News

  • Hopkinton Public Library unites community in library planning

    At Hopkinton Public Library in Iowa, community engagement is thriving. And the secret to this success is including community members in in the planning, from beginning to end. From an annual haunted house to community bake-offs, the library incorpora...

  • Centering Community VOICE

    Are you looking to deepen or expand your library’s outreach services for children and families from underserved communities, or would you like to build your library’s outreach efforts but don’t know where to begin? Have you been looking for ways to i...

  • Inclusive collections for supercharged storytimes

    Storytimes can be transformative for children, offering them the chance to imagine possible futures for themselves. This begins with the stories you include. Look around your community and consider which books in your collection reflect the experienc...

  • Time to Change the “Checklist”: A Toolkit for Reimagining School Readiness

    A literature review of more than 150 research studies indicates that we are missing the mark in preparing our children for school by equating “school readiness” with a finite checklist of academic skills to be mastered by age five. Instead, we should...

  • Helping Libraries to be Autism-Ready

    Imagine a child standing in front of a brightly lit room at their local public library. Lively music is playing, and bubbles are bouncing all around. Children and adults fill the room, talking loudly and playing with toys. Off in the distance is a co...

  • Growing Library Garden Programs

    Library gardens offer a great way for community members to come together to learn, grow, and contribute towards a healthy, balanced environment. And creating a vibrant community green space or gardening program doesn’t have to be complicated. Across ...

  • Introducing a School Librarian's Information Shelf

    School librarians and staff help prepare all students for success. A shifting educational landscape presents new opportunities and challenges, requiring fresh approaches to the important work of empowering students. Learn more about a School Libraria...

  • Adopt-a-Shelf Program Lets Students Create Book Displays

    Libraries can offer safe, welcoming spaces for young people to access resources and programming, explore their interests, and connect with peers. And these benefits can be even more impactful when young people feel like they can actively contribute. ...

  • 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 ...

  • Transforming School Library Practice

    Looking for multimedia resources and tools to spark new ideas and transform your school library? Interested in learning from your peers how to effectively and powerfully communicate the vital work you do to prepare your students for educational and e...