This weekend I was able to take advantage of a great volunteer opportunity presented to me by my professor, Mary Wepking, who spread the word that the Shorewood Public Library was looking for volunteers for a children's program on Saturday, April 25th. Since I want to work in youth services, I knew there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to help with the Community P.L.A.Y. Day – and I'm so thankful for the fun and educational experience! 

I worked primarily at the infant and toddler station that focused a lot on different sensory activities, like playing with squishy gel-filled bags and shaking bottles filled with uncooked rice and corn kernels. I also helped kids do a craft that used paper cups, straws and small paper octopus cutouts to make little pop-up puppets. At my station there were also other educational activities that focused on age-appropriate learning, like matching and identifying colors, shapes and sizes.

Not only did I get some more experience working with children in a library setting, I also got to brush up on my nonverbal communication skills. Shorewood Library serves a pretty diverse population, and I interacted with many parents and children who spoke little or no English. It's amazing to see just how much you can communicate with others based on facial expressions and gestures alone! 

As my first semester of graduate school draws to a close, final projects and papers are piling up. Luckily I was able to cross a couple off my to do list this weekend, including creating a webpage promoting library materials to teens. 

The assignment was for my Library Materials for Young Adults class, and it required me to create some sort of publicity or marketing "thing" – a series of bookmarks, a brochure, a poster, a library display, a webpage or even a video – to promote a certain genre or topic to the teenage demographic.

With summer on the horizon, I decided to promote books highlighting outdoor activities and nature. It's far too easy for teens miss out on nature's beauty while sitting in an air-conditioned room overindulging
in screen time during the summer months, so I wanted to motivate them to get out and explore. 

My webpage promoted a mixture of fiction and nonfiction books – everything from survival fiction classics like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet to The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide. Whether teens are preparing for an outdoor adventure themselves or just looking to travel vicariously through someone else, books are a great way to discover the great outdoors.

To view my publicity project webpage, click here – and remember to #ReadAdventurously this summer!

An extra special shout out to all my librarian friends out there, as today is National Library Workers' Day!

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a nation-wide observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries – be it school, public, academic or special – are recognized and participate in this honorary week of recognition.

According to the ALA, "It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support." And guess what? I couldn't agree more! Libraries promote lifelong learning, equitable access to information and a love for literacy. They are safe havens and resource centers. Librarians are educators, friends, motivators, supporters and active community members. They are role models and tech support. The list goes on and on! 

In 2014 there was one particular library that couldn't stay out of the headlines – for all the right reasons. I've posted a few times about the Ferguson Municipal Public Library in Missouri, located just blocks from where racially-fueled protests took place following the Michael Brown shooting and Grand Jury ruling. It was there at that tiny public library that Director Scott Bonner and his staff embodied what librarianship is all about, which ended up bringing the small library donations totaling more than $200,000.

After the unarmed Brown was shot by a police officer in last August, the St. Louis suburb was hit by escalating protests and civil unrest. But while local businesses and schools closed their doors as riots, violence and arson raged, the Ferguson library remained open.

Bonner's exemplarily work recently won him the Lemony Snicket award, honoring “noble librarians faced with adversity.” He also put out this response on Twitter, and I think it says a lot about him as a person:

You see? This is how important libraries are to their communities! But everyone knows libraries are only as great as the people who work inside them! As part of this week's festivities, today is National Library Workers' Day. This is my first year I find myself in that category, and I can't wait to celebrate many more days like this during my quest to become a professional librarian. 

But I'll let you in on a little secret about this week: Even without it, librarians would still be more than happy to do what we are doing – to do what we love. Although I must to admit, a little public appreciation goes a long way.

For example, a few weeks ago I had an older library patron approach my desk and ask for some help planning an upcoming trip to Milwaukee. I helped her find an affordable hotel, contact information for the Mitchell Domes and the Milwaukee Art Museum, and even suggested a few restaurants for her to try out. Last Friday that patron came back to the library and rushed over to my desk, exclaiming "Oh I'm so happy you're here! I had such a wonderful time in Milwaukee! I couldn't have done it without you!" 

I couldn't help but smile and feel reminded me why I wanted to work in a public library: to help people like her and to give back to my community. Much to my surprise, she returned again the very next day, with a vase of fresh cut flowers from her garden and a thank you card reading "It's people like you who make it possible for people like me to be thankful for people like you." If that doesn't warm your heart I don't know what will.

The truth is, there are countless interactions like that occurring between patrons and library workers each and every day. Do you have a special library employee in mind that deserves recognition? Nominate a stellar library worker today as part of National Library Workers' Day. And go and pay your librarians a visit at your local library while you're at it! 

I've found that there are few places I feel more comfortable than being surrounded books (topped only by being surrounded by – in no particular order – loved ones, Nature and live music). And while one of my favorite restoration projects I've done so far was refurbishing some old bookshelves, there are a lot of other unique ways to store and display your precious paperbacks at home. After all, nothing furnishes a room quite like books!

Here are a few of some of my favorite unique book displays that you could use in your own home. If you click any of the pictures below, you'll be redirected to websites where you can learn how to make or even buy these cool bookshelves. I'm all about up-cycling and repurposing old things you might have laying around the house, so I'm particularly fond of the old refrigerator and the baby grand. Looking for more inspiration? You can also find a lot of unique bookshelves ideas on Pinterest.

Have a creative bookshelf idea you'd like to share with me? Please tweet me @TessaFoxReads!