News
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Hunger-Free Libraries: Food Pantries and Fridges
Food insecurity is a problem that has drawn increasing attention in recent years. Libraries have a long, rich history of partnering with government and nonprofit agencies to help improve food access, and lately they have been helping in new and creat...
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Sow Connection with Seed Libraries
Seed libraries offer a great way for new and experienced gardeners alike to expand their access to a wider variety of seeds, and traditional libraries are getting in on this growing trend. Seed libraries are community-based collections of seeds that ...
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Promote Community Health with the Relationship-Driven Library
Let’s Move in Libraries is an international initiative to get people of all ages and abilities on the path to health. During the month of April, Let’s Move in Libraries will host a series of online conversations on community collaboration and communi...
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How to Host a Human Library
Drag Queen. Refugee. Bipolar. Retired military. These are examples of titles on a very different type of bookshelf at a Human Library event. The Human Library nonprofit created this global learning experience in 2000 to facilitate dialogue between co...
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Build New Community Connections with Partnership Marketing
Most high-level library marketing goals aim to expand services into new communities and increase engagement with current users. But traditional library marketing is often geared toward reaching people who already know and love the library. Partnershi...
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Resources for Social Work and Library Collaboration
Library staff are known for their resourcefulness and commitment to adapting to help community members in need. But as the scope of library services has expanded to address complex social needs that aren’t being met elsewhere, it can feel overwhelmin...
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Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters Persist, but Change over Time
What do document replacement, contractor scams, and lease terminations have in common? They are all examples of civil legal issues that can stem from a natural disaster, and questions about these could show up at your library’s reference desk. Patron...
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Resources for Helping Unhoused Patrons
Libraries are central to our communities, as places where anyone is welcome to gather, connect, and learn, but for some members of our community, they represent much more than that. For many people experiencing homelessness, the library might be the ...
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Libraries & Veterans National Forum Toolkit
Veterans, military service members, and their families are among users of virtually every library across the country. Indeed, libraries play a significant role in supporting veterans and military-affiliated patrons by welcoming them to the community,...
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Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters, a Self-Paced Course Series
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and are no longer confined to predictable seasons or specific geographic regions. In the wake of a natural disaster, civil legal issues surface quickly as patrons pursue various assistance options, and the...