Social Library, Volume 130
Jennifer Peterson
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09 April 2019
With another edition in the Social Library series, we’re featuring five examples of library events and engagement on Facebook, including family fitness, Transgender Day of Visibility, Girls of the Crescent, mobile office hours with a state senator, and a Tiebrary! If you'd like to see your library featured in an upcoming edition, please let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.
- Garland County Library (GCL) in Arkansas will be hosting a Family Fitness Night! The event will include table tennis, jump rope, a photo booth and an exercise bicycle that can make smoothies! We were impressed by the way that GCL uses the Services feature on Facebook to list some of their unique services, including their Library Courier Service, eCards (residents can register online for a free eCard to gain access to online databases and resources from home), Interlibrary Loans, Books by Mail and Public Meeting Rooms. Thank you to Erin Baber, from Garland County Library, for reaching out to us so we could feature your great work on the Social Library!
- Norwich Public Library in Vermont shared a post on March 31 to honor Transgender Day of Visibility and to direct to a wonderful blog post with lists of fiction and nonfiction books for all ages and gender identities. The items are also featured in a book display in the library's reading room.
- Warren Public Library in Michigan has received a generous donation of books from Girls of the Crescent, based in Rochester, Michigan. Zena and Mena Nasiri are two Muslim sisters who have made it their goal "to increase diversity and representation and to bring awareness to the lack of diversity in libraries and schools." Through Girls of the Crescent, they're donating books with female Muslim main characters to school and public libraries in their district. The photo at right showcases the books they donated recently to the Rochester Hills Public Library, in conjunction with Arab American Heritage Month, celebrated during April. They're receiving some great media coverage, including this recent Elle magazine article, Local Libraries Lack Muslim Stories. These Sisters Are Changing That.

- Floral Park Public Library in New York announced that they're hosting Mobile Office Hours in collaboration with Senator Anna M. Kaplan. What a wonderful way to allow for local elected officials to hear from constituents and discuss concerns face-to-face. The invitation states, "walk-ins are welcome and no appointment is necessary!"
- Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) in Missouri is making waves with their Tiebrary, with a visit to the Liberty Branch from the local news, FOX4 News Kansas City. The post has received over 450 likes and has been shared over 200 times, with many comments! Learn more about the Tiebrary on the MCPL website. "The library lends neckties free of charge to customers for use in interviews. It’s aimed at helping people complete their job interview wardrobes, perhaps provide some confidence, and hopefully help them land a new job."