By Hanna White, Public Services Librarian, FVRLibraries
Hello and welcome back to the NMRT blog! We are back up and running with a new cohort of blog writers. Thank you for bearing with our tech issues.
NMRT Resources
If you’re graduating soon, or just thinking about moving positions, now is a great time to take advantage of NMRT’s resume review service. Librarians from all over the U.S. in many specializations volunteer to make this service accessible via email all year round. For more information on where to find jobs, you can browse previous NMRT blog posts, or visit our job listings page.
Holidays at your library
Did your library do anything to acknowledge or celebrate the holidays this time of year? For many of us, especially in public service, balancing high levels of patron and staff interest in this area with an obligation to stay secular can be tricky. No matter where you work, there’s never a bad time of year to celebrate trees. Here are a few library display and passive program ideas that you might consider incorporating into your plans this winter.
- Tradition tree
Put up a tree (any kind) in the library and provide slips of colorful paper for patrons to write down their favorite holiday traditions. Tie them on with ribbon or string to create a beautiful tribute to the winter season. If you don’t have a 3D tree, trace one on paper, attach it to the wall with tape, and replace the slips of paper with paper leaves.
- Folded book tree
Got weeds? Try some folded book art to make a decoration that will last throughout the seasons. If you want a free-standing tree, start by removing 60-80 pages from your book with an exacto knife (make sure to keep the glue intact). If you want a ‘pop-up’ look, grab a hardback book and find the center page. With the spine perpendicular in front of you, grab the outer top corner of a page and fold it towards the spine at a 90 degree angle. Take the outer bottom corner of your folded triangle and fold it in again so it’s flush with the spine (about a 30 degree angle). Then fold up or cut off the excess paper on the bottom of the page. For a free-standing tree, repeat with all pages, then glue together in a round. For a ‘pop-up’ tree, alternate the left and right sides of your book until you’re happy with its look, then prop up on the covers.
- Stacked book tree
Gather some books of different sizes in a similar color. Starting with the largest books and going towards the smallest, stack your books up, spine-side out. Top your stack with a pages-side down book to complete the triangle. If you have lots of books and room, try stacking in a circle to make a complete standalone tree, but be careful to level your books as you go!
December events and observances
Major holidays this month include Hanukkah (Dec 18 – 26), Yule (December 21st), Nochebuena (December 24th), Christmas (December 25th), and New Years Eve (December 31).
National Day of Giving/Giving Tuesday is on December 3rd this year. This event encourages individuals to donate time and money to local charities and non-profits, and many Friends of the Library groups participate. December 3rd is also International Day of Persons With Disabilities, bringing attention to the issues faced by disabled people the world over. A week later, December 10th marks Human Rights Day, which commemorates the proclamation of the universal declaration of human rights in Paris, 1948.
Finally, the National Coalition for the Homeless holds the winter solstice (December 21st) as Homeless Persons Memorial Day to honor those who have passed away while experiencing homelessness in the past year.
LibLearnX
LibLearnX (formerly ALA Midwinter) is coming up from January 24-27th in Phoenix, AZ! Early bird pricing is available through December 6th, so if you’re considering attending, make sure to register as soon as possible. Learn more about this conference, and what to expect if you go, at the “About” page. Prominent events at the event include the I Love My Librarian award ceremony and announcement of youth book award winners, including the Newberry, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King awards.