Editor’s Note: Here’s another award-winning idea to steal, this time for the school librarians out there. Public librarians, I could see this as a great launchpad for a writing workshop for children or adults (and a great opportunity to partner with experts).

Panagiotis Stathopoulos’s project, “Found in Translation: Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking, and Metaphrasis,” is the 2013 recipient of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Innovative Reading Grant. Sponsored by Capstone, this grant of $2,500 supports the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program for children that motivates and encourages reading, especially with struggling readers.

Working out of the de Paul School in Louisville, Kentucky, where Stathopoulos is the school librarian, “Found in ‘Translation’” looks to improve student comprehension of scientific concepts and encourage students to read nonfiction. During the project, fourth-grade students will read selections of nonfiction texts to learn about a scientific concept. They will then be asked to incorporate—or “translate”—that information into a fiction story to demonstrate their comprehension of the concept. The fourth-grade students will be asked to create a compelling narrative, as their audience will be de Paul’s second- and third-grade students.

The project will be a collaboration between many of the school’s educators, including the librarians, classroom teachers, and art teachers. From the librarians, students will learn the different elements of story composition and review sample story books on scientific concepts. Classroom teachers will guide the choice of topics and facilitate the writing process. Art teachers will then demonstrate drawing techniques for book illustration. The finished product of this collaborative project will be a digital translation of the student’s story, which will consist of a video of scanned pages and written text and audio read by the student author. Books will be shared through the school’s Intranet.

“The committee unanimously decided on ‘Found in Translation: Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking and Metaphrasis’ because it covered the entire gamut of comprehension,” said Sabrina Carnesi, award committee chair. “Translations required the reiteration of the nonfiction/informational text content that each student chose through the recursive literary process of writing, illustrating and sharing with a wider audience via digital text. Future plans to implement this program throughout the school showed an outstanding effort via the school librarian and classroom teacher in efforts to successfully create a literacy conscious community of readers and thinkers.”

Public programming takes place in all types of libraries and by a range of librarians in various positions. Some libraries have a full programming budget and staff, while others make do with no budget and staff with various titles and other job duties. The one thing programming librarians (whether officially titled that or not) share is a passion to bring the best programming to their patrons and the belief that programming is an integral library service.

Although the Public Programs Office is a wonderful resource for programming librarians, there is currently no formal space in the ALA structure for members to contribute to the world of library public programming. With this in mind, the members of the Public and Cultural Programming Advisory Committee have decided to push forward with the establishment of a new ALA Member Interest Group, to be known as the Programming Librarian Interest Group. The first step of this process is to collect the signatures of one hundred ALA members on an ALA e-petition.

The Programming Librarian Interest Group’s mission statement is:

To bring together all types of librarians interested in public programming for their patrons. Programming is an intrinsically essential library service. The Programming Librarian Interest Group will help librarians advocate for programming at their own institutions, share program ideas and successful strategies, and provide a space for professional development by librarians who do programming officially and unofficially as part of their job duties. The group will also be a vehicle for ALA members to connect more dynamically with ALA’s Public Programming Office.

If we can collect the necessary one hundred signatures, our petition will move on to the Committee on Organization for approval. If the MIG is established, membership will be open to all ALA members. We hope that you will join us in achieving our goal of establishing a member-driven forum for public programming within the ALA structure.

A new study shows that the majority of parents highly value one resource for their children: libraries. Ninety-four percent say libraries are important for their children, according to new report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. The study, “Parents’ and Children’s Special Relationship with Reading and Libraries,” reveals the strong connections parents have with public libraries.

In response to the report, American Library Association President Maureen Sullivan released the following statement:

“One thing that nearly all parents agree about is the importance of libraries! This study echoes what librarians have heard from parents for years: libraries encourage and build a love of reading and books. Librarians provide more information and resources than any family can afford to have at home. Libraries provide a safe and welcoming space for reading and learning.

