Banned Books Week was held on September 23 – 29. The 2018 theme, “Banning Books Silences Stories,” was a reminder that everyone needs to speak out against the tide of censorship. We celebrated Banned Books Week by featuring a display of books in the library that have been banned or challenged somewhere in the US. Many of them were some of our most popular titles! This helped accentuate the importance of granting the freedom to read for all ages and readers.
The Middle School library celebrated Banned Books Week (September 23-29) by featuring a few of our most popular titles that have been banned or challenged somewhere in the US. Students were invited to lift the book covers on our bulletin board, in order read the reasons why!
September 15-October 15th is Latinx Heritage Month! We featured books in the library by Latinx authors, featuring Latinx characters, or about Latinx figures in history.
This SLJ article (plus its supplement “More Thrifty Library Hacks”) is an awesome curated guide of tips on sprucing up youth library spaces. The best part is that all of the tips are budget-friendly, and most are DIY!!
I think these ideas are a great way to make colorful updates in any youth space, and also possibly incorporate staff + students who love to DIY. I also think these tips, and any variations on them, could work both in a school or public library setting.
I especially like the ideas of turning large buckets into stools, fixing torn furniture with duct tape art, and making stained glass designs on library windows with tissue paper. There are also smart budgeting tips, such as how to print poster sized images without spending the hefty printing fee that comes with large-format printing.
I found this link on the Resource Guide for Underserved Student Populations (AASL). I was particularly interested in the toolbox section providing resources for children of incarcerated parents, as I have done volunteer work with prison support organizations.
This is a very comprehensive guide on how to welcome children and families of incarcerated people, specifically into the public library. However, I think the programming ideas could easily be used in a school library setting.
As far as programming, the resource recommends tailoring existing activities and/or programs to address the specific community. I appreciated this approach, as it doesn’t feel particularly pointed or heavy-handed but does facilitate a feeling of inclusivity. For example, the website suggests that a pen-pal or letter writing event could be adjusted so the patron feels welcome writing a letter to an incarcerated family member. This would include providing tips on addressing the letter properly, or possibly making something available that defines what can or can’t be included in a letter (or package) to an incarcerated person.
It also suggests tailoring a book club, or book discussion meeting to involve reading materials (either for children or their caregivers) that cover the topic of incarceration specifically. These are also both good tips for educating the larger community about a specific population that often remains invisible.
manuela aronofsky 