Monthly Archives: December 2015

Holiday Hiatus

Happy holidays from the State Library!

Christmas Tree 2015

The State Library trees at the Capitol

We’ll be taking a blog break for the holidays.

Check back in early January for new content!

Community Celebrations

Library-logo-blue-outlineOften we assume that everyone in town knows about the library. However, many times people in town don’t know what the library offers beyond books. Sometimes reaching new people requires leaving the library and getting out into the community. Here’s how a few North Dakota libraries have gotten the library involved in local community events:

SUMMER

  • Edna Ralston Library’s chess club participated in the parade for Larimore Days.
  • McVille Community Library hosts an event to kickoff McVille Days, bringing in a special speaker and then serving dessert to celebrate the Library’s anniversary. The Library also holds an ice cream social fundraiser during the McVille Days Car Show. As one of the few places with air conditioning and public restrooms, plus all the McVille High School trophies and class pictures, the Library is a big draw.
McVille's ice cream social for McVille Days

McVille Community Library’s ice cream social for McVille Days

Fall

  • Walhalla Public Library held a silent auction during the Walhalla Giant Pumpkin Fest that raised nearly $3,000 for the library.
  • The Heart of America Library in Rugby participated in “Trunk or Treat” for Halloween sponsored by the Rugby Jaycees. They were “Library Lady Bugs” and handed out bookmarks and candy from the librarian’s decorated VW Beetle.
Trunk or Treating in Rugby

Trunk or Treating in Rugby

WINTER

  • The McVille Community Library participates in Winter Fest, a community celebration held the last Sunday in November to usher in the Christmas season.  The Library hosts a meal, provided by volunteers who love to cook and bake for the Library. The board and volunteers serve the meal, and the Boy Scouts bus tables. There are a variety of events – pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Bingo, Cookie Walk, Silent Auction – which all take place in the city auditorium above the Library, so it is a great opportunity for the Library to have a fundraiser.

How does your library get involved in the community? Share your stories in the comments!

 

2016 “Get in the Game” Teen Video Challenge

Slogan

The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) has launched the 2016 Teen Video Challenge, a national video competition for teens to get involved with reading and their public library’s summer reading program. Teens across the country are invited to create a 30 to 90 second video with their interpretation of the 2016 teen slogan “Get in the Game–Read” in combination with reading and libraries. This is an opportunity for teens to showcase their creativity and have their ideas heard before a national audience.

The winning video from each participating state will be named one of the CSLP 2016 Teen Videos to promote summer reading nationwide. $150 will be awarded to the creators of the winning state video and their associated public library will receive prizes worth at least $50 from CSLP, Upstart, and CSLP partners. Winners will be announced by CSLP in April 2016.

For full details about the CSLP 2016 Teen Video Challenge and to find out how to enter in North Dakota, please visit http://library.nd.gov/videocontest.html.

Pirate for a Day

pirate shipThis week I’m highlighting the “Pirate for a Day” program that the Walhalla Public Library hosted at the end of October. I thought it was such as great idea that I wanted to share it with everyone with the hope that it might be a program you could replicate in your community!

Walhalla citizens Crystal and Dale Anderson organized the “Pirate for a Day” program, which acts as the story time theme for the week, a community event for all ages, and a fundraiser for the library all in one fabulous program! So how exactly does this amazing program work?

  • Have patrons purchase a “treasure map” at the library for $1.00; Walhalla also offered temporary tattoos for $0.25 and eye patches for $0.50.
  • Patrons get the map stamped by local businesses and return it to the library by the deadline to be entered in the prize drawing.
  • Have the deadline for the prize drawing coincide with a pirate-themed story time. (Check out this list of pirate book ideas for your story time!)

The Walhalla Public Library had map available Wednesday through Friday, with the deadline the following Tuesday, but you could adapt the schedule to whatever works for your schedule. Additional preparation on the part of the library would require asking local businesses to participate, making a map, and getting a prize donated.

pirate for a day

Kids dressed up for pirate story time

(For more photos of Pirate for a Day and all of the library’s fall programming, check out the photos in their Fall 2015 Facebook album.)

This type of program is a fun way to get your entire community involved, and perhaps reach community members who may not yet be library patrons. Has your library done any community-wide programs? Share your ideas in the comments!
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