“Libraries continue to link people with the information and the critical resources they need to educate themselves and to connect with their communities. Eighty-seven percent of children who visited the library do so to borrow books. Fifty-five percent went to do school work. A whopping 77 percent of teenagers come to us to support their out-of-school learning!

“An important way in which libraries support lifelong learning is by offering public programs that range from storytime for preschoolers to homework programs for teens. A recent report from the Institute of Museum and Library Services finds that libraries offered 2.3 million programs for children. Attendance at these children’s programs exceeded 60.5 million.

“Parents with school-age children also are more likely to be active library users themselves and to be interested in expanded library services than those without school-age children at home. Sixty-two percent of parents think libraries should offer a broader selection of e-books. Seventy eight percent of parents would like to participate in programs that allow patrons to test new technology devices and apps. Digital media labs and mobile services also are of interest to seven out of ten parents.

“I am pleased and proud that our nation’s libraries have inspired this level of confidence and trust. We thank the Pew Internet Project and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their research and continued exploration of the role and contribution of our public libraries in the digital age.”

Whether spring means a thorough house cleaning, preparing a home garden or simply enjoying the season, librarians are planning programs that suit library users’ preferred springtime activities.

Below are just a few examples of what libraries across the country are planning to do to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Friends of the Potomac (Md.) Library showcase all the events going on throughout the season with Spring Happening @ your library. Upcoming events include spring story hours, Chinese language book discussions, and monthly used book sales.

The Grand Rapids (Minn.) Area Library is certainly abuzz with its spring time horticultural programming lineup Buzzing and Clucking @ your library. All-ages programs will include those on the basics of beekeeping and raising backyard chickens. The library also showcases a collection of both adult and children’s reference books and materials on both subjects.

Hooksett (N.H.) Library recently reminded library users that Spring Cleaning = Donations @ your library. In its promotion, the library asked spring cleaners to consider donating their used books, CDs, and DVDs to the library to be used in the Friends of the Library’s upcoming book sale. 

The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types—across the country and around the globe—participate. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions.

This month, EDSITEment looks at a chapter from Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels; celebrates Asian-Pacific Heritage Month and Jewish-American Heritage Month; considers Winslow Homer’s The Veteran in a New Field; rereads the Great Gatsby; previews two new PBS series; and shares two great humanities websites.

What Is Courage; How Should We Cultivate It?

“Chamberlain” is a chapter from The Killer Angels, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historical novel about the Battle of Gettysburg by Michael Shaara (1928–88). A prolific writer of science fiction and sports stories, Shaara was inspired to write the novel after discovering letters written by his great-grandfather,who had been injured at Gettysburg as a member of the Fourth Georgia Infantry. This Launchpad provides background materials and discussion questions to enhance your reading and understanding of “Chamberlain.” After reading the story, you can click on the videos to hear a discussion of the story.

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month was established in 1990 to mark the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The first Japanese national to set foot on American soil was a young fisherman named Manjiro who was to become influential in ending Japan’s centuries of isolation. Though Manjiro’s name and legendary life story is celebrated by the children in contemporary Japan, fame has eluded him this side of the Pacific where he remains a footnote in American maritime history. This month, EDSITEment honors Manjiro Nakanohama, also known as John Mung, by telling his story and offering students an interactive map of his voyage around the Pacific.

Jewish-American Heritage Month

Each May, EDSITEment celebrates Jewish-American Heritage Month by pointing to the rich array of educational resources on this subject. Many of the programs listed are films that appeared on PBS as stand-alone specials or as part of long-running series such as American Experience and American Masters. Many of them have been funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities over the past decades. Each of them is accompanied by a multimedia website or Web page, which extends the life of the program with video clips, images, and interactives that can be used by teachers in their classroom or students doing research.

Homer’s Civil War Veteran: Battlefield to Wheatfield

How did Civil War soldiers and their torn country return to peace after four years of fighting? In “Homer’s Civil War Veteran: Battlefield to Wheat Field,” students consider Civil War veterans’ possible memories and emotions as they returned to civilian jobs. Students study symbolism in Winslow Homer’s painting, The Veteran in a New Field, and compare it to a photograph of the aftermath of a Civil War battlefield. After reading James Wren’s Diary entry, they write about and role-play a returning veteran.

