Spring is nearly here. Really—the groundhog in Pennsylvania did not see his shadow, so spring is nearly here! I know it is hard to believe since we are still recovering from the Blizzard of 2016, but I am going to go with it. One simple idea I saw on Pinterest is to gather all the books you have with green spines—light green, dark green, medium green— put them on a shelf or book cart near the circulation desk for the month of March. Just for fun, you could keep track of how many of them get checked out.
American Red Cross Month
Since World War II, every president, including President Obama, has designated March as Red Cross Month. Every eight minutes, the American Red Cross brings help and hope to people in need. Your library can support the mission by sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive in your meeting room or by offering a CPR or First Aid class for new parents during story time.
National Women’s History Month
This month provides a time for reexamining and celebrating the wide range of women’s contributions and achievements that are too often overlooked in the telling of U.S. History. This year’s theme, Working to Form a More Perfect Union, honors women who have shaped America’s history and its future through their public service and government leadership. Display biographies of famous American women. Go to http://www.nwhp.org for more information and resources.
Youth Art Month
The Council for Art Education administers Youth Art Month at the national level. Festivities take place annually, traditionally each March, to celebrate visual arts for grades K – 12. The Youth Art Month Program emphasizes the value of art education for all children, encourages support for quality school art programs, and promotes art material safety. The 2016 national theme is The Power of Art. Collaborate with your local schools to feature student art work during the month of March. This type of activity is sure to increase your door count with parents and grandparents coming in to see the display.
NEA’s Read Across America Day (March 2, 2016)
Hang on to your hats! It’s time to gear up for NEA’s Read Across America Day and go wild for reading! On March 2, tip your hat to Dr. Seuss and celebrate his newly discovered book, What Pet Should I Get? with creative acts of reading and learning for students of all ages. Click on this link for an 8-page Classroom Activity Guide. See the CPLS Pinterest Page for Seuss-themed snacks and activities.
Mem Fox’s Birthday (March 5)
Display a group of Mem’s books in the children’s area along with her Ten Read-Aloud Commandments which can be found at http://memfox.com/for-parents/.
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
Start with a green topped table with Irish books on it. Add a paper streamer rainbow, a poster board cloud and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The “gold” could be chocolate gold coins or plastic coins from Oriental Trading Company.
National Quilting Day (March 19)
In June of 1991, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the 22nd annual show of the National Quilting Association, a resolution was passed and the National Quilting Day was started. National Quilting Day is observed annually on the third Saturday in March. It is a day that is celebrated around the country with special quilting shows, classes, open museums and much more. This is a day to appreciate and to recognize quilt-makers, along with all of their long labor, love and skill that goes into the making of each quilt. Display quilts made by your patrons along with books about quilting. You will find Patricia Polacco’s The Keeping Quilt in the children’s area.
World Water Day (March 22)
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. Display books with the word “water” in the title or books about this vital resource.
Kate DiCamillo’s Birthday (March 25)
Kate DiCamillo has written many books for children. Celebrate her birthday by displaying them with a bookmark listing the titles. Go to http://www.katedicamillostoriesconnectus.com/resources/ for Teachers’ Guides, Activity Kits, and Discussion Questions.
Easter (March 27)
Gather all your holiday material about Easter. Set up a display with books, DVDs, baskets, colorful cellophane grass, plastic eggs, and these cute washcloth bunnies. This is a very simple craft for your preschool story time. For complete instructions, go to http://www.auntannie.com/Easter/WashclothBunny/.
BONUS Nebraska Display—On March 1, 1867, Nebraska entered the union and became the 37th state. This is a chance to get out and display all of your Nebraska History materials.
Follow me on Pinterest for even more display and activity ideas.