Tag Archives: Spotlight Program Series

Programs

Spotlight Program: Library Chess Club

Chess board opening staunton

At CMLE, we so enjoy all our different types of libraries, archives, and other members! Seeing all the work you are doing is so inspiring; and we want to return the favor by helping you to find some of the great programming going on around the profession.

Each week we will share an interesting program we find. It may inspire you to do exactly the same thing; or to try something related; or just to try out some different programming ideas.

This is such an excellent blog from the Programming Library site:

“By Jenn Carson, MSLIS, CYT, CCYT Library Director of LP Fisher Public Library, Woodstock, N.B., Canada

At the L.P. Fisher Public Library in Woodstock, N.B., we already have a monthly Family Board Game night and an afterschool Board Game Club, but when local chess aficionado Derek Vihvelin inquired about possibly beginning a chess club we answered with a resounding “YES!”

The L.P. Fisher Public Library’s weekly chess club meetings draw about eight players per week.

A number of families in our community had been asking if I knew of anyone who offered chess lessons, and my first diggings came up blank. So it was a happy act of fate to find Derek looking for a place to teach and play chess when we were looking for someone to lead lessons!

The best part was that he was willing to volunteer, so families could come for free. Derek was even kind enough to donate some chess books to the library for our circulating collection.

About our chess instructor

Derek started playing chess when he was 3 years old. His father would play games against his friends, and Derek would try to grab at pieces of the board. So they set up a separate board just for him. Then either his father or his friend would teach Derek and his sister how to move the pieces when it wasn’t their turn.

Derek isn’t a titled player yet, but in blitz chess (timed chess where each player has only five minutes) he is consistently in the top 10 in New Brunswick. He has beaten several National Masters and Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) masters at blitz chess, and last year in the annual championship came in a tie for third/fourth place.

He estimates that in his lifetime he’s probably played around 100,000 games of chess. He’s been playing every day online since he was about 12 or 13 years old.

Setting up the club

Our first step for beginning the chess club was to buy some affordable, durable and portable chess sets, which we ordered from Strategy Games. We recommend getting the more expensive, thicker sets that won’t warp as easily. Once we received the sets, we sent them off to be cataloged as part of our board game collection. Then we made a Woodstock Chess Club Facebook page, which Derek and I both manage.

We decided, based on his busy schedule as a lawyer and young father of two, that Thursday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. would be the club’s official meeting time. Even if Derek is away, we still hold matches at that time, and people can come anytime to check out a chess set from the circulation desk to practice.

If our volunteer instructor can’t attend one of our evening meetings, members use the time to play.

Marketing the club

We set out advertising the club on our Facebook, website and print calendar. Additionally, I contacted all the families I knew who would be interested. Derek and I are also involved in our local jiu-jitsu club (which is said to be like chess for the body), so we promoted it to families there as well.

We opened it for all ages and levels. Each week, we get around 6 to 8 people, and presently have about 12 members in total.

Recommendations

If you’re interested in getting into chess, Derek’s favorite place to send his students to learn chess tactics is Chess Tempo. He also recommends downloading a chess clock app, like this one for Apple devices or this one for android devices.

Additionally, Lichess is an online platform to play chess recommended by Derek. It is free and has zero advertisements. He invites anyone to find him on there to play; his username is “Dubbik.””

Read the rest of this blog here!

Programs

Spotlight Program: DIY Steampunk Costume Pieces

Steampunk Worlds Fair (4629447382)

At CMLE, we so enjoy all our different types of libraries, archives, and other members! Seeing all the work you are doing is so inspiring; and we want to return the favor by helping you to find some of the great programming going on around the profession.

Each week we will share an interesting program we find. It may inspire you to do exactly the same thing; or to try something related; or just to try out some different programming ideas.

Check out this program on steampunk art. And, please, please invite us over if you do this !!! (I’m a steampunk fan!)

By Kara Seal, Senior Programming Specialist, Arapahoe Libraries (Colo.)

“Our summer reading program this year was a Western theme, with a steampunk bent for the teens. One of our featured programs for ages 13 to 17 offered the opportunity to create a hat and a pair of goggles that could be used for cosplay, Halloween or just for fun.

Using duct tape, hot glue, acrylic paint and embellishments, teens were encouraged to let their creativity fly as they transformed plastic party hats and welding goggles into fantastic works of art.

Advance Planning

We created sample hats and goggles two months ahead of the program. This helped us figure out which methods worked best, how long the pieces needed to dry in between steps, and how long the crafts would take overall.

Luckily our local craft store was having a sale, so we loaded up on feathers, fabric trim, jewelry embellishments, metallic paint and anything else with a steampunk feel. The goggles were purchased in bulk from a warehouse safety retailer, and we bought colored acrylic to use for colored lenses in the goggles.

The plastic party hats and welding goggles could also easily be purchased in bulk online.

Marketing

Our Summer Reading Program was promoted in several school visits within our service area, on our website and Facebook, and through various printed promotional materials that were distributed to local businesses as part of our grassroots marketing efforts.

This program was well attended, with about 50 teens participating across the district.

Budget Details

The overall cost of the program was about $250, covering programs in each of our five branches.

Day-of-event Activity

The program was set up on our meeting room tables, with the decorative items in the middle and printed copies of the instructions at each station. (View step-by-step instructions under Attachments at right). Each teen was supplied their own glue gun (or one to share), a hat and a pair of goggles.

Program Execution

Two staff members were present to assist, and we limited the registration to 10 teens to keep things manageable.

The teens loved this program, and we received glowing evaluations from those who attended. Some of our teens wore their costume pieces to our library’s comic-con event later in the summer.  (View photos of the finished products under Photo Slideshow).

