Annual Gratitude Article

“Thanksgiving just gets me all warm and tingly and all kinds of wonderful inside.” - Willard Scott


Every year at this time, we here at 5 Minute Librarian like to take a moment to express our gratitude for the wonderful things we have in our lives, both personal and professional. You can read our past years' gratitude here: 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. 


As always, we are extremely grateful to our readers, without whom we wouldn't have been able to keep writing for so long. It warms our hearts to see people commenting and sharing our articles, so please keep it up! 

Kat L., Children's Librarian:

1. I am extremely grateful that I have a job that I love. My Director is fabulous and encourages me to think outside the box and push my creativity. My coworkers are awesome, I get to do something different every day, and it's generally a wonderful place to work. Having worked in some not-so-wonderful places, I am very aware of what I have here.
2. At-A-Glance calendars, colored pens, and fun office supplies. I love being able to flip to a month in my calendar and quickly see what I am doing (green), what my assistant is doing (purple), what days our reading dogs are coming in (blue) and when I have meetings (orange). It probably sounds silly, but it makes things so easy when they're color-coded! I also have stickers all over my calendar, and fun office supplies abound. Sure, everyone has post-it flags, but how many of you have kitten mermaid ones?
3. Do you know how many flavors of tea there are in the world? LOTS. I am on a mission to drink them all. Tea not only has health and stress-relieving benefits, but it's delicious and has zero calories. 

Allison C., Teen Librarian

1. I'm super grateful for canva.com. I was able to use our Friends' 501(c)(3) credentials, to get a free upgraded account for our Library. It's super easy to create beautiful social media posts, Facebook headers, graphics for our event calendar and even library signage. You can also have a team so that other library staff can collaborate on designs. And since it's all saved online, I can easily access it from any computer in the library.
2. Another site I'm loving is hootsuite.com. It's great for scheduling social media posts in advance. The free version allows you to schedule 30 posts in advance (think 30 Facebook posts or 10 posts to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Our library upgraded to the paid version so that I have unlimited scheduled posts. It really comes in handy for the summer when I can schedule out weeks or months worth of posts before I'm too busy to post daily.
3. Work-wise, the biggest thing I'm grateful for this year is that my library has finally broken ground for our expansion and renovation project. Our library is going from a place with no program space to having a whole teen space and teen program room (among lots of other great additions). I can't wait until our teens can start enjoying it!
   

Jess B., 5MINLIB FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

1. I am so excited about e-passes! Our library offers one for the local science museum and I was able to request it online (on a Sunday night), it was emailed to me, and I immediately used it Monday morning, before my library even opened. It could not have been any easier! More of these, please!
2.  I love public library and school collaborations. Our school is in the process of changing their curriculum from reading one book of anthologies to having a variety of books of different age levels. Not only are our teachers getting teacher cards to help add more books for kids to use, but the library director also offered all of the leftover books from the book sale for the teachers to use. It is a win-win for everyone.
3. Lastly, I am super grateful for my colleagues, Kat and Allison. This has been a rough year for me and they have stepped up and kept 5minlib going. There is no 5minlib without you two. Thank you for all of your hard work, dedication, and passion. 

In Defense Of Decorating For Every Holiday

Perhaps it's just me, but between taking down the bats and pumpkins and putting up the turkeys and other pumpkins, I sometimes take a moment to consider: do I really have to decorate for EVERY holiday? But then I get back to work and tack up another cornucopia because: yes. You might not find it necessary, but I think it's worthwhile to decorate for everything. I've compiled a list of my thoughts on the subject, which I will share with you today. This does not only include wall art and decorations, but also displays and bulletin boards. (Please note that, while I believe this about the entire library, I am - to be fair - a children's librarian.)

We Want To Be Relevant

When many people think of libraries, they think of buildings full of dusty, old books. Of course, these people are incorrect, but what better way to prove that we are currently relevant than to be as current as this very week? Yes, we care about being up to date! Take away that Halloween candy, it's old news - it's Thanksgiving season now!

We Want To Be Friendly

It's hard to be angry when you're surrounded by happy things, and creating an environment full of cheer is helpful for those who tend to lean toward the grumpy side of life. Of course, some people will be stressed and unhappy no matter what you do, but for the majority of people, a cheerful, welcoming environment helps relieve some of life's tensions. According to scientists, "the nostalgia associated with festive decorations reminds people of when they were children with no responsibilities."

This same study mentions that people who decorate the outside of their homes for the holidays are seen as "more friendly and cohesive" than their neighbors who do not decorate. Our goal as librarians is to create an environment that people want to visit and use, and if sticking a pilgrim hat on the turtle tank will make that happen, I am all for it. As I tell patrons who are overly worried about a 25 cent fine, "this is a happy place."

We Want To Be Inclusive

Halloween is the most popular holiday in October in my part of the world, but it's not the only one. I had up a small display of books about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and every single book was checked out! Several parents were surprised we had any books about Diwali at all, and more than one family expressed gratitude that their holiday was represented.

Of course, it's impossible to celebrate every single holiday, but we can do our best to make sure that all of the most important celebrations are noted. The choice is yours: would you rather celebrate absolutely everything, or nothing at all?

We Want To Be The Third Place 

American sociologist Ray Oldenberg wrote in his book The Great Good Place that people in productive societies need to have a third place - not work, not home - "where you relax in public, where you encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances." Whether this is the neighborhood coffee shop, the barber shop, the local park -- or, perhaps, the library! -- this place can be integral for people's mental well-being. The idea is that people have no obligation to be here, but they want to be. What better way than to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere?

