[Michlib-l] CSLP Newsletter: June 2025

Wed Jun 25 13:52:05 EDT 2025

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Engaging Patrons Year-Round
with Impactful Library Resources

 At NewsBank, we recognize the creativity and hard work libraries invest in building engaging summer reading programs. To help support these efforts, our team curates materials aligned with the Collaborative Summer Library Program theme-from articles, games and activities sourced from NewsBank collections to promotional materials designed to engage young patrons and families. Explore NewsBank's Color Our World<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=14c33ab108&e=c18caf2bb6>(tm) resource center to learn more.
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While NewsBank prioritizes annual support for summer reading, NewsBank's commitment to library success is year-round. For over 50 years, we've helped libraries deliver meaningful resources to their patrons through a diverse range of resources-from current news and information to primary source content, special collections and more<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=a875142024&e=c18caf2bb6>.

Among our most impactful offerings are NewsBank's Local Historical Newspaper Archives<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=442db8692b&e=c18caf2bb6>. For libraries looking to safeguard local history for future generations, the digitized historical archive of their hometown paper allows them to preserve the unique stories, voices, and events that shape the community's identity. Our partners regularly cite their archive as one of their most used resources, while also driving new library card sign-ups and significantly increasing patron engagement.
[Image of smiling woman standing in the library stacks. Text reads "Learn from Librarians: The Value of Local Historical Newspapers. A conversation with Angela O'Neal, Columbus Metropolitan Library"]

See the impact firsthand in Local Historical Newspapers: A Conversation with Columbus Metropolitan Library<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=dee44be9e5&e=c18caf2bb6>. Angela O'Neal, Manager of Local History and Genealogy, shares how investing in her city's historical newspaper archive has deepened community engagement and supported historical preservation efforts.

At NewsBank, we strive to build lasting relationships through meaningful partnerships and customized support. Whether planning summer reading or preserving local history, NewsBank is proud to help libraries unlock their full potential all year long.

Your Partners at NewsBank
at 1.800.762.8182
sales at newsbank.com<mailto:sales at newsbank.com>
newsbank.com
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Take Care Y'all - It's Summer!
Summer is here, and your library is buzzing with life - crafts, crowds, computers, and carefully planned programs. You've worked hard to get here. Take a moment. Breathe. Thank your past self for making it all happen.

Why Summer in the Library Is Beautiful - and Hard
Public libraries become:

  *   A place to fall in love with reading
  *   A vacation starter with hot summer reads
  *   A place to cool off, connect, or just take a break
  *   A safe space for families
  *   A meal site for hungry kids
But all of this means summer can be loud, long and exhausting - especially for the staff doing the creative work.
Burnout Happens - Let's Talk About It
Compassion fatigue is real. It's the mental and physical exhaustion from caring so much, for so long. Common causes in libraries include mission creep, emotional labor, lack of support, and high expectations. Even caregivers need care. You can't pour from an empty cup.

Summer Self-Care Tips for Library Staff:

  *   Say no. Not everything has to be a "yes."
  *   Go slow. It's okay to take your time.
  *   Take real breaks. Get away from your desk.
  *   Name the stress. Talk to a coworker or supervisor.
  *   Focus on what you can control. Let go of the rest.
If You're a Supervisor... Ask yourself:

  *   Can something wait until fall?
  *   Who needs a break?
  *   Have I said thank you to my team today?
Even just acknowledging the challenge makes a difference.
Our Summer Wishes for You
We hope:

  *   No new initiatives surprise you.
  *   You find a quiet corner for your breaks.
  *   Your water stays cold.
  *   Someone brings snacks to share.
  *   You laugh. You rest. You're kind to yourself.
Thank you for all you do!  This summer, make sure YOU are on your priority list too.
This article was inspired by Katelyn Patterson, Youth Services Consultant at the Texas State Library & Archives Commission

WOW!  Color Our World Decor and More!
Member libraries pulled out all the stops this summer with their colorful and creative decorations.  CSLP's Official Summer Library Programming Group<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=0a54724720&e=c18caf2bb6> on Facebook featured so many libraries posting their interiors, exteriors, book displays, programs and more.  Here are a just a few to highlight the many talented staff and volunteers that make the library so colorful and fun!