Advice

Bringing a power strip was helpful for plugging in multiple glue guns.

In order to finish both projects in the time allotted for your program, I recommend you do things in the following order:

  1. Sand down the goggles first, then paint and allow them to dry.
  2. While the goggles dry, duct tape the hat and paint it.
  3. While the hat is drying, add embellishments to your goggles, then do the same for the hats.

By switching between the two projects, teens should be able to complete both within a 90-minute time frame, and it also ensures there’s no downtime while literally watching paint dry.”

Programs

Spotlight Program: Healthy, relaxing activities at the library

Food-salad-healthy-vegetables-1 (23959011279)

We are all starting off a shiny new year, and a lot of us are working on some healthy changes. Libraries can do fun things to help people with that! Check out these activities in January at the Hays Public Library:

“Healthful resolutions abound in January, so let the library help you on your journey. At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the adult department is hosting a smoothie making tutorial. There will be samples and recipes for several oh-so-trendy smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to sneak in fruits and vegetables to your diet.

If you have aches and pains or if you just can’t get your feet warm, attend the library’s Crafternoon at 2 p.m. Jan. 13, where we’ll be making DIY heating pads.

In a similar vein, at 6 p.m. Jan. 18, the library is hosting a hot stone massage program. Using hot stones and essential oils, participants will be able to melt away tension and relieve stress. Make sure you plan for a babysitter — the hot stone massage program is for adults only. Finally, if you’re looking to be invigorated, you might try attending the library’s DIY shower bomb program at 6 p.m. Jan. 25. Shower bombs are infused with essential oils and add effervescence to a hot shower. Arrive early. The library only has materials for the first 12 adults who arrive. The programs are free to attend.

If you’re looking for an excuse to leave the house, the library has several upcoming free programs. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, there will be a movie trivia night. If you are a cinephile who really knows your stuff, then this program is for you. There will be prizes for the top three finishers.

Then, from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, the library is hosting an after-hours movie night featuring the 2017 adaptation of IT, based on the novel by Stephen King. Refreshments will be provided and admission is free. Participants must be 18 to attend the movie night.

There will be an adult-only bingo at the library at 4 p.m. Jan. 18. There are prizes for winners.

Kansas Day is Jan. 29, and the Kansas Room, located in the library’s basement, is hosting an open house. Marissa Lamer has been Kansas Room librarian for the last two years and is working on some exciting changes — from physical layout to checkouts to overhead scanners. Beginning at 6 p.m., there will be tours of the Kansas Room every half hour. There also will be Kansas-themed treats and a festive atmosphere to celebrate Kansas’ birthday. Door prizes will be given away. The grand door prize will be two tickets to see Lee Brice in Salina on Feb. 10, along with dinner for two at Martinelli’s. If you want a chance to win, make sure you drop by the Kansas Room on the evening of Jan. 29.

There’s something for everyone at the Hays Public Library. For more information on all our programs and events, visit hayslibrary.org or call (785) 625-9014.

Lucia Bain is communications coordinator at the Hays Public Library.”

 

Books

Spotlight Program: 2018 Early Literacy Program: Libraries Rock!

“Just point me toward the books! I’m ready to read!”

At CMLE, we so enjoy all our different types of libraries, archives, and other members! Seeing all the work you are doing is so inspiring; and we want to return the favor by helping you to find some of the great programming going on around the profession.

Each week we will share an interesting program we find. It may inspire you to do exactly the same thing; or to try something related; or just to try out some different programming ideas. (Check out our podcast episode on Library Programming; you can tune in here! Or, of course, subscribe or stream to enjoy any of the episodes!)

This week we help you to start thinking about summer programming, especially focused on early literacy. This link to the Collaborative Summer Library Program gives you some ideas on building a great program for those early readers, complete with some great bibliographies for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. There is also material available in Spanish for you to provide resources to your Spanish-speaking patrons. (If you don’t have Spanish language patrons – why not? Take some time to start building these resources in your summer reading program!)

Books, Programs

Spotlight Program: Innovative Book Displays!

At CMLE, we so enjoy all our different types of libraries, archives, and other members! Seeing all the work you are doing is so inspiring; and we want to return the favor by helping you to find some of the great programming going on around the profession.

Each week we will share an interesting program we find. It may inspire you to do exactly the same thing; or to try something related; or just to try out some different programming ideas. (Check out our podcast episode on Library Programming; you can tune in here! Or, of course, subscribe or stream to enjoy any of the episodes!)

This week we are thinking about  great book displays! You can sign into Pinterest and see all kinds of great pictures to give you some other fun ideas to try in your library or archive.

I just love this photo from the Lacey Timberland Library! As a librarian, of course I have very low tolerance for banning books – especially for completely ridiculous reasons. This sign brings into the light some of these calls, so people can see them and think about the importance of freely accessible books and information. If you browse around Pinterest for other photos from this library, you will find all kinds of great displays!

Want more inspiration? Angie collected a bunch of great resources for you! Book displays are fun, because there is no “bad” way to do it. You just want materials to get into the hands of someone who wants to enjoy it – try something today, and see what happens!

You know that putting together book displays takes time and creativity. Some days, you are just not feeling it! When that happens, it’s handy to have some guidelines to help stimulate good ideas. Here is an article you can use to make your displays fun, useful, and to get those materials flying off the shelves: Twenty Rules for Better Book Displays by Susan Brown.

You want to use displays to help you fulfill your basic mission: Connecting your materials to your community.

We would absolutely love to see your displays! If you have a really small one, if you have a massive one, if your display is somewhere in between those – take a picture and send it to us! We want to feature some of our members in an upcoming article, so help us out.