What Do You Think?

Do you agree with Kat? Let us know here in the comments, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter.

Unique Volunteering Opportunities in the Library

Libraries love volunteers! Unfortunately, sometimes we are overrun by the offers of lovely people, and have to turn them away -- particularly teenagers who only need a few hours. Luckily, there are other things that volunteers can do in addition to shelving and shelf-reading. Like what? Well...

Domestic Duties

There are lots of smaller daily activities that need to be taken care of in a library setting. Volunteers can:

• Dust the shelves
• Clean and sanitize toys
• Make sure games and puzzles have all the pieces
• Organize toy bins and puzzles
• Test markers and glue sticks to make sure they're still good, and get rid of the old
• Clean and sanitize tables
• Vacuum or sweep high-traffic areas, such as the toy section or craft room
• Wipe down board books/picture books

They're not the most fun activities in the world, but they can be extremely useful!

Online Volunteering

Zooniverse is an the world's largest platform for "people-powered research." Volunteers don't need any special training or equipment to help out - they simply need a computer and Internet access. 

Volunteers can help in many projects! They could:

• count the orangutans in their nests
• enter data from old census reports
• count stars and help discover a supernova
• transcribe documents from the time of Shakespeare
• and lots more!

What can the library do? Some locations have laptops dedicated to working on these projects, and volunteers can sign in to work on them for hour-long blocks. They're being helpful and fulfilling their volunteering requirements at the same time! This is particularly useful for teens who need only a few hours. 

Outreach Volunteering

My library currently has a monthly program for children called the Helping Hands Club. The club has a different project every month. At one meeting, they wrote thank you notes to local police officers and firefighters; at another, they made bookmarks to leave at the senior center. There are lots of things that kids can do!

• Make catnip mice or dog toys for the local animal shelter
• Participate in the Kindness Rocks program
• Write letters to active service members
• Assemble small bags for people at the homeless shelter (socks, handy wipes, granola bars, and a handwritten note telling the recipient that somebody cares)
• Write get-well cards to patients in the hospital
• Make "seed bombs" to help spread wildflowers

This idea could easily be adapted for other age groups, who could also do more advanced projects. 

• Knitting or crocheting hats and scarves for a local homeless shelter or food bank
• Crochet octopuses for premature babies, as seen on the Martha Stewart Website
• Create no-sew blankets or pillows for animal shelters

What kinds of unique volunteering opportunities does your library offer? Tell us here in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter!

How Ask for Prize Donations

Summer Reading is approaching, and we are all hard at work planning programs and booking performers to come in. Now is also the perfect time to think about prizes - specifically, prize donations. Who do you ask? What do you even ask for? And how do you do it? For many of us, just the soliciting of donations can be awkward and stressful, and we may be tempted to skip it. But fear not, my friends! We are here to help.

Why Ask?

Budgets are tight everywhere. Even in the most well-off places, there's no good reason to spend money that doesn't need to be spent, and if you can stretch your budget and spend your programming money on other things, it's never a bad thing. In addition, reaching out to local businesses can provide valuable partnership opportunities in the future. Even if they are unable to donate prizes, you may be making contact with places that you can collaborate with later for programming. (Perhaps the local bakery doesn't want to give out free cupcake coupons, but may be interested in doing a cupcake decorating class in the future. You never know!)

Please note that this doesn't have to be just for the children's department, though it may be a good idea to have one point person for the library being the one to solicit, and prizes can be distributed to where they might be best used once they arrive.

Who to Ask?

Be creative! Local ice cream stands may give coupons for free cones; bowling alleys may give free games. A candy store once gave me a large supply of candy, which was given out to teens who won it on a scratch ticket. A local grocery store might donate bags of chips for a movie night. The possibilities are endless, and you never know what someone might have to offer until you speak with them. Savvy business owners will know that handing out a coupon for a free ice cream cone means that everyone else in the family will end up purchasing one.

While many chain stores may not be allowed by store policy to donate items, many also have donations written into their policies; I got a lovely assortment of food from Trader Joe's one year, because they had it in their rules that they could give it to us. (I believe the teens ate it at a movie night.) It never hurts to ask!

What to Do

I generally send a letter to each of the businesses I've selected, and include an addressed, stamped return envelope to make it easy for the businesses to reply. I also keep a spreadsheet of who I have asked and what their responses were, and what, if anything, they donated. In addition, I make sure to note in a press release and on promotional materials (if there's room) that "prizes have generously been donated by..." I have also printed out the logos of local businesses and hung them on a bulletin board in the children's room.

What to Say

Here's a sample letter that you can adapt to your needs.

[Business Name]
[Address]
[City, State, ZIP]

Dear General Manager,

My name is Miss Kat and I am the Children's Librarian at the Everytown Public Library. I am reaching out to you about the library's annual Summer Reading Program. I was hoping you would be willing to donate a prize for program participants.

The Summer Reading Program has been an annual tradition since the 1890s, and promotes literacy and a love of lifelong learning in children and teens. More recently, there are adult Summer Reading programs as well, so everyone can join the fun! This year, our theme is "A Universe of Stories," and we will be holding [large number of] programs for town residents.

In addition to helping us reward our library patrons, a donation would help promote your business and help foster a sense of community in Everytown. We would be happy to thank you publicly for your generosity, and promote your business at the same time.

Thank you so much for your time!

Sincerely,

Miss Kat
Everytown Public Library
[Contact Information]


⃞ Yes, I would love to donate a prize and I will contact you!
⃞ Yes, my prize is enclosed!
⃞ I would not like to or are unable to donate, but thank you for thinking of us!