The “Secret Society” in The Great Gatsby

The high school social scene is rife with drama. Who’s out? Who’s in? What’s cool? What’s not? Behind many of the questions is a burning desire to belong. To assert their status in a crowd, students must learn the unwritten and unspoken codes of behavior. Students’ own experience of the struggle to belong can provide a starting point for an exploration of how concerns about wealth, race, geographical origins, and other factors affect the perception of social status in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The new film, out this month, will send students racing back to the original F. Scott Fitzgerald novel from 1925 and spark discussions of class, gender, and status in the “Roaring Twenties.”

NEH Connections

Constitution USA

Does the Constitution have what it takes to keep up with modern America? Join Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!, as he hits the road to find out in Constitution USA. Traveling across the country by motorcycle, Sagal is in search of where the U.S. Constitution lives, how it works and how it doesn’t … how it unites us as a nation and how it has nearly torn us apart.

The Jewish Americans

The Jewish Americans is a three-night documentary that explores 350 years of Jewish American history. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, The Jewish Americans is a journey through time, from the first settlement in 1654 to the present. It is about the struggle of a tiny minority who make their way into the American mainstream while, at the same time, maintaining a sense of their own identity as Jews. Focusing on the tension between identity and assimilation, The Jewish Americans is quintessentially an American story, which other minority groups will find surprisingly familiar.

Best of the Humanities on the Web

Veteran’s History Project

The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

The Story of Movies

The Film Foundation’s interdisciplinary curriculum, The Story of Movies, was developed to expose new generations to classic cinema and to teach them about the cultural, artistic, and historical significance of film. Teaching units include Robert Mulligan’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).

This month, we’re highligting the Ridgefield (Conn.) Library for its long-running STEM program. Launched in 2005, the Donofrio Technology Series, Inspiring Kids in Science, is “an ongoing series of programs, workshops and events that aim to inspire young people, especially girls and minority students, to pursue science and engineering through school, college and beyond.”

The first year, the programming included “Local Women Talk Tech” with Lisa Glukhovsky, winner at the 54th Intel Science and Engineering Fair; astronomer Dr. Heidi B. Hammel; and  Dr. Jianying Hu with IBM; and “How Do I Get There From Here?” a panel discussion with Dr. Michael Hibbard, Assistant Superintendent at Ridgefield Public Schools; Ann Polina, Head at Westover School; Art Amend, former physics teacher in Ridgefield; Dr. Peter Farnina with Boehringer Ingelheim; and Priyanka Ghosh, a Ridgefield High School senior. A science fair and skits on women scientists by Girl Scouts were also held. In addition, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s Miracle Year, thirteen women scientists from local companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim, IBM Schlumberger, and the Space Science Institute, made presentations to Ridgefield sixth graders to talk about their careers.

Other programs offered over the past few years included “Seeing Stars: Three Optical Engineers Talk about their Cool Careers in the Space Industry” with Linda Abramowicz-Reed, Tom Heydenburg, and Andrea Sarnik from Goodrich ISR Systems; robotics with Aeolean founder Bala Krishnamurthy, along with Dr. Karen Trovato, Dr. Simon Hill and Shika Sharma; “What Do Goldfish, Playstation 3 and Bridges Have in Common? Three Engineers Talk Tech” with Dr. Stefanie Chiras, Manager, IBM; Marta Mulyk, Project Engineer, Pepperidge Farm; and Jennifer Usher, Project Manager, BL Companies; “Engineering Your Future” with Dr. Hibbard and Lucy Brakoniecki, Gender Equity Specialist, Connecticut Girls and Tech Network; and “WATSON: Jeopardy and Beyond” with two IBM engineers, Dr. Jennifer Chu-Carroll and Dr. Sugato Bagchi, who worked on the DEEPQA Artificial Intelligence system, more affectionately known as Watson.

