Resources
Access the tools, program ideas and primers you need to stay up-to- date on health literacy topics.
Program Ideas
Being eco-friendly has taken center stage in recent years. Many library users want to make more sustainable choices but may lack the knowledge of how to do so. Programs focused on "going green" are a fun, accessible way for patrons to celebrate Earth Day, and they can also be an easy lift for a busy librarian. Below are eight eco-friendly program ideas that you can use to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with hardly any prep work at all.
Listed below are events and celebrations to help with your program planning. Know of a celebration or event that is not on the list? Send it to ProgrammingLibrarian@ala.org.
According to America Walks, “good health is not the only benefit of walking. In fact, there is a broad range of individual and community benefits that accrue when people walk more often and when communities are designed to make walking safe, enjoyable and convenient.” The benefits include safe neighborhoods, healthy communities, social equity, environmental sustainability and even improved economies.
When you think of health programs in public libraries, you probably think of people. But public health includes the environments in which we live, which includes the animals around us. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an entire website devoted to Healthy Pets, Healthy People, and this is the topic we will explore in this month’s blog.
Winterset is a rural community of approximately 5,200 in central Iowa, about 30 miles southwest of Des Moines. Residents can dine at the few eateries in town, but with the abundance of gardens and fresh ingredients available, patrons are often looking for ideas to create their own meals.
Go Outside & Play Day was a launch event to promote our new Sport Port equipment-sharing collection of circulating youth sports equipment.
YMCA mobile programming, Y on the Fly, provided outside games, activities and snacks on the library lawn to celebrate and promote Sport Port.
As libraries become centers of community-based lifelong learning, they seek more opportunities to enhance access to natural spaces located in the communities they serve. The nonprofit Children & Nature Network (C&NN) helps librarians find the partners and resources they need to understand how and why to connect children and families to nature. C&NN also helps potential partners understand the impacts that can derive from working with libraries.
Blog post author Nina Coffin is a librarian in the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Social Science & History Department at Parkway Central Library and a participant in Cohort 6 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings.
The LP Fisher Public Library in Woodstock, N.B., Canada has had a running club for a number of years now. In addition to our annual summertime Kids Kilometer Fun Run, we also hold a yearly Reindeer Run in partnership with the River Valley Runners (our local run club) and the Salvation Army.
Join us for a webinar with Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library, Gail Borden Public Library District (Elgin, Ill.), and Let’s Move in Libraries! to learn how libraries of all sizes can incorporate walking into programs for all ages.
General Info
Let community members know the important role your library plays in health and wellness!
Whether helping people find health information online, or holding yoga classes, your library is a critical element of building a healthy community. Tell library users ...
The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) and The American Library Association (ALA) have partnered through the Libraries Transform public awareness campaig...