Happy NLW! Sponsored by the American Library Association, the theme for National Library Week 2024 is “Ready, Set, Library!”
More about this year’s theme from ALA’s website: “Ready, Set, Library promotes the idea that in our always-online world, libraries give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most. Find your crew at your library’s author talks, workshops, and book clubs. No matter where you find yourself on the roadmap through life’s journey—preparing for a new career, launching a business, or raising a family—your library provides an inclusive and supportive community where everyone belongs.”
What are your National Library Week plans? Holding Open Houses, distributing bookmarks and treats throughout the week, offering give-aways and prizes are all great ways to acknowledge National Library Week. In addition, ALA has designated these days for special recognition, perfect for programming, displays, social media posts, and all kinds of promos 😊
Monday April 8: Right to Read Day is a National Day of Action in support of the right to read. The State of America's Libraries Report is released this day as well, an annual publication that includes the Top Ten Most Challenged Books in the country in the previous year.
Tuesday April 9: National Library Workers Day, a great opportunity to celebrate your library staff by publicly acknowledging their contributions to your library service
Thursday April 11: Take Action for Libraries Day, urging library advocates to in turn urge members of Congress to protect the freedom to read for free citizens in a free society.
Honorary Chairperson
Meg Medina is the 2024 Honorary Chairperson for NLW. She won the Newbery Award in 2019 for Merci Suarez Changes Gears; that title became the first in a trilogy. A Cuban American author, Meg Medina writes for readers of all ages, having received many distinguished awards including the New York Times Notable Children’s Book of the Year, the Charlotte Zolotow Award, the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award, among many others. Her most recent picture book, Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away received the 2020 Jumpstart Read for the Record selection, reaching 2.24 million readers.
About National Library Week National Library Week
NLWS is an annual celebration of the valuable role that library service plays in transforming lives and strengthening communities. In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more time with radio and television. Concerned that Americans were reading less, ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a study committee in 1957 to develop a plan for a national week devoted to the importance of libraries. The premise: once people were motivated to read more, they would support and use libraries more. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read"
Click the button below to find this year’s NLW graphics, bookmarks, social media messages, and more. And be sure to share your plans for
NLW 2024 with each other on Library Talk!
|
First Impressions Program Aims To
Strengthen Tourism Economy
This news was just touted in the Iowa League of Cities newsletter: ISU Extension & Outreach, in partnership with Iowa Economic Development Authority / /Iowa Tourism Office, are introducing the First Impressions program. This new venture seeks to strengthen the tourism economy, attract new residents, add to the skilled workforce, and enrich the quality of life. First Impressions suggests solutions for specific short and long-term action steps for creating places where people want to live and visit.
First Impressions Program Goals
This is a comprehensive community assessment program conducted by a team of unannounced visitors 😊 Actually, they are a trained assessment team. Tailored to Iowa communities, this program helps communities learn about their strengths and weaknesses through the eyes of first-time visitors. There are essentially 4 program goals:
-
Identify your community’s assets and opportunities through a customized research-based assessment.
-
Rediscover the magic of your own surroundings through visitors’ perspectives
-
Develop community engagement and specific action steps for improvement
-
Enrich your community’s vitality, visitor experiences, and residents’ quality of life.
First Impressions is currently accepting applications from communities under 10,000 population, with two Iowa communities being eligible in this inaugural year. Consider your own town being the recipient of this kind of focused, goal-setting program. Share this news with your city partners. Again, it's communities with populations under 10,000 that are encouraged to apply, the application deadline is May 1st.
May 17: Talking On Eggshells
The next title in the Big Ideas Book Discussions is Talking on Eggshells by Sam Horn. Scheduled for May 17 (9:30-11:00AM) the subtitle lends a good description “Soft Skills For Hard Conversations.” In the workplace, we’re often faced with hard conversations. Some are anticipated, like bracing for tough job performance reviews. But many hard conversations happen unexpectedly, becoming unhappy encounters with patrons, co-workers, and colleagues.
If you ever left one of those situations thinking “I should have said … I wish I had said …” then this could be the book for you 😊 Author Sam Horn poses this question to readers: “What if there were ways to confidently handle challenging situations in the moment—instead of thinking of the perfect response on the way home?!”
From Amazon, here’s more about the book: “Want to know how to speak up instead of shut down and keep your cool even when others don’t? Talking on Eggshells shows you how. This inspiring book shares everyday character-building situations and offers examples of what to say and not to say so you’ll never be tongue-tied or tongue-twisted again. Sam Horn’s relatable, real-life stories and energizing insights will help you think on your feet, reduce stress, and deal more proactively and diplomatically with bosses, coworkers, customers, friends, family members, children, even that date who just ghosted you. You’ll love this go-to guide for clearly communicating what you want and need to get the results you desire and deserve.”
Sam Horn is the founder and CEO of the Intrigue Agency and the Tongue Fu!® Training Institute. As a communication strategist, she helps people design and deliver one-of-a-kind presentations, pitches, and brands that scale their impact for good. She has three TEDx talks to her credit and several books including Tongue Fu, Got Your Attention?, and Someday Is Not A Day In The Week.
In Big Ideas Book Discussions, State Library staff and partners facilitate discussions using books outside of library management, but with plenty of application to library management. Choosing books on leadership, customer service, presentation skills, etc. we connect those ideas with public library service. Participants are encouraged to purchase books used throughout the Big Ideas series for local collections.
Join us for the next good read: Talking On Eggshells !
|
Zoo Passes Are Gone
Last week Eye-Opener incuded news about Zoo passes for kids, thanks to Des Moines' Blank Park Zoo, made available through Iowa’s public libraries. Today an update: we've learned that all available Zoo passes for this summer have been claimed. Zoo staff regrets that there are no more passes to give out for this year but never fear—this popular and free gift will come around again for next summer’s reading programs 😊
PopYS Conference This Week In Ames
This is a premier week for continuing education because today and tomorrow—April 8-9—is the State Library’s PopYS Conference happening in Ames, a conference with the interests of youth services staff at heart. Plus on Wednesday April 10 (9:00AM-3:00PM) there’s a stand-alone workshop, also in Ames—the Summer Reading Summit. This offers one last opportunity to for attendees put the finishing touches on “Read, Renew, Repeat” summer programming. For everyone attending these events in Ames, enjoy your time and safe travels!
ISLA’s Annual Spring Workshop
Friday April 12. (10:30AM-12:00noon)
The program is titled Building Support One Story At A Time and features author and storyteller Tina Bakehouse. Tina will be speaking at Harlan Public Library, but there are three other satellite locations for people to gather: at the public libraries in Cherokee, Grundy Center, and Fairfield. Plus a direct ZOOM link will be provided to all who opted to watch online.
Please note that registration is now closed.
For everyone who has pre-registered, enjoy your day!
|
|
