Central Plains Library System

Finally, we are having some days with sunshine! Maybe spring has not abandoned us. I didn’t know if I was going to make it through this spell of crazy weather, but the sunshine is making me hopeful. Find a number of books with covers that are a sunny yellow. Get some artificial daffodils (try the Dollar Tree), pin them to the board, and prepare a display with the words “Spring Into a Good Book.” You will smile every time someone checks out a yellow book. Here are ten more display and program ideas for April.

National Humor Month
National Humor Month was conceived as a means to heighten public awareness of the therapeutic value of humor. Laughter and joy – the benchmarks of humor – lead to improved well-being, boosted morale, increased communication skills, and an enriched quality of life. It’s no coincidence that the month begins with April Fool’s Day, a day which has sanctioned frivolity and amusement for hundreds of years. Display your joke and riddle books and the funny picture books on this list. This website is loaded with resources and projects related to humor. Laugh it up!

National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture. Display poetry books from all areas of your collection along with your free National Poetry Month poster. Click here for 30 ways to celebrate.

School Library Month
School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians’ celebration of school librarians and their programs. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in transforming learning. The 2019 theme is Everyone Belongs @ Your School Library and the 2019 spokesperson is Dav Pilkey. Click on this link http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/slm for free web graphics and printable posters for your display.

Maya Angelou’s Birthday (April 4, 1928)
Maya Angelou was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Create a display of her work and those inspired by her.

National Library Week (April 7-13, 2019)
The theme for this year is Libraries = Strong Communities. Melinda Gates is the 2019 National Library Week Honorary Chair. Go to this website for social media graphics for your Facebook or Twitter account.

National Unicorn Day (April 9)
National Unicorn Day is observed annually on April 9. Unicorns have been a popular mythical creature since the Ancient Greek times, when people believed they lived in exotic India. While they were originally considered to be fierce, powerful animals, they are now often seen as a symbol of love, purity, enchantment and magic. Unicorns appear in many movies and cartoons as magical creatures. They are depicted as a horse-like creature with a single pointed horn in the middle of their foreheads. Unicorns are loved by both children and adults. Coordinate an all-unicorn program of crafts and fun.

Sinking of the Titanic (April 15, 1912)
The Titanic sank on this day in 1912 in the icy Atlantic. Display your books and watch the movie…again.

Yankee Stadium Opened (April 18, 1923)
Celebrate baseball with a special display today. Gather your books—fiction and nonfiction—and add some gloves, bats, and balls to attract attention. Prepare a bookmark with a list of baseball books using this website for the final touch.

First Female IndyCar Winner (April 20, 2008)
On this day in 2008, Danica Patrick became the first female IndyCar winner when she won the Indy Japan 300 in Montegi, Japan. Feature books on race car driving today.

National Audubon Day (April 26)
April 26th is designated as National Audubon Day. This day is set aside to honor the birth of John James Audubon (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851). Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter noted for his extensive studies of American birds and his detailed illustrations of the birds in their natural habitats. Display your books about birds with some decorative bird houses.

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March is only one week away! What happened to February? Here at the CPLS Office, we have been wrapped up in “Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead” February. We have enjoyed a month-long learning adventure. When I think about March, leprechauns in green hats holding clovers come to mind. If you want to construct a leprechaun trap, follow this link for 85+ Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Mischief and Fun. Here are ten more display and program ideas for March.

Read Aloud 15 Minutes Month
Reading aloud is the “single most important activity” parents can do to prepare their child for reading and learning. This website includes information about the 21-Day Challenge going on in March 2019. Download posters, infographics, certificates of participation and more!

Women’s History Month
The theme for 2019 is “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence.” This year we honor women who have led efforts to end war, violence, and injustice and pioneered the use of nonviolence to change society. Display books about women’s history including biographies. For more information or to order posters, follow this link.

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday (March 2)
Since March 2nd is a Saturday this year, the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day is celebrated on Friday, March 1. Click on this link for activities that are perfect for celebrating readers all year long. Display your Dr. Seuss books and dvds. These items get checked out anyway, but once they are displayed, they will circulate by the bag-full.

Teen Tech Week (March 3-9, 2019)
Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by YALSA and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of Teen Tech Week is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of digital media. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library. Millions of teens do not have access to a home computer and, were it not for libraries, would miss opportunities to gain important digital literacy skills. Libraries offer a bridge across the digital divide. Libraries also recognize that digital media plays an important part in a teens’ life. That is why more libraries than ever are helping teens build critical digital literacy skills, which they will use to obtain scholarships, secure jobs, effectively manage their online identity and more. Click on this link for a variety of resources in addition to 50 Ideas for Celebrating TTW.

Dav Pilkey’s Birthday (March 4, 1966)
Share some amazing book trailers for Pilkey’s popular series with your readers of all ages, including the book trailer for Dog Man 6: Brawl of the Wild. Display Pilkey’s books on a table in your children’s area with bookmarks listing his book series.

Pi Day (March 14)
Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It’s approximately equivalent to 3.14159265359. Pi Day is a great reason to participate in “Pi” activities. Here are just a few:

• Pie Baking Contest
  Encourage patrons bake pies and bring them to the library for a pie eating competition.
• Pi Recitation Contest
  Have a contest on how many digits of the Pi can a contestant recite. The one with the most digits will take home a delicious pie.
• Eating Pi foods
  “Pizza” and “Pineapple. These are just examples of food starting with “Pi”. Share this food with patrons during Pi day.
• “Pi” word challenge
  Put that fork down and pick up that pen. Conduct a contest on how many words starting with “Pi” can a patron write. The winner will get (of course) an appetizing pie.