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Focusing on Building Community-Based Summers
Expanding professional development opportunities for our member libraries has been on our board's "to do" list for some time.  In Fall of 2024, just such a chance came along in the form of a partnership with the California Library Association (CLA) and funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  IMLS has funded the Building Community-Based Summers<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=f85a9870f7&e=c18caf2bb6> (BCBS) initiative in 15 states, and dozens of libraries have participated in a series of BCBS learning sessions over the past three years. The CSLP wishes to continue these important conversations around making summer programming community centered.
The CLA partnership with CSLP focuses on designing and providing a version of the BCBS learning sessions.  CSLP formed a subcommittee to organize and design the professional development, including CLA's equity trainers and CSLP State Representatives who are engaged in the national IMLS BCBS initiative.  The team moved quickly to develop an application process, select the first cohort of participants, and facilitate the four-part BCBS learning series.  Sixty-five libraries applied and we were able to select 16 to participate, representing 10 states and 1 U.S. territory.
Libraries in the first cohort were:

  *   Carlsbad (NM) Public Library
  *   Chesterfield (VA) Public Library
  *   Dover Plains (NY) Library
  *   Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library (branch of Buffalo & Erie County PL, NY)
  *   Friends of Pohnpei Public Library, NMI
  *   Hobbs (NM) Public Library
  *   La Vista (NB) Public Library
  *   Lake Dallas (TX) Public Library
  *   Liberty (NC) Public Library
  *   Mesa (NM) Public Library
  *   Parchment (MI) Community Library
  *   Person (NC) County Public Library
  *   Quechee/Wilder (VT) Libraries
  *   San Luis (AZ) Branch Library
  *   South Burlington (VT) Public Library
  *   Wichita (KS) Public Library
[Map of the United States with BCBS program states colored in light blue and CSLP's library locations delineated with organge dots.]

Image: CSLP participant locations and IMLS states

In March, we hosted a four-part learning series.  Sessions covered the why of summer services, letting go of tradition, connecting with community voices, and measuring progress. Each session included opportunities to talk with colleagues about the theme as well as the chance to reflect on what participating library staff were thinking and wondered about.  In our session evaluation, participants noted that the opportunity to reflect on equity together and hear diverse perspectives, along with the chance to "learn from other practitioners," were valuable parts of the training.  Many praised the virtual cohort model as "a safe environment provided by the facilitators and fellow cohort members." Most felt their voice was heard and recognized during the BCBS sessions and felt a sense of trust, support, and community within the cohort, helping to provide a space to grapple with uncertainty or discomfort.
Stay tuned for more information on CSLP's Building Community-Based Summers initiative including another learning series in the fall of 2025. For general resources and more information about the content of sessions, visit https://communitybasedsummers.org/<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=f4a9ee2184&e=c18caf2bb6>.

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Chapter 5<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=3edba09d09&e=c18caf2bb6>
Stay-and-Play Activities, pg 148

3D Rainbows (Toddlers/Preschoolers)[https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/fc1a62af-1aeb-7ce6-38a7-bd2bae1ef3f9.png]
Children make a 3D rainbow by sticking chenille sticks into foam
blocks (regular form, not florist foam), then adding cotton balls
to the ends of the rainbow with glue dots.
Looking for an adaptation to add sorting and fine motor skill practice? Try this adaptation -
Children can thread on large color-coordinated beads onto the chenille sticks after sticking one end into the foam. This will allow sorting skills and matching the colors. It will also allow children to practice and strengthen fine motor skills when picking up the beads and threading them on the chenille sticks. (Note: After adding the beads, children may need extra help sticking the other end into the foam without the beads sliding off.) Be sure that use of the beads is supervised and the bead size is appropriate for the age of the participants.

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