Following Up

ALWAYS send a thank you note! Even if the answer is "no," it only costs you a stamp to be polite, and this can help foster goodwill future. A simple "thank you for your response!" can create a warm and fuzzy feeling that will last. I also stick a Summer Reading Program bookmark inside the note; some businesses hang up the card and the bookmark, and get brownie points from their customers for being so generous.

Literary Holidays to Celebrate All Year Long - 2019

It's the new year, and we're filling up our calendars with literary holidays! I love planning almost as much as I love celebrating, so I've updated last years's list of holidays to celebrate all year long, so I can get my 2019 calendar in order. If you have more literature-based or library-friendly holidays, please let me know and I will add them in.

Please note that, while many of these holidays are officially sponsored by (and you can purchase posters and such from) the American Library Association, many of them are made up just for fun, and there is no official, cohesive, governing body. As such, you can celebrate them however you like. I have linked to official sources where I was able.

January 

National Braille Literacy Month (Louis Braille was born 1/4/1809)
International Creativity Month
1/10 - Common Sense Day (Thomas Paine's Common Sense was first published January 10, 1776)
1/12 - I'm Afraid I Can't Do That, Day -  In 2001, A Space Odyssey, HAL first goes online on January 12, 1997.
1/16 - Appreciate a Dragon Day - from Falkor to Viserion, today is the day to celebrate fictional dragons.
1/18 - Winnie the Pooh Day (A.A. Milne’s Birthday)
1/19 - Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday
1/25 - Burns Supper/Burns Night (to celebrate Scottish poet Robert Burns)
1/29 - “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is first published
1/31 - Inspire Your Heart with the Arts Day

February

Love Your Library Month
2/2 - Take Your Child to the Library Day (first Saturday of February)
2/3-19 - Children's Authors and Illustrators Week (first week of February)
2/8 - John Grisham's birthday
2/12 - Judy Blume's birthday
2/14 - Library Lovers’ Day
2/16 - Reading Rainbow Day (LeVar Burton's birthday)
2/22 - Edward Gorey's birthday

March

Paws To Read Month - a celebration of reading dog programs
First full week – Return of Borrowed Books Week
3/1-7 - Will Eisner Week - a celebration that promotes comics, graphic novel literacy, free speech, and the work of artist Will Eisner
3/2 - Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss’s Birthday)
3/4 - National Grammar Day
3/3-9 - (First full week of March) – Read an eBook Week
3/3-9 - Teen Tech Week
3/8 - National Proofreading Day
3/15 - The Ides of March (Julius Caesar is stabbed, 44 B.C.)
3/16 - Freedom of Information Day
3/17-23 - World Folk Tales and Fables Week
3/20 - Won't You Be My Neighbor? Day - Mr. Rogers's birthday! Wear a cardigan, feed the fish, and have a beautiful day in your neighborhood
3/21 - United Nations World Poetry Day
3/22 - Wonder Woman's birthday (according to the official DC Comics calendar)
3/22 - Captain James T. Kirk's birthday (If Star Trek is correct, he will be born on March 22, 2233, in Riverside, Iowa)
3/25 - Gondorian New Year - the day that the One Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom

April 

National Poetry Month
3/30 - 4/6 Money Smart Week
4/1 - Hatching Day - celebrate the Dragonriders of Pern series on Anne McCaffrey's birthday by enjoying bubbly pies and coffee!
4/2 - International Children’s Book Day (Hans Christian Anderson’s Birthday)
4/3 - Paraprofessional Day - Celebrate your paras!
4/4 - 1984 Day (the day that the protagonist of the book started writing his diary)
4/7-13 - National Library Week
4/9 - National Library Workers’ Day
4/10 (Thursday of National Library Week) – Celebrate Teen Literature Day
4/12 - D.E.A.R. Day (Beverly Cleary’s birthday)
4/16 - National Bookmobile Day
4/17 - Chaucer Day (both the day that the characters began their journey, and the day that Chaucer first read The Canterbury Tales to the court of King Richard II, in 1397)
4/18 - National Columnists Day (in memory of well-known columnist and 1944 Pulitzer Prize Winner Ernie Pyle, who died in WWII)
4/23 - Shakespeare’s birthday
4/23 - World Book and Copyright Day
4/24 - Library of Congress Appreciation Day - the library was founded April 24, 1800
4/26 - Poem in Your Pocket Day
4/27 - National Tell a Story Day
4/30 - Children’s Book Day/El Dia de los Ninos

May

Get Caught Reading Month
4/29-5/5 Children’s Book Week
5/2 - Harry Potter Day (May 2 was the day of the Battle of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series; many also celebrate July 31, which is both Harry's and J.K. Rowling's birthdays)
5/4 - Intergalactic Star Wars Day ("May the Fourth be with you.")
5/4 - Free Comic Book Day (first Saturday in May)
5/9 - Peter Pan Day (James M. Barrie’s birthday)
5/12 - Limerick Day - the birthday of noted author of limerick poems, Edward Lear
5/18 - International Museums Day (spread the love and promote your museum passes!)
5/20 - Eliza Doolittle Day
5/21 - National Readathon Day
5/25 - Towel Day (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Day)
5/27 - Dashiell Hammett's birthday - author of The Maltese Falcon and creator of the "hard-boiled" school of detective fiction

