Planning Ahead
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
A June 1969 riot at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan is often considered to be the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States. Launched in 2000, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month is held in June to commemorate this important event in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered history. As the National Women’s History Project puts it, “June is now the month of acceptance and the month to welcome diversity in communities regardless of sexual orientation. ... This month is meant to recognize the impact Gay, Lesbian and Transgender individuals have had on the world.” ► read more...
From the Blog
Creating a Global Village
As the Urban Libraries Council notes, “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.” ► read more...
New for March at EDSITEment
This month, EDSITEment puts the spotlight on Women’s History Month, providing an ideal opportunity for students to learn about and connect to the lives, struggles, and achievements of women who came before. ► read more...
Feature
A Journey through a Goldmine: PBS.org Resources for Programming Librarians
Unless you’ve been living in a mine shaft, you know PBS creates excellent early literacy television shows. Between the Lions and Word World make reading fun for emergent and beginning readers. Other shows such as Cyberchase and Sid the Science Kid help kids have fun with math and science. PBS Kids, created specifically for elementary school students, hosts fun online learning games and has oodles of printable coloring sheets. The coloring sheets are perfect handouts for story time or for students during school visits. Print the coloring sheet and on the reverse print your library’s information and a booklist using BookFinder or one of PBS’s ready-made parent quick tips. This creates an almost instant marketing tool. Encourage the kids to color the picture and hang it on their fridge at home.
Mining for something a little more thought provoking for your older audiences? Host a National Parks event based on Ken Burn’s film The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. Show the film and facilitate a discussion based on the teacher’s guide that is included with the educational version of the film. ► read more...
Poll
Quote of the Week
The closest we will ever come to an orderly universe is a good library.
—Ashleigh Brilliant