Movement in library programs

This blog has been unused for a very long time. If you look back, you'll see it had a very brief run in the first place. My hope is I'll rejuvenate the blog as I work my way through graduate school and discover the aspects of library science that would likely have had a great impact on my role in a library for the first twenty years.

When I left my library job a couple of years ago (due to budget reasons), I found myself in jobs that were truly sedentary. Some might argue that a librarian's job is too, but let me assure you I moved all the time when I was in Youth Services. I still hope to get back to working in a library one day, and will begin my MLIS studies in just a couple of months. 

All the sitting I now do makes me think about ways to incorporate movement into every day. With COVID-19, I'm now working from home and that makes it easier to grab a stretch band or weights and move my arms a bit while reading emails. When I was still in the office, I often used my water bottle as a weight to do curls while climbing the stairs. 

That's great, Miss K., but what does it have to do with libraries?

Have you heard of the "Let's Move in Libraries" campaign? I love this Facebook group, and get ideas from it often. In my library days, movement was relegated to things like storytime and the occasional story walk. Sometimes I even managed to get the older kids moving in our after school group. I'm really excited to see the creative ways librarians are sharing their programs with community members (and the rest of us around the world) thanks to all the social distancing we're learning to live with.

Today, I was so inspired by a post from Ms. Melissa at the Huron Public library I had to rejuvenate my long forgotten blog. Her husband is apparently a great sport, and helped with a movement based video tied to fairy tale characters. 

Another story of movement in the library that inspired me is about Erin DeSantis of the Kenton County Library We had a great local yoga instructor in my last library who liked to try out new classes as free sessions at the library. She would get her largest audiences when she taught yoga nidra sessions around a busy holiday. DeSantis makes a great point in her teaching that the library can be the great equalizer in allowing people who might otherwise not be able to afford the benefits of yoga a chance to experience the same classes.

I've incorporated yoga into storytimes, and used some great mindfulness tips in children's programs as well. I look forward to doing more of this in the future, and showing adaptations that make yoga more accessible. By allowing both standard and altered poses, we can allow grandparents to join the program with chair yoga, and provide greater accessibility in for special needs children. I just got the book Accessible Yoga by Jivana Heyman on hold from the library, and can't wait to see how I can use these ideas. I recently had a coupon for Joann's and got myself some cotton webbing so I can use leftover quilting fabric to make this pretty yoga strap. Now I still need to harvest some D-rings off an old purse and I can get to crafting (and then, of course, practicing this program idea).

I recently reread Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell. I couldn't help thinking it would make a great scavenger hunt for the library to send families out to find street art in their own town. The city nearest us had a significant influx of art following riots last month, but even small towns have art on buildings. Whether advertising or graffiti, there is art to be found and taking a walk might be the best way to find it.