June 

LGBT Book Month
Audiobook Appreciation Month
6/10 - Maurice Sendak's birthday. Let The Wild Rumpus Start!
6/12 -Anne Frank’s birthday (on which she received her diary)
6/14 - Caldecott Day - the Caldecott Medal was first awarded on June 14, 1938
6/16 - Bloomsday (the day on which most of James Joyce's Ulysses, whose main character is Leopold Bloom, takes place)
6/19 –-National Garfield the Cat Day (strip is first published, 1978)
6/22 - Octavia Butler's birthday
Bonus: Any beautiful Wednesday in June can be Mrs. Dalloway Day

July 

Read an Almanac Month
July 4-6 - National Tom Sawyer Days
7/10 - Clerihew Day (in honor of the poet Edmund Clerihew, who invented a fun style of poetry)
7/18-21 - (third week of July) – Hemingway Days takes place in the Florida Keys
7/30 - National Paperback Book Day
7/31 -Harry Potter Day (July 31is both Harry's and J.K. Rowling's; many also celebrate May 2, which was the day of the Battle of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series)

August

Read a Romance Month
8/1 - Spiderman Day - The popular character debuted August 1, 1962
8/9 - Book Lovers’ Day
8/14 - Coloring Book Day
8/15 - National Relaxation Day
8/20 - H.P. Lovecraft's birthday
8/21 - Poet's Day
8/25 - Founder's Day - the United State National Park Service was founded on August 25, 1916
8/30 - Frankenstein Day (author Mary Wollenstone Shelley was born August 30, 1797)
8/31 - We Love Memoirs Day

September 

Library Card Sign-Up Month
Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month
9/6 - Read a Book Day
9/7 - Google Day (Google was founded on September 7, 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page)
9/8 - International Literacy Day
9/13 - Roald Dahl Day
9/22 - Hobbit Day
9/22 - Dear Diary Day
Last week of Sept. - Banned Books Week
Wednesday of Banned Books Week - Banned Websites Awareness Day

October 

National Book Month (no longer sponsored by the National Book Foundation, but we can celebrate anyway)
National Reading Group Month
National Medical Librarians Month
National Arts and Humanities Month
10/2 - Phileas Fogg's Wager Day - "I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes, that I will make a tour of the world in eighty days or less."
10/6-12 (first full week of October) National Mystery Series Week
10/6 - Mad Hatter Day (because his hat says 10/6)
10/11 - Myths and Legends Day
10/13-19 (week of Columbus Day) - Teen Read Week
10/16 - Dictionary Day (Noah Webster’s Birthday)
10/18 - Newspaper Comic Strip Day - the first newspaper comic strip ever run was "The Yellow Kid Takes a Hand at Golf" by Richard Fenton Outcault, on October 18, 1896.
10/21-27 National Friends of Libraries Week

November 

Picture Book Month
National Family Literacy Month
National Novel Writing Month
11/1 - National Family Literacy Day
11/1 - National Authors Day
11/3-9 (first full week of November) - International Games Week
11/6 - National Non-Fiction Day (it's "national" in England; let's spread it internationally!)
11/10 - Neil Gaiman's birthday
11/10 - Sesame Street Premier Day (November 10, 1969)
11/11-15 - (starts the Monday of the second full week in November) National Young Readers Week - in conjunction with the Library of Congress and the Pizza Hut Book It! Program
11/14 - Astrid Lindgren’s birthday (author of Pippi Longstocking)
11/15 - I Love to Write Day
11/16 - World Philosophy Day
11/18 - High-Five a Librarian Day
11/30 - Joy of Cooking publication anniversary, November 30, 1924 - cookbook clubs, unite!

December

Read a New Book Month
12/1 - Sherlock Holmes Day (“A Study in Scarlet” was said to have been first published 12/1/1887 - this is actually in dispute, but we can still celebrate)
12/10 - Dewey Decimal System Day (Melville Dewey's birthday)
12/16 - Jane Austen’s birthday
12/21 - Celebrate Short Fiction Day - The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. Why not celebrate with some short stories?
12/24 - Jolabokaflod - the "Christmas Book Flood" is an Icelandic tradition, in which people open gifts of books on Christmas Eve, and retire to bed early to read them.

5minlib's Best Posts of 2018

As we say goodbye to 2018, we thought we'd highlight our top posts for the year!

100 Reasons Libraries are Better than Amazon
This guest post was originally posted on Twitter by @DrunkestLibrary. With permission, we shared his response to Forbes op-ed piece that was titled, "Amazon Should Replace Local Libraries to Save Taxpayers Money.”

Literary Holidays to Celebrate All Year Long - 2018
Every year, Kat shares a post of all the literary holidays for the upcoming year. It is a fan favorite and she'll be posting an update next Friday for 2019!

Easy Staff Picks Displays
We know you don't have a lot of time in your busy library. So, Kat created and shared these awesome signs for Staff Picks to post around your library. Free printables!

14 Ways Libraries Can Help Immigrant Children and Families
The news and actions around immigration to the US is heart breaking right now. If you find yourself wanting to do something, but not sure what, here are a few suggestions.

Star Wars Day: 6 Ways the Library Strikes Back
A post to share with patrons about the different ways they can celebrate Star Wars Day at libraries.

10 Insider Secrets Librarians Only Tell Their Friends With Kids
The library is the perfect place for people to bring their kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews. Not only do we have oodles of books, but you can do so much more. Jess lists 10 things that only library insiders know (which librarians would share with anyone... who is willing to listen).

8 Creative Book Club Ideas
Everyone loves a book club, but sometimes even the most well-attended group can start to feel stale. Kat looked into some different ways to revive, or start an entirely new club, and have compiled a list of ideas for you.

Delicious Library Programs
What better way to integrate good books and good food than to do a library cooking program? Kat has compiled a list of ideas in which cooking can enhance your library.