Freedom of Information Day (March 16)
Freedom of Information Day is an annual event on March 16, the birthday of James Madison, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and the foremost advocate for openness in government. Each year, the James Madison Award and the Eileen Cooke State & Local Madison Award are presented by ALA on Freedom of Information Day to recognize those individuals or groups that have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know. Go to this link for more information.

World Poetry Day (March 21)
World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21, and was declared by UNESCO in 1999. Its purpose is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the original UNESCO declaration says, to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements”.

Tolkien Reading Day (March 25)
Celebrated around the world on March 25, Tolkien Reading Day is a favorite among fans of the renowned author. Display books, audiobooks, and DVDs of Tolkien’s works.

National Crayon Day (March 31)
Get out crayons, paper, and coloring books (including adult coloring pages), and encourage your patrons to get creative with coloring!

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I think of pink hearts and chocolate candy when February comes around. Prepare a display of books with red, pink, and white covers and then scatter these “pun-ny” hearts on the edges of the shelves. Here are ten more February display and program ideas.

American Heart Month
Educate your patrons about heart health with a display that includes resources for wellness, physical activity, and delicious healthy eating (i.e. cookbooks, exercise books and DVDs, etc.). This website includes printable handouts on many aspects of heart health.

Black History Month
Each year beginning on February 1, an entire month of events are planned nationwide honoring the history and contributions of African Americans. The theme for Black History Month 2019 follows “Black Migrations” honoring African Americans in motion — as they moved from the farm to the cities, and from poverty to the national stage in business, politics, literature and the arts. Prepare a display of all types of library materials. This website provides 7 meaningful ways to celebrate Black History Month. Go to the ALA store for posters and bookmarks.

Library Lovers’ Month
Share some love for the library with a heart-filled bulletin board display featuring all of the things your patrons love about the library and reading.

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Birthday (February 7, 1867)
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American writer known for the Little House on the Prairie series of children’s books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood in a settler and pioneer family. Display the series of books and DVDs of the television show based on the books.

John Grisham’s Birthday (February 8, 1955)
John Ray Grisham Jr. is an American novelist, attorney, politician, and activist, best known for his popular legal thrillers. His books have been translated into 42 languages and published worldwide. Celebrate by creating a bookmark that lists his titles.

National Umbrella Day (February 10, 2019)
Display books with umbrellas on the cover along with some brightly colored umbrellas. The fun colors will perk everyone up…you could even risk bad luck by opening some of the umbrellas on display.

Presidents’ Day (February 18, 2019)
Celebrate all presidents past and present with a display of biographies and autobiographies.

Colt Revolver Patented (February 25, 1836)
A favorite of the Texas Rangers cavalry, Samuel Colt patented his revolver design on this day in 1836. Build a display of cowboy and western films and novels.

International Polar Bear Day (February 27, 2019)
This day says that you must reduce your carbon emissions and lower your thermostat level at least on February 27. On this day, many zoos will advertise and encourage visitors to show their support for polar bears. Display both children and adult books about polar bears and endangered species.

National Tooth Fairy Day (February 28, 2019)
Gather and display all your picture books that are based on the Tooth Fairy.

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2019 will be here in 12 days. I cannot believe that December is nearly gone and I have not prepared the Display Ideas for next month! That tells you a lot about how my month has gone. Here at the System Office we are preparing for a year with the most workshops…ever! It is exciting, but a bit terrifying as well. But I digress. Here are ten display and program ideas for the quickly approaching month of January.

National Hobby Month
Have patrons share their favorite hobbies this month, giving them a chance to show off their unique skills and share their interests with others. This is a great time for a makerspace program. Display craft and hobby books to give your patrons options to consider.

National Soup Month
The folks at Genius Kitchen have served up 54 Satisfying Soup Recipes for Cold Weather that might be just the comfort you need this month in chilly weather. Print one or two recipes each day and hand them out to all your patrons on that day. By the end of the month, you’ll have them coming back for more! You could also display your cookbooks that feature soup and comfort foods nearly the circulation desk.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday (January 3, 1892)
J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day in 1892. Set up a display of high fantasy books and films.

Tom Mix’s Birthday (January 6, 1880)
Cowboy film legend Tom Mix was born on this day. Highlight Westerns in print and film. Add a cowboy hat and boots to your display to draw attention to it.

Kid Inventors’ Day (January 17)
Have even more makerspace fun by watching these 11 Kid Inventors Break Down Their Greatest Inventions. Set out LEGOs and K’Nex toys to encourage creativity and see what your patrons invent.

A.A. Milne’s Birthday (January 18, 1882)
Alan Alexander Milne was a British author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. Display all of your Winnie-the-Pooh books and you might be able to find a stuffed character from the stories to dress up your children’s area. Here are 15 Words of Wisdom from Winnie-the-Pooh to help give your day new perspective.

Martin King Luther Jr. Day (January 21, 2019)
The National Education Association (NEA) has curated a list of K-5 classroom resources for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Print out the coloring pages and activities and put them next to a display of books about Martin King Luther Jr.

CIA Established (January 22, 1946)
President Harry S. Truman created the Central Intelligence Group on this date in 1946. Feature your spy novels and films today.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27)
The United Nations designated this day on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Distribute a booklist of amazing materials that promote understanding.

Data Privacy Day (January 28)
Raise awareness and promote best practices by scattering tips around the library (near the computers) and post on your website and social media.

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