In addition, over the past two years the library has participated in the Astro4Girls and their Families program, which is designed to offer participants an opportunity to celebrate women in science, learn about the universe through hands-on activities, and empower girls in our community to explore the role of science in life and in their careers.

Most recently, on April 28, the library launched the “Lego Robotics Green City Challenge,” a three-part series that invites fifth- through eighth-grade students to learn programming and work with robots using the Green City Battle Board. The sessions are led by Mike Garguilo, a science teacher at Sleepy Hollow Middle School and coach of the Sleepy Hollow Middle School Headless Horse-bots, a First Lego League Robotics Team.

Over the past few years, the University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor has developed a couple of different models for offering programs to the UM community. Along with these models, we also have a couple of defined spaces, a gallery and event space at our Graduate Library, and a new study lounge and event space at the Undergraduate Library. We work to coordinate a variety of programs for students, faculty, and our larger community. We are interested in sharing our goals and ideas for our academic library programs with other librarians from all kinds of libraries, with the thought that there is some definite overlap and ways we can learn from the larger programming librarian community. We’ll contribute regular monthly posts here at Programming Librarian!

So, to take a step back, we thought we’d introduce ourselves! My name is Amanda Peters, and I have worked at UM for twelve years. My current title is University Learning Communities Librarian, but before last year, my title was Coordinator of Instruction and Outreach. And I’m Jamie Vander Broek. I’m the Library’s Exhibits & Programming Librarian, and I’m also part of a team of Learning Librarians. I’ve worked for the library for just under five years. Amanda and I often work together on programming. We serve together on a committee that coordinates the content on the digital screens in our new study lounge space, which serves as both a location and a jumping-off point for collaborative student programs. Additionally, Amanda’s outreach-focused role goes hand in hand with my focus on events and exhibits. Finally, we’re both naturally oriented toward student engagement and the craft programs that often come along with it. If someone ordered glitter at our library, it would probably be us!

A few years ago, we decided to start offering programs in various spaces in our Undergraduate Library with the idea that we could offer enrichment for students outside of their normal coursework. We have offered poetry readings and author talks, study abroad panels and movie nights. Our most popular events have been student musicians and free coffee in our study lounge, craft projects like making tote bags or handmade books, and the students’ favorite thing ever has definitely been bringing therapy dogs in for stress relief during finals. The library also transformed a former staff space in the Graduate Library with a great view of campus into a full-time event and exhibit space, with a goal of creating an intellectual center for the university in the library. That space, which we call the Library Gallery, hosts panel presentations and visiting speakers as well as traveling exhibits and original exhibits based on the library’s collections. Recently, we have been working to increase student interest and involvement in the gallery’s programs and exhibits.

We are looking forward to sharing our experiences with you here on Programming Librarian! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with us through the links above!

Eight libraries were selected for the 2013 John Cotton Dana Award, honoring outstanding library public relations and marketing with a $10,000 award and plaque. This award has been given continuously since 1946 and is sponsored by EBSCO, the H.W.Wilson Foundation and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is considered to be the most prestigious of all library awards in the field of public relations and marketing.

“This was a very difficult judging year,” said award committee Chair Kim Terry. “The quality was outstanding. We had entries from a variety of libraries. Many of the submissions came from small-to medium-sized libraries. In these challenging economic times, It’s amazing how wonderfully gifted libraries are at leveraging what they have to produce effective marketing campaigns.

The John Cotton Dana Awards will be presented at a reception sponsored by EBSCO from 4:30–6 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Eight libraries were honored:

The Craighead County Jonesboro (Ark.) Public Library “Meme Your Library” campaign engaged their community in a new way and positioned them as a 21st Century Library. The campaign, styled after popular ecards, resulted in increases in usage both physically and virtually, including an increase in mobile site visits by 118 percent and program participation by more than 100 percent.