Hate in the Library: Voices of Opposition
We collected voices of opposition about ALA's Library Bill of Rights specifically including Hate Groups as being allowed to use library meeting rooms. We are very happy to report that the bill has since been revised and improved, but we don't think that would have happened without people like them who spoke up. Thank you to everyone who did.

5minlib Recommends: Super Library Marketing
There are so many different ways to advertise, so many different formats to use, and too little hours in the day to get it all done. Thankfully, there's the Super Library Marketing blog to help you sort it all out!

2002: When Hate Came to the Library Meeting Rooms
This was a guest post by Lena Gluck. She had shared on Twitter a chilling history lesson: back in 2002, white supremacist Matt Hale, did indeed travel around the US and used library meeting rooms to hold his meetings. It is a story about the trauma and terror his free speech has caused to these communities. And it could very well happen again today if we're not careful.

Summer Reading by the Book Covers
Kat shares her Summer Reading experience through book covers.

4 Ideas for September's Library Sign-Up Month
Looking for fresh ideas for September's Library Sign-Up Month? Jess curated four for you that were shared on Facebook.

Ready to Go Book Display: Libraries Rock! Fiction
and Ready to Go Book Display: Libraries Rock! Nonfiction
Every year, Allie creates two book lists based on the CSLP Summer Reading theme. It was a huge hit with our readers!

Ready to Go Book Display: Dogs
Change up your book display with books carefully selected by Allie about man's best friend.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Like this article? Check out our best posts from 2017,  2016 and 2015!

Library Stories that Give Us the Warm Fuzzies: 2018

As the year comes to a close, we thought it might be a nice way to wrap things up by thinking of some library- or book-themed stories that gave us a warm and fuzzy feeling over the last year or so. (If this isn't enough fuzziness for you, be sure to check out last year's article, too!)

Photo by and link to AlbanyHerald.com

Sensory Friendly Santa Visits Library

Photo by and link to StreetSenseMedia.org

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 any parent or child knows, a visit to Santa can be both a magical and terrifying experience. Luckily for the residents of Leesburg, NY, there is a special Santa for kids with special needs who will be visiting the Oakland Library this year!
The Santa in question is actually the library's Technology Specialist at the Oakland Library, and has played Santa in the past. Because this is his first time having a program for special needs children, he did research on strategies interacting in a sensory-friendly way.





School Librarian Serves Up Brunch & Books
Christopher Stewart, school librarian at Bell School/Columbia Heights Education Center in Washington, D.C., sets aside one day a month to set up a table outside the school for an hour, and offers breakfast foods and books to passers-by. Though his aim is to bring attention to the homelessness problem in the city, the food and books he provide are for anyone, regardless of their personal situation.

Stewart says that he is aware that this won't fix the problem. “In the grand scheme, [the brunch] is small. But it could brighten someone’s day.” His end goal, the article states, is to create a cafe where people can pay what they can, that "empowers readership and has great food."


Ancient Roman Library Discovered in Cologne, Germany

Photo and link from washingtonpost.com

Workers in Cologne, Germany, have uncovered the ruins of the country's oldest known public library. The building was big enough to have housed 20,000 scrolls. The excavation that led to this discovery was set to be a parking lot, but that space has been downsized and a glass window installed so that visitors can take a peek into this landmark.


Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Goes International

International singing sensation Dolly Parton has long been an inspiration to her fans, but she has also been giving back to her community for years. The Imagination Library was founded in 1990 to help promote literacy in Tennessee, and has expanded over the years to become not only nationwide, but also in the United Kingdom and Australia. To date, they have given out over 112 million books! 


NYPL Lends Interview Accessories

Photo and article from washingtonpost.com

Many libraries these days have a "library of things" collection, where you can borrow ukuleles, games, dolls, and more. The Riverside branch of the New York Public Library has a new collection; they lend out handbags, neckties, briefcases, and other items that can be useful for job interviews, auditions, or any other event for which they need to dress up. Patrons have checked out ties for prom, bags for job searching, and more. The idea is the brainchild of Young Adult Librarian Michelle Lee, and was funded with a grant from the Innovation Project.


Hardcover the Library Turtle

Photo and article link to Tewksbury Town Crier

The Tewksbury Public Library in Tewksbury, MA, recently adopted a turtle to live in the children's room of the library. He was named Hardcover, and has quickly become a favorite of staff and patrons, even having his own Twitter account. Hardcover's official title is Director of Charisma and Hospitality, and has his own official name tag to prove it.

5 Minute Librarian's Annual Gratitude Article

“Thanksgiving just gets me all warm and tingly and all kinds of wonderful inside.” - Willard Scott

Every year at this time, we here at 5 Minute Librarian like to take a moment to express our gratitude for the wonderful things we have in our lives, both personal and professional. You can read our past years' gratitude here: 2015, 2016, 2017. 

As always, we are extremely grateful to our readers, without whom we wouldn't have been able to keep writing for so long. It warms our hearts to see people commenting and sharing our articles, so please keep it up! 

