Shelve it in the Aquarium!

With the help of a roll of blue cellophane, the Park County Library Children's Services transformed their kid's library into a delightful aquarium. The library is in Cody, WY and Children's Services Directory Holly Baker shared this was one of the best window display they had ever created. This enchanting display has received such positive feedback from the community, they might never take it down!

Interactive Aquarium Display

The staff of the Fraser Valley Library, CO were looking for an environmentally sustainable way to encourage summer programming participants. After Branch Manager Jeanette McQuade shared the seeds of an idea at a virtual planning meeting, the library was able to further refine it, and this gorgeous display came to fruition!

Instead of weekly plastic toys, the library created an interactive aquarium display. To keep kids motivated, they are able to create a craft, decorate a sea creature and place it in the aquarium! If they are short on time, the library has die cutouts of fish they can put their names on.

This wonderful idea could not have happened with out the work of Kaylene Loo and Amy Johnson, staff members at the library!

What "Possibilities" are you exploring this summer? Please send your photos, ideas, and any informative details to Luke Kralik at: luke.kralik@cslpreads.org I would love to share them in our newsletter.

Looking for some ideas for 2022 to use or share? https://www.pinterest.com/cslpreads/

Increase participation by publicizing your activities at WorldOceanDay.org!

WorldOceanDay.org enthusiastically partners with CSLP and the 2022 Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading program. We encourage everyone organizing activities for the CSLP program to list their activities on the WorldOceanDay.org site so you can reach more community members!

Many people looking to celebrate World Ocean Day on the June 8th and throughout the month of June (National Ocean Month) are seeking family-friendly and kid-friendly activities related to ocean literacy and conservation. Use this submission form and the sample event description resource, specifically created for Oceans of Possibilities program participants, to help you easily submit your activities!

Whatever your plans are, WorldOceanDay.org is here to support you. Fill out this interest form to stay informed and receive more information.

Find additional resources on the website, including:

The “Fun and Educational Materials for kids” blog post
The World Ocean Day Social Media toolkit to use on 8 June and beyond!
The Events Calendar and World Map where you can find additional events happening in-person locally or virtually in your communities.

Since launching global coordination of World Ocean Day 20 years ago, The Ocean Project has been working in partnership with aquariums, zoos, museums, youth leaders, and others in a growing global network – including libraries across the country! Together we can engage the public and unite the world to protect and restore our shared ocean and climate. Learn more.

Public libraries feed hungry bodies as well as hungry minds during the summer – and throughout the year. The CSLP’s Child and Community Well-Being committee encourages library involvement in activities that support wellness, from summer and afterschool meals, to well-being programming, to support for basic needs, all to help children, teens, and communities stay nourished, active, and healthy when school is out. Resources include the Libraries and Summer Food page on the CSLP website; a Facebook group for news, support, and resource-sharing; and an ongoing series of stories showcasing the experiences of libraries around the country.

Poetry Walk Outdoor Story time on April 7, 2022

by Zella Jensen, Eagle Mountain City Library, UT

April is national poetry month. What a great opportunity for the literature world! Reading poetry to children helps them notice speech characteristics like voice fluctuation, tone, pitch, volume and inflection giving cues to words and helping children learn to read. The patterns of rhythm and repetition of poetry stimulate the brain and improve memory.

Wanting to offer some of the benefits of poetry and gathering our patrons in the fresh air, we thought a tree-filled city park would be a great place for a one-time Poetry Walk. Following the pattern of a Story Walk, I posted signs displaying the main types of poetry and signs displaying the benefits of poetry along a paved pathway under the trees. I went further down the path, posting signs displaying free, online clipart pages that coordinated with the pages of a chosen book.

The materials for the Poetry Walk signs were simple. Wanting to honor copyright laws for the publisher, we printed, cut and laminated the pages for durability. Wooden skewers were attached to the backs of each page with packing tape and then poked into the ground along the path.

The book spotlighted in the poetry walk was "Daniel Finds a Poem" by Micha Archer. This endearing book is about a boy appreciating the sights and sounds of nature as he walks along a park's wooded path. As families walked along the paved trail, the children really paid attention to the crunchy leaves and chirping birds like the story's main character. The group also twisted and stomped like the charming animal characters of the book. Many children gathered twigs, rocks, and other "treasures".

At the end, I offered a form for a fill-in-the-blank poem the children could write and share with our group. Using their imagination and prompts from the story, they got pretty creative in the words they combined. It was really fun to read aloud to each other. Many discovered that poetry wasn't so hard to create and they might have a poet's heart after all.

What is on the horizon for CSLP?

2022: Theme/Oceanography; Slogan/"Oceans of Possibilities" Artist/Sophie Blackall

2023: Theme/Kindness and Friendship; Slogan/"All Together Now"; Artist/Frank Morrison

2024: Theme/Adventure; Slogan/"Adventure Begins at Your Library"; Artist/Juana Martinez-Neal

2025: Theme/Art; Slogan/TBD; Artist/Brian Floca

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