Programming  
RSS
Threads [ Previous | Next ]
Re: Winter Needs and Giving Back
Showing 4 results.
Winter Needs and Giving Back
3:27 PM EST 11/16/07
As a newer member of the WebJunction team and someone who has spent a number of years in the health and human services field, every day I learn something new in terms of the degree to which library staff are on the front line of direct services to communities and individuals in need.

How do the winter months and winter holiday seasons affect your capacity or personal drive to serve your patrons? We know that the winter months can be a time most trying for individuals. What are you doing that works? What are some challenges that you're facing?

Kathleen Gesinger
WebJunction
Special Projects Coordinator
Re: Winter Needs and Giving Back
7:19 PM EST 11/18/07 as a reply to Kathleen Gesinger.
Speaking as a manager ... try to make sure people are having fun. The holiday season *can* bring on depression but work can also be the place you go to to be away from family pressures. ;-)

(Reminding self it's mid-November and long past time to bring in the November doughnuts. I was joking the other day how staff would be gaining weight due to all the food people are bringing in ... some of it from happy patrons.)
Re: Winter Needs and Giving Back
5:01 PM EST 11/3/08 as a reply to Kathleen Gesinger.
In the vein of human services for patrons especially, it always seems like a good time to:
-Brush up on addresses of local shelters, venues/dates/times for free holiday dinners
-Reminder of hotlines for those dealing with depression or considering suicide
-Make sure you're participating as a drop off for local food and toy drives
-Think about any opportunities to bring staff together for any community volunteer opportunities (serving at a soup kitchen, story time in a family shelter).

The other thing that's come up for me as a parent of elementary aged kids, is the need for books and other resources to address questions coming up about homelessness. I found one called This Home We Have Made that was helpful. I'm wondering if anyone has strategies for engaging all ages in our library communities around homelessness and other health and human needs. Realizing that a display would be good at this time of year!
Re: Winter Needs and Giving Back
5:01 PM EST 11/3/08 as a reply to Jennifer Peterson.
In the spirit of caring for patrons in need during the winter, I just found this pertinent article on the Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty Task Force website (Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association)

Ten Things You Can Work on to Better Serve Low Income People in Your Library

Friday November 16, 2007

1. Treat all library users fairly, regardless of economic status.
2. Read and implement the American Library Association's Policy 61, Library Services for the Poor.
3. Learn about and establish contacts with local community groups and support agencies that provide services to and advocate for low income people.
4. Keep an updated list of temporary housing, educational and health facilities, family services, legal assistance and food pantries at all your reference desks.
5. Subscribe to and read your local street papers. Go here to find the one for your area.
6. Check out the Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty Task Force's blog and ALA's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services' web site for the latest in news, links, and ideas.
7. Develop a sensitivity training to help staff understand and better assist low income users. (Toronto Public did it!)
8. Take another look at your library card registration policy to see that it does not exclude people living in temporary housing.
9. Bring library programs to a temporary housing facility. Storytimes, book discussions, and poetry readings are always popular outreach activities.
10. Make an effort to research other libraries' innovative programs and policies that serve the information and literacy needs of low income people. Also, don't forget to publicize and share your own.