Jess B., 5MinLib Founder and Editor-In-Chief

1. Baby Friendly Libraries - it is interesting being on the opposite side of things, moving from librarian to patron. As a parent to two young kids, there are things I really appreciate. First -- baby friendly places. It really is the little things -- like having changing tables as well as having them in both the women's and men's bathroom. It is so gross trying to change the diaper on the floor! I've also noticed there have been two different ways libraries handle dirty diapers: the "take the dirty diapers with you" and "ask for a bag to contain the smell". I feel so much more welcomed at the latter one, especially since being a frazzled mom, I can't be guaranteed that I'll remember to take that poopy diaper out of my car.
2. Sibling Friendly Library Programs - I know it is hard to plan a program for different ages and my kids are definitely far apart with five years between them. However, we do come as a packaged deal and seeing "Siblings allowed" on a flyer makes a big difference on whether we can come or not. So, thank you to those who accommodate siblings when you can!   
3. Fine Free Benefit - Our local library does not charge late fines on their items. That's honestly the main reason we continued to borrow from the library this year. My baby isn't sleeping, hasn't slept well in 8 months, so staying on top of library materials is tough. Even though I can afford the small fines we would build up, I find it frustrating when I keep missing the due dates. Now, every time we miss a due date, I just feel grateful that my library doesn't charge me for it.    

Bonus: Fabulous Co-Bloggers - While not technically library related, I am so very grateful for my co-bloggers. This year has been rough, mostly because I had a baby a year ago and he doesn't sleep well. Hasn't for 8 months straight. There have been many times that just surviving the day was all I could muster. So, lots of love to Kat for stepping in and making sure we continue to post weekly and to Allie, who also has a little one, for being dependable with her monthly posts. This blog wouldn't have survived without you two!

Kat E., Children's Librarian

1. My New Job - Just a few short weeks ago, I switched from one job to another. I am not here to badmouth my old position, but to praise my new one; talk about a dream library! The staff are all knowledgeable and friendly, the facility is nice, and I can pretty much come up with any program ideas and be given the enthusiastic go-ahead. The biggest perk this job has is that everyone who works here seems to genuinely want to be at this library: the bulletin boards are beautiful, the lunch room conversation is friendly, and the staff meetings include laughter. I am so incredibly grateful to my new supervisors and coworkers, and the opportunity to work for this fabulous town.
2. Vendors - In my previous position, we had a policy that items could only be purchased from Baker & Taylor, Ingram, and Amazon.com. Now, these are fantastic vendors, but relying solely on these outlets means that a librarian can miss out on all the amazing things from small publishers and lesser-known authors, and some amazing salespeople who know exactly what I'm looking for and can find it! AMAZING! 
3. Social Media - I know, it can be overwhelming, but I love social media. In addition to all the wonderful outreach opportunities for work, it gives me a chance to connect with friends and family that live far away, or whose busy lives no longer have time for a weekly chat. I can see photos of my nephews and my friends' children growing up, even when I don't get to see them as often as I'd like, and can share my own excitements (and cat photos) with others. I have made friends with people I may otherwise not have met (especially on Twitter), and it really makes me feel more connected to the world, even when I usually have my nose in a book.

Allie C., Head of Teen Services

1. Conferences and Symposiums - I attended YALSA's Teen Symposium this year and it was great. I love that librarians are so open and willing to share their ideas. I don't have to constantly reinvent the wheel and I can learn from what others have done. If you have a chance to attend a library conference I highly recommend it. It's great to be with others in your profession who just get it.
2. Letting Go (of Books) - Now that I have a baby, sleep is at a premium, not to mention reading time. It's taken me many years to allow myself to stop reading a book that I'm just not into. It's disappointing when you've been waiting weeks or months to read a certain book and when you finally have the chance... you're no longer in the mood for that kind of book or it's not holding your attention. I used to drag myself through books because I felt I had to. Now, I give it a few pages or chapters and if it's not what I want to read right now I move on. I'll never be able to read all the books I want to, so why should I waste time reading something I don't want?
3. 10 Little Dinosaurs from Little Tiger Press - My baby LOVES this book. It sings 10 little dinosaurs twice and he's always fascinated with it. I highly recommend it. Plus the illustrations are super cute.

Library Services for Veterans

Veteran's Day is this weekend, and we would like to take this opportunity to note that, while we will all be making a point to thank our veterans for a day, there are services that libraries can provide that will be helping veterans and military families all year long.

Veterans Connect @ the Library

The State of California has created a very helpful website for librarians as part of their Veterans Connect @ the Library initiative, which has links to resources, programming ideas, training for staff and volunteers, and statistics about veterans services. They have compiled a "digital duffel bag" of programming ideas, arranged by degree of difficulty for library staff. This ranges from writing letters to veterans and servicemen and making paracord bracelets, to having a full-on spa day for female veterans.

They also have links to many other associations that may inspire or possibly host a program, including War Comes Home, a California-specific initiative to help veterans reconnect with their communities after military service, and WarInk, an organization that tells veterans' stories through their tattoos.

Following the Examples of Others

The American Library association published an article in 2016 about how "Libraries Help and Honor our Veterans" across the country, which includes some wonderful programming ideas that have been hosted at libraries across the country. The Portland [Maine] Public Library has hosted monthly legal advice clinics for veterans, while the library at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa has two classes per semester about making the transition from being in the military to returning to education.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has a guide for librarians, archivists, and museum employees about providing services to veterans, as well, which can be found on their website.

What Else Can We Do?

In addition to any of the above programs, libraries can always be sure to have information on hand, or be able to easily find it. We can provide:

• Help with forms - The Veteran's Administration provides help with housing, insurance, and many other things, and they all need complicated forms to be filled out.
• Information about support groups - Many veterans suffer from PTSD and other mental health problems, alcoholism, and depression. The suicide rate among veterans is tragic; having a support system may make all the difference in the world.
• Information from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (www.va.gov) - this government organization offers a crisis line, health services, benefits for veterans, employment services, education and training, and pensions for many veterans
• Information about memorial services and how to have a loved one interred at a military cemetery, if that is their wish

We can also help by collecting American flags for disposal. Because they are symbols of the country, one is not supposed to just throw away an old flag. Instead, organizations such as the American Legion, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will properly retire and dispose of flags (which is usually by burning, burying, shredding, or recycling). Libraries can have collection bins for people to donate flags which are no longer able to be used, which can then be picked up by or sent to one of the above organizations for proper disposal.