In 2010 Hood River County (Ore.) Library District closed due to lack of funding. One year later, after a ballot measure to reopen the libraries passed by only 53 percent, the libraries reopened as an independent government agency needing to reboot their relationship with the community. The library’s outreach efforts included hiring bilingual staff, joining community organizations and bringing library services out into the neighborhoods. Despite being open only 25 hours per week for several months, circulation increased 5.2 percent and program attendance was up 20 percent.

The Lawrence (Kans.) Public Library engaged the community in the celebration of Banned Books Week by having local artists competitively design a week’s worth of trading cards. These unique cards succeeded in actively involving the arts community, putting a new marketing twist on typical banned books activities. The campaign attracted collectors and nationwide media attention.

Mid-Continent (Mo.) Public Library developed a cohesive and comprehensive rebranding campaign around the concept of “access” to help shift the perceptions of libraries in their community. The creative “Access Your World” campaign was embraced by library staff and community members alike, indicated by increased usage of online services and customers proudly touting their Access Passes (formerly known as library cards).

Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, used customer experience workshops with four hundred staff members to “change from the inside out,” identifying the Library’s brand promises to the Richland community. The brand promises became the Library’s foundation for defining what the customer can expect from the library.

The Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California, inspired its students and others around the world to declare, “I’m with the Banned,” through virtual outreach and library programming during 2012 Banned Books Week. An interactive website invited participation from more than six thousand visitors, and dozens of libraries across the nation linked to the site. Cal Poly students gained awareness of the issue of banned books through multiple channels, including craftwork, t-shirts, exhibits and interviews and a capacity crowd of more than five hundred community members attended author Stephen Chbosky’s week-ending talk.

The Santa Clara City (Calif.) Library launched the Project BEST campaign to educate the community about a new California law mandating that all food service employees complete the Food Handler Certification Program. As part of this campaign, the library positioned itself as a resource for job skills development. To this end, the library held twenty-six food handler classes resulting in 130 students obtaining food handler certification, assisted more than 550 people at job workshops, and held a job fair attended by thirteen companies and 375 potential job seekers.

Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, used several print and electronic channels—even 3-D animation—to successfully reach its student population through six keywords: Action, Create, Help, Relax, Green, and Connect. The creative graphical representations of these words could be seen all over campus, and the results were impressive, including a 110 percent increase in student use of the library’s e-resources and a 60 percent increase in Facebook fans.

Being a fairly new director of a small suburban public library, I was interested in applying for the Creative Aging grant as soon as I heard about it. I have been trying to find ways to increase attendance at our adult programs and make our library more visible to the community at large. We are surrounded by libraries in nearby communities that have larger buildings, collections, and budgets. They also have had a greater variety of adult programming opportunities.

Briarcliff Manor Public Library serves a community of fewer than eight thousand and is located in Westchester County, New York. Our earlier facility, a former train station, was cozy and intimate, but did not really allow for a full range of activities and programs. Our new building, constructed in 2009, will be further expanded with the renovation of the old train station into a community center with more adult program space.

Right now, our program space is also our adult reading area, and we are constantly shifting moveable furniture, an issue that I had to consider when I wrote the grant application. I briefly thought that it might be better to hold the classes elsewhere (a Recreation Department facility or even a church meeting room), but I really wanted to make sure that people came into our building, saw the whole facility, and used our art books, a sizeable collection for a library of our size. Although the eight sessions (each lasting two hours) were somewhat disruptive, other patrons were still able to find study or reading space in our children’s and teen’s breakout rooms. Luckily the classes were held in the mornings, when those spaces were not needed for our young patrons. I think that other patrons were intrigued by what they saw happening during the sessions.

Through Lifetime Arts, I was lucky to find a teaching artist that was talented, a real people person, and completely flexible. Kim McCormack grew up in Briarcliff Manor, but has since traveled widely, including many trips to the Himalayan country of Bhutan, where she is a consultant on Special Education. She currently works throughout our region with many audiences, from children to seniors. Although I conducted several phone interviews with artists from the roster provided by Lifetime Arts, I was immediately impressed with Ms. McCormack’s enthusiasm and wide range of experience. We met, looked at the spaces available to us, and made the decision together to hold the program in the library.

