The Social Library, Volume 13

Jennifer Peterson /

In Volume 13 of our Social Library series, we're showcasing libraries who are truly connecting with their communities. Through partnerships focused on health and education, and in recognition of patrons, young and old, here are a few examples of the great connections being made by libraries we follow on Facebook.

Image courtesy of the Crandon Public Library on Facebook

  • The Crandon Public Library in Wisconsin hosted an Iron Chef event last week in collaboration with community partners. In this Healthy Fruits & Vegetables Edition, participants of all ages were given 30 minutes to create a unique panini dish using a secret ingredient and items from a provided pantry. Celebrity judges were there from local restaurants and the grand prize was a Ninja Blender! The Crandon library is one of five libraries participating in the current phase of our Health Happens in Libraries project.
  • The San Ignacio Public Library in Belize celebrated Education Week 2015 with multiple visits from local schools. Be sure to check out the fantastic photos of their celebration of "Libraries: Valuing Literacy, Fostering Change and Shaping Minds."
  • The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) based in Seattle, "held its annual recognition event for its patrons who are 100-years-old or older. There were three new inductees to the Ten-Squared Talking Book Club in attendance, and friends old and new enjoyed food, fun and an excellent program." How do you recognize your long-time patrons?
  • The UW-La Crosse Murphy Library in Wisconsin sponsored, with the campus Wellness Center, the Third Annual Finals Scream. Image courtesy UW-La Crosse Murphy Library on Facebook Students were invited to come to the center of campus for a big SCREAM to let off stress from exams and to celebrate the end of another semester of classes. The library set up a Finals Scream Photo Booth for people to document the occasion.
  • The Community Library of the Shenango Valley in Pennsylvania has a wonderful Facebook strategy, sharing a "Pick of the Day" with posts about anything from authors to historical events, to library programs to spotlights on patrons. For the May 11 pick of the day, they recognized a young patron who broke a national record with 50 pull-ups in his age group through Project Fitness America.

We look forward to seeking out next week's treasures from those we follow on Facebook. If you have innovative and impactful programs going on at your library that you'd like to showcase, let us know at [email protected], or find us on Facebook.

Thanks to all of this week's featured libraries for such outstanding service to your communities!