CE NEWS

August 1, 2022

Table of Contents

• Back to School
• Library Card Sign-Up Month   
• Banned Book Week

Back to School

Public libraries have a long history of supporting families with school-age children. Regardless of how or where children are taught, public libraries provide access to supplemental educational resources such as these Kenai Community Library Discovery Kits, family-friendly afterschool or evening activities such as Kodiak Public Library's escape room, and summer reading programs and services that support lifelong learning.

Providing access is a small part of supporting children’s learning and family engagement. Public library staff actively reach out to families—those who frequent the libraries as well as those who don’t. They utilize a variety of communication methods to ensure families understand the role of the library and are aware of programs and resources that could benefit them. Anchorage Public Library's Parents & Teachers page provides instructions on how to schedule a group visit to the library, how to apply for a library card, and offers a downloadable Library Scavenger Hunt.

Public library staff are skillful in the art of marketing and public relations. Partnering with local and statewide organizations is one way for public libraries to reach a wider audience. Earlier this year, four Alaska libraries partnered with Alaska Public Media on the Library Explorers challenge, which encouraged children to learn watch short videos featuring the libraries in Homer, Seward, Kodiak, and Bethel.

In this engaging Library Explorers video about the Homer Public Library, youth services librarian Cinda Nofziger highlights resources available to families inside and outside of the library. Outside the library, families can visit the StoryWalk and check out materials from BOB, the Friends of the Homer Public Library’s Bookmobile. Inside the library, children and families can explore various spaces and collections available in the children’s room.

Ketchikan Public Library's Ad Libs began in 1974 when staff started submitting short articles to the Ketchikan Daily News. The articles include staff reviews of new books and videos and information about special library collections, programs, and ongoing activities of the Friends of the Ketchikan Library. This charming Ad Lib written by Lisa Pearson in 2006 highlights planning guides for every stage of life.

Posting promotional material about upcoming programs on the library’s website ensures that busy parents and caregivers can quickly locate the information when they need it and make plans for their children to attend. The Soldotna Public Library’s homepage carousel includes eye-catching posters highlighting upcoming programs for kids, teens, and adults.

This Kenai Community Library tri-fold handout is posted online and lists the dates, times, and all of the activities for their summer reading program. A useful resource for families and library staff!

Education and lifelong learning are core values of librarianship. Public libraries provide safe spaces for families and children, access to collections that support learning for every stage of life—from board books for toddlers to business plans for an entrepreneur—and offer programs that are fun and educational and inspire children and their families to continue learning alongside one another.

Back to School Resources

Homeschooling Resources
Public libraries are a rich resource for homeschooling parents and caregivers. This online resource was developed to help librarians support and meet the homeschooling needs in their community.

Programming Ideas for Librarians
This online resource guide is designed to provide librarians with programming ideas, information, and resources.

Family Engagement Toolkit
Contains a series of “because statements” that succinctly communicate how libraries support and promote family engagement. Includes promotional and program ideas, posters, postcards, bookmarks, and digital graphics.

Resources for Family Engagement from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has compiled a list of family friendly activities that were inspired by their collections and programs. The list includes author programs, activity kits, and activity sheets.    

Library Card Sign-Up Month

It’s time to start planning for your library’s library card sign-up campaign. September is Library Card Sign-Up Month and the perfect time to highlight to your community the benefits of having a library card.

Library Card Benefits

Check out books, DVDs, and magazines and games. Access eBooks, audio books and popular magazines online through the Alaska Digital Library. If a public library has a subscription to a video stream service such as Kanopy or an online video courses service such as LinkedIn Learning, a library card is required to access this content. Some public libraries in Alaska have developed unique collections that allow card holders to check out laptops, digital cameras and webcams, hobby kits for knitting, crochet, or soap making, or recreational equipment. (e.g., Sutton Public Library Snow Kits consist of block molds, snowball scoops, and monster track snowshoes; Ketchikan Public Library Trail Kits feature a dry bag with binoculars, an emergency GPS locator, laminated nature guides and trail book, and a waterproof pouch to keep your phone dry.) Some public libraries allow card holders to reserve computers or make a meeting room reservation.

Promoting Library Card Sign-Up Month

The American Library Association has created everything you need to promote your Library Card Sign-Up campaign. The Press Kit includes a sample proclamation, sample public service announcement, and digital graphics that may be used in social media posts and various sized posters. The resources are available in English and Spanish.  

Banned Books Week

“Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” That's the theme for the 2022 Banned Books Week, which will be celebrated September 18-24, 2022. Unfortunately, libraries of all types are experiencing a surge of censorship challenges. The State of America’s Libraries Special Report: Pandemic Year Two provides an in-depth overview of the censorship attempts taking place across the country and the courageous actions librarians are taking to defend the freedom to read. 

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community—librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types—in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

Banned Books Weeks is an opportunity for your library to partner with a local bookstore, university, or community organization to offer a program or event that promotes the freedom to read, opposes censorship, and defends the First Amendment.   

Banned Book Week Programming Ideas

Looking for some Banned Books Week programming inspiration? The following articles and blog posts feature suggested activities for past Banned Books Week themes that can easily be updated.

Freedom to Read-Themed Activities

40 Virtual Program Ideas for Banned Books Week
In 2020, Ellie Diaz the Program Officer at the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom posted a blog featuring 40 virtual program ideas which can be adapted for in-person programming. Suggested activities include: creating an escape room highlighting the Banned Books Week theme and hosting a trivia night, author talk, Banned Books Bingo, scavenger hunt, or an art show featuring reimagined book covers.

5 Quick Ideas for Banned Books Week
Programming Librarian blog post from 2017 features the following activities that have been successful at an academic library: Banned Book Cover Exhibition, Redacted Titles book display, Library branded t-shirts, and on-campus selfie banned books booth.

Program Ideas & Inspiration for Banned Books Week
Teen Underground blog post from 2018 features activities such as: Banned Books Week Jewelry, Book Protest Signs, and Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing and Interactive Boards.