I had conducted an interest survey as recommended in our training session with Lifetime Arts. We gathered information from people at the library, at senior programs organized by our village Recreation Department, and from older adults seen our library staff members who visits local senior residences. Kim’s multimedia project ideas appealed to me because we could incorporate many of the visual arts: painting, drawing, collage, and photography. Some participants also used writing in their final projects, and all attendees wrote artists’ statements.

We recruited participants through informational flyers in the library, notices in online newspapers, items in community online services, and our own library e-news. We also put out flyers in the senior residences where we had done our survey and at the programs run by our Recreation Department. Kim had already done some programs at other libraries, and a few participants were eager to take more classes with her. We soon had thirteen applicants, almost the limit we felt we could handle in our space. (We originally said that we do a maximum of fourteen.) Then we got an inquiry from a loyal library user, who had parents aged almost ninety-nine and 101. They were able to physically start the program, but the mother had severe hearing and vision problems. They would need to come with the daughter and an aide. We were able to accommodate them, but unfortunately due to increasing heath issues, they could not complete the program.

One other person dropped out because she had to care for her grandchildren, but the other participants—from ages fifty-five and older, mostly active seniors in their sixties and seventies—finished the program, although Hurricane Sandy, the resulting gas shortage, and an early snow storm wreaked havoc with our schedule. Some participants came from our local community; others came from other parts of our county. A few had significant art experience or even worked as art teachers themselves. Others had not picked up a crayon or a paint brush since leaving school, and many said that they never considered themselves as having any creative abilities.

Kim created an atmosphere from the opening session onward in which people felt comfortable doing the beginning exercises, which involved creating simple collage, sketching the human face, and testing out a variety of materials, including pencil, watercolor pencil, and oil pastels, and talking about their experiences as they used the materials. The social aspects of the class were as important as the skill-building, and all participants began to feel comfortable in their roles, both as artists and “gentle” critics.

Everyone began to ask for opinions on their work, but Kim also emphasized the importance of critically viewing your own work and experimenting with change, whether it was a background color, the color of the tape used as binding on the final portraits on foam core, or the placement of the elements of a collage that focused on the artist’s grandchildren and their athletic pursuits. The results were extremely varied, with final works that ranged from traditional realistic sketches to collages that incorporated photographs of family members.

Our first project was so successful that I applied for a second project this spring. I really wanted to work with Kim again, and she agreed. Our recent project focused on making books and creating visual journals. We decided to use the theme “Sharing Our Travels.” Many seniors who can afford to travel are visiting places around the world. Others enjoy looking back on their past trips. Some people in the program chose to highlight their creative journeys. The theme worked for everyone, although some participants had to work harder on choices for their final projects as they went through different ideas from week to week.

The first few sessions focused on different types of book structures, including pop-up, tulip, and accordion. Kim then introduced the creation of end papers replicating the beautiful designs of centuries past. She also did a painting exercise à la Eric Carle with participants using wide swathes of paint and then creating textures with all kinds of tools. Participants then took off in many different directions, bringing in their photos and memorabilia from trips, and using collage materials provided by Kim. We were also able to provide small sound recording devices to insert in the books so that people could record their own voices.

We have held two wonderful receptions and exhibits. Right now the books are arranged all around our adult reading area along with the artists’ statements. Friends and family members came to both receptions, but the public was also invited. The artists spoke quite personally about their work and their reasons for taking the class.

In formal evaluations and in their artists’ statements, some of the participants shared feelings that highlight how important this experience has been. One artist stated, “This project has inspired me to overcome the fear of the unknown. Seeking new roads in life will help me evolve into the woman I aspire to.” Another participant said, “Kim McCormack’s class has also been an adventure. Her enthusiasm and knowledge has shown the way to open up to creativity.“ Our second project drew more people with an art background, but whether they had any art experience or not, everyone enjoyed this opportunity to use new materials and techniques to create a book that will become a treasured part of their own permanent collections.