In some libraries, fines for military families are automatically waived when the materials are returned. 

Many veterans have written books. Even if they are self-published, hosting local veterans to do an author talk can help them share their stories.

Many towns have Veterans of Foreign Wars halls, or some kind of Veterans Services office. You can do some outreach and see if they are interested in hosting a library program, or having a staff member come to the library to present a program on veterans' services.

If you have any other ideas for services for current and former military members, please let us know here in the comments, on Twitter, or on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you!

Holiday Programming Ideas

The holidays are fast approaching, and while this time of year can be stressful for many people, what with presents and guests, planning feasts and exercising them off afterwards, your programming doesn't have to be one of those stressful things.

We have compiled some of our favorite holiday programming ideas for all ages for you to peruse, with the hopes that something on our list may fit an opening you have. (We decided to post this very early this year, so you can sneak some into your December calendar.)

DIY Gifts

December is when the bulk of the world does its gift giving, and while everyone loves the idea of handmade presents, not everyone has the time to plan and execute the perfect item for each person on their list. By having a gift-making program, you're not only helping your own statistics, but also helping spread good cheer and decreasing holiday stress. 

The age of your patrons may dictate what you're making, but easy doesn't have to mean tin can pencil cups (unless you're into that sort of thing). Some ideas for children include:

Photo from Organized Christmas

• Hand warmers, made with dried rice inside a flannel or felt pouch (when I did this craft, I had felt pouches pre-sewn on 3 edges, with a friendly librarian on hand to sew the fourth side after they were decorated and filled). Be sure to include instructions! All you have to do is put the hand-warmers in the microwave for 30 seconds, and they will stay warm for 15-20 minutes.
• Coffee/cocoa stirrers, made with chocolate and crushed candy, like our friends at OrganizedChristmas.com
• Bracelets or necklaces
• Decorate trinket boxes (paint, stickers, and washi tape all make great decorating media, and you can get blank boxes at most craft supply stores)

Photo from Adventures In All Things Food

In addition to the above, teens can also create:

• Homemade bath bombs, sugar scrubs, or other spa items
• Homemade lip gloss from Kool-Aid (like the ones at Adventures In All Things Food)
• Decorated picture frames 
• Recipe-in-a-jar kits (cookies, soup, or cocoa!)
• Decorated mugs (permanent markers work very well to dress up dollar store mugs!)
• Personalized decorated notebooks

In addition to the above ideas (some of which are amazing for all ages), your adult patrons may also enjoy making:

• Homemade candles or soaps
• Etched glasses for drinking or glass jars for holding cookies, dog treats, tea bags, etc.
• Stovetop potpourri (we love these ideas from deliacreates.com!) 
• Cloth bookmarks (have you seen the amazing elastic ones with the buttons?! We love the ones on VickyMyersCreations.co.uk ).

Holiday Crafts

Of course, any of the above gift ideas can also be wonderful craft programs, but if your goal is pure fun and decoration, there are probably ten million ideas out there, including several on last year's Holiday Crafts post. You can always make...

• Ornaments - the sky is the limit here
• Wreaths - out of ribbon, cloth, paper, foam, pine cones, or anything at all!
• Cards - hand-making cards can be as easy as crayons and paper, or as detailed as embossing powder, lace, and sequins. 
• Folded paper trees - Paper crafts are a hobby of Kat's, and she wrote a whole blog article about how to make these awesome folded paper trees, which you can read here.
• Gingerbread houses or cookie decorating

Gift Wrap Party

Just because the decorations are up and the gifts have been purchased doesn't mean the work is over. Now you have to wrap them! What better way than to have a Wrap Party? This can be so easy, and yet so much fun. In the past, I have set aside the meeting room for a whole day, set up tables and chairs, and put holiday movies on to play while people got into a holly jolly mood while wrapping their gifts.  All wrapping paper was donated - we kindly asked patrons for spare rolls, and were inundated with more paper, ribbons, bows, and tags than we could use in one year. 

You can set things up so that a children's wrapping station (or gift bag decorating) and an age-appropriate holiday movie plays in the morning, while teens and adults enjoy movies and wrapping later in the day, or just play classics that everyone enjoys. Maybe have a cocoa and cookies station, to keep the patrons fortified.

This can also go hand-in-hand with...

De-Stress Night

Holiday stress is no joke, particularly for your patrons who put it upon themselves to make everything perfect and magical for their whole families. Why not give them a treat with a stress relieving evening? (This would also work well if you're open on Black Friday!) You could provide:

• A Hot Cocoa and Cookie Station, to enjoy the flavors of the season
• Therapy dogs, which are proven to reduce blood pressure
• Perhaps you could put a crackling fire or yule log video on a tv screen
• If it's in the budget, you could have a masseuse come in to give quick back or hand massages
• Coloring pages or other easy crafts

In Conclusion

Whatever you celebrate, remember that it's supposed to be fun - for you and for your patrons. We hope these ideas have put you into a holly jolly holiday spirit. If you have other ideas, please post them here or on our Facebook page, or mention us on Twitter.

What to Do With Leftover Halloween Candy

When Halloween has come and gone, many of us are left with buckets of candy. Whether we've had trick-or-treaters at the library or some other festive celebration, the holiday always seems to end with a trail of empty wrappers in its wake. What to do? Well!

