Social Library, Volume 111

Jennifer Peterson /

Image courtesy Skidompha Library on Facebook

Our Social Library series continues, with everything from a shoe drive to a reading invasion, and from free toothbrushes to a free amp tune-up. These five featured libraries caught our eye with unique programming and community connections, and they join the expansive list of library innovation we’ve collected for your inspiration. If you'd like to see your library featured in a Social Library edition, please let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

Image courtesy Moorhead Public Libraryon Facebook

  • Sam Fore, Jr. Wilson County Public Library in Texas is hosting a Shoe Drive in conjunction with their Summer Reading program. On the second day, they had already collected 7 bags of gently worn, used, and/or new shoes, with a goal of reaching 100 bags by July 14th. They're encouraging patrons to accept the family challenge to donate 25 pairs of shoes. We learned in a Wilson County News article "donated shoes will be sold per pound to help support micro-entrepreneurs (small-business owners) in developing nations like Haiti, Colombia, and Tanzania."
  • And from New York, we learned from a Buffalo & Erie County Public Library - Central Library post about the Buffalo Reading Invasion, whose mission is to "promote Buffalo's love of reading through large public action." Now in its 7th year the Buffalo Reading Invasions gathers in Buffalo’s most beautiful spaces, to celebrate the simple act of reading, and the complex and incredible community that supports and encourages it. According to the Invasion's blog, "The idea is simple: People bring something to read and “invade” a large public space. This isn’t a book club; just a time to come together, to enjoy the act of reading, and to remind our fellow Buffalonians that reading is an essential element of the many of our lives. So bring a book and bring a friend, and join us for an hour of reading, relaxing, and gathering in our most beautiful public spaces." An August Buffalo Reading Invasion will be held outside the Central Library, and the Buffalo initiative has already inspired others around the country, including the recent Wichita Reading Invasion, also highlighted in the news last week.