Editor’s Note: We’ll be highlighting Creative Aging programs in New York throughout April. To find out about the Creative Aging project and to read about programs in other libraries, visit the Creative Aging page.

Lifetime Arts and the ALA Public Programs Office will be presenting the preconference “80 is the New 30! Learn How Public Libraries are Delivering Proven, Inspiring and Transformative Arts Programs for Today’s Older Adults” at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Register for the Conference.

I hope that many of you are planning to join us in Chicago for the 2013 ALA Annual Conference this summer. The ALA Public Programs Office is hosting several special events which may be of interest to you. Registration for either of these events is available as part of conference registration, or if you’ve already registered for the conference, you can add either of these events by logging in to the ALA Annual Conference registration page.

80 is the New 30! Learn How Public Libraries are Delivering Proven, Inspiring and Transformative Arts Programs for Today's Older Adults

Friday, June 28, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Event Code: PPO1
Tickets: ALA Member, $175; Student Member, $160; Retired Member, $160; Non-member, $200.

Join the ALA Public Programs Office and Lifetime Arts, Inc. for a preconference workshop designed to combine big-picture thinking about Creative Aging with the practical experiences of urban, rural and suburban library systems who are pioneering Creative Aging programs using the successful and affordable Lifetime Arts program model. The workshop's format will combine engaging talks by national experts in the arts, aging, and library services fields as well as structured roundtable discussions featuring micro working sessions.

Participants will:

• Learn about benefits of Creative Aging, Positive Aging and Arts Education
• Understand the impact of the IMLS funded “Creative Aging in Public Libraries” project
• Gain first-hand insights from participating system directors and teaching artists
• Exchange ideas about 50+ library services
• Begin to plan programming for their systems

Explore Chicago Architectural Landmark at Annual Conference and Support Cultural Communities Fund

Monday, July 1, 5:00-6:30 p.m. (Event Code: PPO2) or 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Event Code: PPO3)
Tickets: $75.

Spend an evening celebrating 10 years of the ALA Cultural Communities Fund (CCF) supporting the best in arts and humanities programming in libraries across the country by attending this special fundraiser at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. Located on the University of Chicago campus in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood, Robie House is considered one of the most important buildings in American architecture. The evening includes transportation, a cocktail reception, and self-guided tours through the historic home. Guides from the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust will be available to answer questions.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit the ALA Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment to support cultural programming in libraries. Funding from CCF will strengthen the ability of libraries and librarians to respond to community needs for cultural programming through the creation of professional development opportunities for programming librarians as well as the creation of national model programs and resources for libraries to develop local capacity for programs.

Situated in an area of Brooklyn, New York, with a high concentration of seniors, the Bay Ridge branch of the Brooklyn Public Library has made it a priority to provide meaningful programs and services to our older adults. Like many other public libraries during the economic downturn, we are faced with the challenge of decreased funding plus an increased demand for programs.

Thanks to Lifetime Arts we were able to provide a structured, sequential eight-week watercolor painting workshop in 2012. The workshop created the opportunity for seniors to explore the world of art and tap into talents that they didn’t even know they had. An added bonus was a sense of accomplishment that made them happier and healthier. Personally, I was so moved and touched at the culminating event—a beautiful art gallery displayed with each student’s work—because I knew some of the participants had no previous painting experience.

Based on the huge success of the program held last year, we applied again in 2013. This time, we are offering a vocal arts class. The eight-week “World of Music” workshop aims to engage participants through singing to improve their vocal skills, and to gain an understanding of the similarities and differences in music across cultural boundaries. Right now, we have finished half of the curriculum, and the feedback from the students is phenomenal. Many stated that the participation has not only expanded their musical horizons, but has also made them feel more confident. The workshop will conclude with a culminating performance for the public.

