Catching Up: February and Outreach

February started off a little bit on the low side for me. I had to take my wife to the airport for her work trip. She'll be gone from February 1st to March 21st. So, I wasn’t in the best spirits to start the month, but as I sat in our living room creating my work calendar on our family calendar, I knew this month was going to keep me busy! I’m happy to say we’re so close to March!

Looking back, I did quite a few programs that I was really happy with,and I was a little surprised at how well they turned out. I kicked off the month with my first Read and Snack program. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but it ended up being a lot of fun. Next, I ran LEGO Club for the first time in a while, and we had a great turnout, it was a really enjoyable session! I also did quite a bit of outreach this month, but there’s one in particular I’d love to share. Our local elementary school stopped by the library for a career day visit. The students traveled around visiting various businesses and organizations to learn about different careers. I was so excited when I got an email asking if they could visit, I immediately said YES!

What we did for this type of visit was a little different from our usual. Usually, preschoolers or daycare groups come in, and we do a library tour and storytime. But for this visit, the students received a library tour, and I had the chance to share a bit about myself and what I do as a librarian (here’s a link to my presentation).

After I shared about myself, I talked about what librarians do. I think a lot of people imagine that librarians just get to relax and read all day. (Wouldn’t that be nice?!) I explained what makes my job unique and how librarians truly make a difference. My advice? If your local elementary schools don’t already do it, consider inviting them to visit. Sharing your career with kids, and honestly with adults too, can be really meaningful for everyone!

Here's a handout I put together for the kids to highlight what I do as a librarian. Some of the images are meant to be funny, while others are designed to stand out. For example, there's a picture of a woman cooking with children. I might say, "Yes, librarians are cooks! We even run cooking programs for all ages, including kindergarteners. The program is called 'Read and Snack', check the program calendar or visit the front desk for more details." Another image shows a doctor, and I’d explain, "No, we aren’t doctors, but we do help people find information or assist future medical professionals in locating what they need. We also provide a space for studying so they can become doctors someday.

Lastly, I dismiss families, I share that if they need to get a library card to see me first. I will try to help them start their library card application off from their phones, but for this event I could not do that due to it being close to the end of my shift. I also send off families with a scavenger hunt around the library. I did not have prizes this year, but next year I am totally getting small prizes for it. Here is the scavenger hunt. I found it on Teachers Pay Teachers - Librarian Lex for free. So, thank you Librarian Lex!

Additionally, I brought a book just in case. I'm always excited for spontaneous storytime moments! However, this year, we didn’t get a chance to do it because of time constraints. I wanted to give families plenty of time to browse and ask the library any questions they might have.

We had more than 25 kids along with their adults, and it was really successful. I'm already excited for next year!