior to COVID-19, we talked about creating a junior art show that would be shown in our library's community room. Unfortunately, all of our community rooms closed to the public for safety reasons and we could no longer use them for programming.Â
I found that the most appropriate and safest way to display the talents of our young artists was through a virtual art show!
The kids would get recognition and get to display their art in a safe virtual environment that mimics a real gallery experience.
Welcome to School, I'm Your Zoom-brarian: Relationship-Building for a New Year
As we look to fall 2020 and our start to the school year, one thing is certain: it will be like no other start we have experienced before. Many districts have already decided to begin the year virtually, and others are sure to follow. Districts starting with a hybrid model of mixed virtual and face-to-face learning will also face challenges that we have not yet encountered.
Virtual Author Chat
The Virtual Author Chat is a weekly Zoom meeting showcasing local authors and their newest publications.
All chats are recorded and added to our playlist on Facebook.
Virtual Tales & Travel Adventures
Tales & Travel Adventures is an online adaptation of the original Tales & Travel Memories program, which was designed to actively engage persons living with dementia in literacy activities. This is an ongoing series of excursions to US and global destinations, currently including Chicago, Italy and California.
ALA President Launches Virtual Tour of U.S. Libraries
On Monday, July 27, ALA President Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., kicked off a 12-stop virtual tour to spotlight how libraries of all kinds across the country are addressing the needs of their diverse communities and engaging stakeholders to advocate for libraries. The 10-day Holding Space tour began at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and will end at the Hawaii State Library on Friday, August 7.
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