Great News!
The recordings of our Summer Reading Program workshop sessions are now available. They are located on the new Summer 2021 page on our System website.
You will find the presentations and documents from the workshops on that page, as well.
February is over, but we received such a terrific response to our Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead program last month, we decided to keep the fun going.
And now (drumroll please), we are going to email out an activity that is appropriate for elementary-age children on the 15th of each month throughout 2021! In addition, we will email out a teen activity on the last Friday of each month for the remainder of the year! Supplies will be available for these projects, too!
Call or email the System Office to let us know how many children you expect at your program.
Remember, you can request supplies for any of the 20 activities from February through the end of the year. All the projects can be found on our website.
Our elementary project for March is to do Bubble Prints.
Watch the linked video for complete details.
If you choose to do Bubble Prints, the System will provide Food Coloring, Paper Bowls, and Straws.
Be sure to watch for our Teen Activity, Binary Baubles, which will come out on March 26th (the last Friday of the month).
It has been a while since I have posted a list of display ideas. I know preparing displays takes a lot of time and when our patrons were just pulling up to the curb, there was no reason to use the precious time we had to make displays that very few people came in to see. I believe things are moving more towards the “old normal” so, here are some upcoming celebrations you may want to feature in your display cases.
Celebrate Diversity Month
Celebrate Diversity Month started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will get a deeper understanding of each other. Help kids see how big the world is by choosing books about people whose lives are very different from theirs for a display in the children’s area.
National Humor Month
Nothing can bring people together like laughter. Not to mention that laughter is good for us mentally and physically: a good chuckle can help relieve stress, burn calories and even boost your immune system! Click on this link for 8 activities to celebrate National Humor Month. Gather all your joke books and make a hilarious display.
National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month celebrates poems and poets with annual events taking place nationwide in April. Established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, the goal is to increase the visibility of the poetic form, as well as to increase access to it. For programs and resources relating to poetry, click on this link. Go through the 811 sections of your library, both adults and children, to find books for your display.
School Library Month
School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians’ celebration of school librarians and school libraries. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning. Click on this link for resources provided by AASL.
National Library Week (April 4-10)
The theme for National Library Week, “Welcome to Your Library,” promotes the idea that libraries extend far beyond the four walls of a building – and that everyone is welcome to use their services. During the pandemic libraries have been going above and beyond to adapt to our changing world by expanding their resources and continuing to meet the needs of their users. Whether people visit in person or virtually, libraries offer opportunities for everyone to explore new worlds and become their best selves through access to technology, multimedia content, and educational programs. Click on this link for free tools to publicize this celebration.
Draw a Bird Day (April 8, 2021)
Draw A Bird Day is a special movement, that was born in Great Britain during the 1940s. This movement spread to the other countries and it became very popular. Prepare a display of both drawing books and bird books. Hold a program, either virtually or in-person, where the participants are instructed how to draw a bird.
National Pet Day (April 11)
National Pet Day is April 11, although if you’re a pet owner, you know there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t celebrate your animal companion! It turns out that not only can pets steal our hearts, but they also contribute to overall cardiovascular health by lowering cortisol, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. Display books about common (and some not-so-common) pets, for example dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, horses, and maybe even llamas. Click on this link for all kinds of facts about pets. (Think bookmarks!)
National D.E.A.R. Day (April 12)
National D.E.A.R. Day is celebrated every year on April 12th. That’s the birthday of beloved author Beverly Cleary, whose characters Ramona and older sister Beezus are now favorites of a new generation of readers. On this day, families are encouraged to take at least 30 minutes to put aside all distractions and enjoy books together. Click on this link for printable posters and bookmarks as well as other resources.
Superhero Day (April 28, 2021)
Prepare a display of books, graphic novels, audiobooks and DVDs about Superheroes. Leave drawing paper and colored pencils beside the materials and ask your patrons to invent their own superheroes. Encourage them to design costumes and make a list of what problem their powers could solve. Hang all the drawings on a nearby bulletin board.
