Programming Librarian

March 2010

Enter This Contest and Be a Part of History
Erica Pastore | March 30, 2010
HISTORY, joined by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, invites libraries and students across the United States to flex their creative muscles and share their passion for American history by participating in HISTORY’s “America: The Story of Us” contests.

Libraries (and Cameras) Help Teens Show How They See It
Felicia Kelley | March 25, 2010
Inspired by the ideas of a Harvard University historian, more than 200 teens at 21 California libraries teens explored place and history using digital cameras and notebooks in a recently completed statewide program—“How I See It—My Place” sponsored by the California Council for the Humanities (CCH).

How Does Your Garden Programming Grow?
Angela Hanshaw | March 23, 2010
This year I decided I was going to get serious about my garden. Admittedly, my garden is a bunch of containers on a patio, and I knew I was going to plant mostly vegetables this time, so it wouldn’t be terribly complex. Or so I thought, until I started my research. A quick check on my public library’s programs found a number that I would be interested in, but didn’t turn up anything on gardening. I started to wonder what other libraries were doing.

Start a Conversation in Your Community
Emilie Barnett | March 18, 2010
“Communities in Conversation” is a simple idea for a program with powerful potential. Communities can be defined as groups of people living in the same area with much in common but also holding a range of religious and ideological views.

Picturing America Programming Grant Now Open to All U.S. Public Libraries
Angela Thullen | March 16, 2010
Lamenting the fact that your library doesn’t have a set of Picturing America posters? Here’s an excellent opportunity to not only receive the posters, but a $2,000 programming grant as well. In addition, the grant deadline has been extended; applications will be accepted through April 26

Traveling Exhibitions: What’s Your Inspiration?
Jennifer Dominiak | March 11, 2010
The ALA Public Programs Office is always working to create new traveling exhibition opportunities for libraries. Traveling exhibitions and related public programs, including lectures by scholars, panel discussions, book and film discussions, curriculum activities, and concerts, offer exciting learning opportunities for library communities.

Creating a Global Village
Angela Hanshaw | March 09, 2010
As the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) notes, “In the United States, foreign-born residents now constitute more than 12.4% of the population, a higher figure than at any time since 1910. ... The integration of these millions of new residents into the fabric of American life is a major undertaking.” In order to address this increasingly important issue, ULC created “Welcome, Stranger: Public Libraries Build the Global Village” (PDF) along with an accompanying toolkit (PDF) to help libraries.

New for March at EDSITEment
Angela Hanshaw | March 04, 2010
This month, EDSITEment puts the spotlight on Women’s History Month, which provides an ideal opportunity for students to learn about and connect to the lives, struggles, and achievements of women who came before in order to better understand our world today.

Featured Library: Richland County Public Library
Angela Hanshaw | March 02, 2010
Each year, more than 40,000 people from across the state attend free cultural events at the Richland County (S.C.) Public Library (RCPL), including an annual storytelling festival, plays, literary readings, book discussions, and concerts. In February, the library celebrated African American History Month with a wide variety of programming highlighting African-American history and culture.