Donate It

Operation Gratitude collects Halloween candy and donates it to military members, usually a handful at a time in care packages. Many businesses, families, and dentists' offices (ha!) collect candy and send it in. Your library can sign up and be a collection site, too! Similarly, Soldiers Angels has a "Treats for Troops" program that is annually sponsored.

Some locations of Ronald McDonald House Charities will take candy for children who are too sick to go out on Halloween.

Experiment With It

I absolutely love science experiments with candy. For one, it's fun. For two, it's inexpensive. And there are so many things you can do with it! Melt it, drop it in water and see if it dissolves, perform tests to see if it reacts to different substances (sour candy fizzes in baking soda water). And the best part - it's not rotting your teeth and giving you stomach aches!

We really love the book Candy Experiments by Loralee Leavitt, which has some amazing ideas!

Craft With It

Of course, since this is a Kat article, you're going to get some crafts. You can make...

Candy mosaics

Photo from PinkStripeySocks.com

Resin necklaces, coasters, and paperweights

Photo from ToniEllison.blogspot.com

Decorate a festive wreath

Photo from Fun-Squared.com

Save it for the holidays and make adorable candy trains and sleighs

Photo from OneHundredDollarsAMonth.com

Decorate gingerbread houses or edible trees out of ice cream cones and frosting

Photo from MyLifeAccordingToPinterest.com

Make friendship bracelets out of Airheads (paint with Mod Podge to make them last!)

Photo from MomSkillsBlog.com

Hard candy can be melted into shapes to make bowls, platters, or Christmas ornaments

Photo from KidFriendlyThingsToDo.com

Make candy bouquets

Photo from ThriftyFun.com

Let Us Know

What else do you do with your leftover candy? Let us know here in the comments, on Twitter, or on our Facebook page!

Spookiest Fictional Libraries

The spookiest kinds of ghost stories are the ones that hit close to home. With this in mind, Kat has curated a list of some of the spookiest fictional libraries in pop culture. Did your favorite one make the cut?

The New York City Public Library, Ghostbusters

The Ghostbusters get their first official call to capture The Grey Lady, the ghost of a librarian named Eleanor Twitty. At first, she's fairly harmless, stacking books in odd places (which doesn't make for a very good organizational system, if you ask me), but she gets much scarier. The moral of the story is: don't interrupt a librarian when they are trying to read.

Bonus: The amazing recreation of the Ghostbusters catching ghosts at the library by Improv is Everywhere, which you can see here.

The Hogwarts Library, Harry Potter

I mean, of course the library at Hogwarts is haunted - the school itself has several ghosts in addition to Peeves the Poltergeist - but it's more than that. In addition to the absolute terror that is Madame Pince (seriously, J.K. Rowling actually apologized for making her a mean and positively crummy librarian), the Hogwarts Library is home to the Restricted Section, home of books that will literally howl at you when you open them. If The Monster Book of Monsters is considered safe enough to be required reading, we can only imagine what hides on those dusty shelves!

Sunnydale High School Library, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

As if vampire hunting wasn't enough work, poor Buffy had to also go to high school. The library there held some useful titles for monster hunting, but it also happened to be located directly over the Hellmouth, where various beasties could appear right through the floor at any time. No peaceful studying in this library! Luckily, it also has a ton of weapons, just in case.

Clayr's Library, Lirael

In Lirael by Garth Nix, the title character finds herself working in an exceptionally dangerous library. The library houses not only books, but also prophecies, artifacts, weapons, and armor. It also acts as a prison to at least one elemental demon, and every employee gets a magic-infused dagger as part of their uniform, to be carried around like I carry the keys to the craft cabinets.

The Library, Doctor Who

Sure, the planet-sized library that appeared in Doctor Who for "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" seemed lovely - SO many books! - but it was also taken over by shadow-like creatures called the Vashta Nerada that could strip a person down to their bones. Oh, and there's a catalog of human souls.

Unseen University Library, Discworld

The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is home to Unseen University, which itself is home to the Unseen University Library, in which the librarian just so happens to have turned into an orangutan. The shelves are quite literally endless, and even those who have been there many times would find it a good idea to leave some string to help them get back out again. Some expeditions into the stacks have gotten so lost that they had to eat their own shoes to survive.

Night Vale Public Library, Welcome to Night Vale

In the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, the library is an extremely unsafe place to be. All the librarians are malevolent men named Randall, and there are no entrances to the library - one simply finds oneself wandering the shelves until the awaken in a sweaty panic, back in their own beds.
Back in 1993, "an unchecked librarian population resulted in the loss of many innocent and screaming book lovers," and patrons are warned to stay away, making themselves as big as possible if they happen to catch a librarian's eye. 

The Castle Library, Beauty and the Beast

It's beautiful and full of books and has a grand, sweeping staircase! It also is in the castle where people have been turned into candlesticks and tea pots. Who knows what you might encounter, that might be looking right back at you?!

Central High School Library, Evil Librarian series

In the Evil Librarian series by Michelle Knudsen, the new librarian at Central High School is young, and cute, and actually also a demon, who just may be sucking the life force out of the entire student body.

Monsters University Library, Monsters University

Does a library staffed by scary monsters count as spooky, when the entire world in which the story takes place is also populated by scary monsters? I have decided that, when the other monsters are intimidated by the librarian, she is, in fact, spooky. (Also, she throws rowdy patrons out the window.)

Did your favorite make the list?

Let us know here in the comments, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter.