Social Library, Cooking Edition

Jennifer Peterson /

Image: In the Kitchen with Lindsey, still from video, courtesy Nashville Public Library on YouTube

Each day we discover new ways libraries are expanding their online offerings in response to this challenging time. In this latest edition of our Social Library series, we're highlighting examples of online cooking classes! There are classes for kids, classes for adults and some for all ages, and one library just hosted an Edible Book Contest. You'll also find a few examples from libraries that are collecting and featuring their new collections of video programming. If you'd like to see your library featured in an upcoming edition of the Social Library, let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

  • Southeast Branch Library of Nashville Public Library in Tennessee premiered a new, In the Kitchen with Lindsey video series as a part of their NPL Universe, "Library events, right in your living room." Lindsey is the manager of the Southeast branch, and as she shares in episode one, she's always wanted to host an introduction to Instant Pot™ cooking class at the library, but hasn't been able to start until now! "Tuesdays at 2 PM, Lindsey Patrick-Wright cooks up recipes that are available in our digital collection of eBooks through Overdrive and the Libby app. She includes introductory Instant Pot™ cooking and simple, easy-to-make recipes. This program is geared for adults, but is family-friendly."
  • Austin Public Library in Texas has created APL+, a growing collection of "videos on a variety of topics specially created for you by our staff." The video categories on APL+ include, Adult, Teen and Children's Programming. One of the first options made available for adults is a cooking class, Eat The World: Ethiopian Lamb Stew.
  • Woburn Public Library in Massachusetts is launching Cooking With One Hand LIVE: An interactive weekly cooking series. "Three time Emmy award winning producer/director and classically trained cook, David Vos, host of COOKING WITH ONE HAND, is launching a new interactive series with the Woburn Public Library. COOKING WITH ONE HAND LIVE! is a cook's tour of a little kitchen that produces some pretty big flavors. Using pantry staples and easy-to-store ingredients, David will show us how to prepare the king of weekend meals--BRUNCH--one fun show at a time. Every Tuesday at 2 pm we’ll all get together in our kitchens with David, and make food we love. Everyone is welcome: new cooks, seasoned cooks, and families getting into the kitchen with their kids for the first time. We’re going to have a blast cooking together and expanding your repertoire with simple, straightforward, big flavors with ingredients you already have." In conjunction with the series, they're using a Facebook group, Pantry Feast! to create connections for those participating in the series. "The Pantry Feast Facebook group is where you can post pictures of what you made (successes! fails! cooking is a learning process!) and get some feedback from host David Vos and the rest of the community."

Find more cooking-related library examples on WebJunction