From the experience of hosting the two workshops, I am very grateful for the support I received from the Lifetime Arts. The guidelines, the research literature, templates for signup sheet, photo release forms, evaluations, surveys, etc., are very useful and professional, making the application process smooth and recruiting for students easy.

Editor’s Note: We’ll be highlighting Creative Aging programs in New York throughout April. To find out about the Creative Aging project and to read about programs in other libraries, visit the Creative Aging page.

Lifetime Arts and the ALA Public Programs Office will be presenting the preconference “80 is the New 30! Learn How Public Libraries are Delivering Proven, Inspiring and Transformative Arts Programs for Today’s Older Adults” at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Register for the Conference.

This month, EDSITEment celebrates National Poetry Month by looking at Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and The Canterbury Tales; examines how LBJ managed the crisis with the Dominican Republic; explores Shakespeare; and remembers the Holocaust.

National Poetry Month

Widely known and loved, Emily Dickinson continues to delight each new generation with her unique verse. But are your students aware of the other ways she expressed her creative gifts? They may be interested to discover though Dickinson only published a handful of poems in her lifetime, she was renown in her hometown of Amherst as an accomplished baker and gardener!

By the time Geoffrey Chaucer was writing The Canterbury Tales, his narrative poem about a group of nine and twenty “sondry folk” making their leisurely way to Canterbury, pilgrimages of that sort had acquired a dubious reputation. Moralists such as the Lollard preacher William Thorpe complained that pilgrims were merely out for a good time, their minds on partying, not penance and prayer. Find out more about the poem and its era with The Autumn of the Middle Ages: Chaucer and Dante.

Finally, in a blog post titled “De-Frosting Poetry for the Common Core,” EDSITEment celebrates American poet Robert Frost, one of two poets (along with Emily Dickinson) whose poems appear on the list of CCSS text exemplars for every grade level. Little surprise there, as Frost has been deemed “the American bard” and remains one of the most beloved and widely taught poets of the twentieth century. Learn how to unlock the grade-level poetry of Robert Frost.

LBJ and the Dominican Republic

A crisis in the Dominican Republic would force President LBJ to choose between his commitment to anti-communism and his desire to maintain positive relationships with Latin American nations. In Lyndon B. Johnson and the Crisis in the Dominican Republic, students will look at the history of the United States’s relationship with Latin America, and they will then evaluate the competing priorities that shaped the American intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1965. They will hear President Johnson discuss the intervention with his top advisers, and compare this to his presentation of the issue to the public.

Shakespeare

In a unique series of six films, PBS’s Shakespeare Uncovered combines history, biography, iconic performances, new analysis, and the personal passions of its celebrated hosts—Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Trevor Nunn, Joely Richardson, and David Tennant—to tell the stories behind the stories of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.

EDSITEment’s Shakespeare lessons help teachers unlock the Bard for students of all ages. From the complex nature of revenge in Hamlet to the happy/unhappy endings in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, these lessons provide teachers with many activities to guide students through the close and deep reading of the plays required by the Common Core State Standards initiative. Students will revel in Shakespeare’s language, including his use of puns, and explore multiple interpretations of the plays.

In addition, Folger Digital Texts offer meticulously edited, accurate texts in a beautifully readable format with the added power of in-depth, behind-the-scenes coding. The texts—including full source code—can also be downloaded at no charge for noncommercial use. The first Folger Digital Texts include a dozen of Shakespeare’s best known plays, including Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Tempest.

Holocaust Remembrance Week

Marked each April during the National Days of Rememberance, the Holocaust is one of the greatest tragedies in modern history. Its enormity is difficult for students to comprehend, particularly if it is presented as a general historical event. One effective way of approaching this topic is for students to hear the testimony of individual survivors. Coming of Age in the Holocaust—Coming of Age Now is a free, interactive curriculum for middle and high-school students and their educators created by the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York in collaboration with Yad LaYeled—The Ghetto Fighters’ Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Heritage Museum in Israel. EDSITEment also offers a guide to using the Coming of Age website.