Oatmeal Cookie Day (April 30, 2021)
Although no record seems to exist regarding the origins of Oatmeal Cookie Day, the Internet is filled with evidence that it is a genuine celebration of what is considered to be the healthiest cookie of all. Oatcakes have been relied on to deliver quick boosts of energy since the middle ages and though recipes are today far more elaborate and tastier, oatmeal cookies are still trusted to supply a healthy dose of fiber and iron. First cultivated thousands of years ago and eaten as a type of porridge, oatmeal is now dressed in the finest of fruits, nuts, candies and spices to reign supreme in cookie jars around the world. Display your cookbooks with cookie recipes and buy boxes of Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Cream Pies (individually wrapped) to hand out to your patrons as they check out library material.
| Build Readers Today |
| Summer Reading 2021 Now is a great time to begin planning for summer reading success! The Nebraska Library Commission has contracted with Reader Zone to offer libraries throughout the state a web-based tool for managing reading programs. You are invited to join a Zoom call with Reader Zone founder, Jake Ball, on February 18, 2021 at 1:00 PM Central Time to become familiar with Reader Zone and see how it can enhance your efforts now and through summer reading. This is a live Zoom meeting where you will be able to ask questions as Jake shows you how to build Programs and use the features of Reader Zone. Simply log onto Zoom and enter the Meeting ID listed below during the scheduled time and we will see you there! No pre-registration is required. Visit Zoom.com and enter the meeting ID: 473 615 3161 |
| This Clinic is Scheduled for: February 18, 2021 1:00 PM Central Time |
It’s here! 2-1-21 Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead February. We are focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math programming for all ages, Preschool – Young Adults.
In order to receive the activities in your Inbox, you need to belong to the CPLS email list. Join by going to Subscribe to a Nebraska Library Commission Mailing List.
Starting today, February 1, 2021, and every weekday this month, we will distribute one or more S.T.E.A.M. projects for use in a variety of ways. These projects can be used for in-person programs such as story times or crafternoons. Or, the supplies and instructions can be sent home in bags. Or, the activities can be used in a virtual “do-along-with-me” format.
Be on the lookout for this icon in the email announcing each project. It indicates that the System will provide some of the materials for your program at no cost to you. Let us know how many people you expect or the number of take-home bags you plan to distribute and we will get the supplies to you.
Watch the linked “Welcome” video for more details. The first project is also included. Let’s get going Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead!
Go to the FSA February section of the website to see Day 2 and every other project as they become available.
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting two live Virtual Summer Reading workshops, Tails and Tales! Use the link below to get registered for this exciting event on whichever date works best for you. But please make sure you register at least a week in advance in order to have all the goodie bags and crafts sent out prior to the workshop!
REGISTER TODAY: https://forms.gle/U7HNeEvYHKk9fCoN6
Just a reminder that we will be closed on the following dates to enjoy time with our loved ones. We hope everyone will take a moment to reflect on the many blessings we have in our lives despite enduring such a hard year!
In March of this year, we extended the Public Library Accreditation expiration dates for all public libraries by one year. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are again extending the expiration dates, by one more year. So, there will be no Accreditation process in 2021 and we will not be holding Public Library Accreditation and Community Needs Workshops in 2021. At this time, we plan to resume the program in 2022.
Accreditation expiration dates have changed as follows:
• 2021 to 2022
• 2022 to 2023
• 2023 to 2024
The change has already been made in our system, and you will see your library’s new expiration year in the Accreditation Status listing at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/LibAccred/standings.asp
A new paper Public Library Accreditation certificate will be mailed to your library in the next few weeks. It will show your library’s new Accreditation expiration date. Please replace your present Accreditation certificate with this new one.
In addition, we are also continuing to offer Public Librarian Certification extensions to individuals and Public Library Board Certification extensions to library boards. Linda Babcock will be reaching out to library staff and boards via email about the Certification extension process. She is working through them in expiration date order, starting with the ones due in January, February, and March of 2021, then on through the year.
We know that libraries are already coping with so many issues, and the Accreditation and Certification programs don’t need to be another thing for you to worry about.
Do you need an activity to send home for a winter story time? How about snowflakes?
Snowfakes-half
