Social Library, Volume 71

Jennifer Peterson /

Image courtesy Flower Mound Public Library on Facebook

Welcome to this week's edition of the Social Library, highlighting posts from libraries we follow on Facebook that showcase innovative and creative approaches to engaging their patrons in both brick and mortar spaces, and on social media. From an art party to an online auction, and staff book recommendations to a cooking book club for kids, these ideas are sure to inspire! If you'd like to see your library featured in the Social Library series, please let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

  • Flower Mound Public Library in Texas hosted an after-hours Art Party in October. Photos show just a sampling of the amazing visual art by talented local students and seniors. The Art Party also featured musical performances by a wide variety of local performing groups, demonstrations by local professional artists, an art activity for the kids, and of course cake and punch! And the Friends of the Flower Mound Library Book Sale held a preview during the Art Party. In the photos, you can see that the library utilized the tops of lower shelving to display sculptures and pottery, as well as smaller pieces on easels, and still more on folding display panels. What a wonderful collaboration with local schools and other arts organizations to showcase community creativity! Can you make space for local art in your library?
  • Bacon Free Library in Massachusetts highlighted an innovative fundraiser last month. The online auction, Author Confidential, lasted for one week, and invited the community to place bids for the opportunity to ask one of nearly 80 award-winning, best-selling, beloved, classic authors, three questions of their choice. Winning bidders will receive a personalized letter from their author with responses to their questions. Learn more about the auction and browse the bidding outcomes on eBay. The author to receive the most bids was Diana Gabaldon, capping out with the 49th bidder for $770.
  • Allegany County Library System in Maryland and Sherrard Public Library District in Illinois both shared posts featuring staff book reviews. Maureen, a circulation assistant at Allegany County, shared her review of Meet Your Baker as part of their #StaffPickSaturday. At Sherrard, Kelly shared her staff recommendation of Slated, and earlier in the week, Paula shared her recommendation of Bottom Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers.
  • Image courtesy Henderson Libraries‎ on Facebook
  • Henderson Libraries in Nevada caught our eye with this wonderful photo of a young patron at the Paseo Verde branch pulling a rolling cart full of library books to check out and take home. And from their Gibson branch, they shared photos of the postcards their younger patrons wrote to their future selves. We're not sure if the postcards were addressed to send to the young patrons in the future, but either way, what a wonderfully simple exercise in self-reflection to provide encouragement and perspective to patrons of any age.
  • Tuxedo Park Library in New York has a new book/cooking club for young patrons called Cooking with Books. "Do you like to cook? Do you like to read? Join our new book/cooking club and create from recipes inspired by books. Register at the front desk and pick up your monthly book along with a themed recipe. Read the book and get cooking! Share photos of your literary/culinary masterpiece on our Facebook page. Kids who participate for all 3 months will win a prize!" October's book was How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World and during November, young cooks will be reading Stone Soup by Marcia Brown.

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