The August 2025 newsletter of Let’s Move in Libraries includes:

• The final call for nominations for the 2025 I Partner with My Public Library Awards
• Inspiring stories from Oklahoma and Arkansas
• Let’s Move in Libraries in the news
• How and why to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversation

Our main story this month is on the I Partner with My Public Library initiative.

Do you work at a public library? Has a community partner made a difference by collaborating with you?

Submitting a nomination for the I Partner with My Public Library Award is the perfect way to thank your partners, and to celebrate the work you have done together.

These annual awards also inspire new partnerships.

Nominations will be accepted through the end of August 2025. At that point, a team of volunteer reviewers will score the nominations, and those rated the highest will be notified by October 15, 2025, with a public awards ceremony occurring in November, 2025. Awardees will be publicly celebrated on the Let’s Move in Libraries webpage in perpetuity, alongside winners from 2023 and 2024. Join us in this endeavor!

The call for nominations opened on June 1, 2025, and since then we have already received nominations from across North America. Here are excerpts from some the nominations received during July:

• “Any time we have a question about who to contact or what organization might be a good partner, we always reach out to [this partner] first. They are our go-to for information about what’s going on in communities, and in turn, we help inform them of trends in the library or areas we hope to focus on. We’ve worked closely together on conference presentations to help other libraries and partner organizations see what a successful partnership can look like, and we are so appreciative of the staff at [partner organization] for all of their dedication to libraries. There aren’t many organizations who think of us first, but we are uniquely situated in that we have library locations in nearly every community [the partner organization] covers. We often check in with [their] Executive Director throughout the year to reflect on current projects and to see if there is anything we can help them with.”
• “We have two librarians attend the [partner’s] monthly meetings and make suggestions and offer their assistance with anything needed. The president of the [partner organization] is a huge proponent of why the partnership works so well, as he is often visiting the library and seeing what is needed and where we might collaborate.”
• “We have built a relationship where we can partner whenever we identify a community need. We know we can support each other’s missions. For example, we know we can count on them to participate in community outreach events. We also know they will tell us whenever they develop a new program. They know the Public Library will gladly be a testing ground for any new services they would like to provide. The library knows the [Partner] is consistent, even if the attendance is low. For example, the [Partner] wanted to introduce an eight-month program on healthy eating. Even though the library advertised the program extensively, patron participation was low. It didn’t matter. The teachers came faithfully every month. All of a sudden, the families realized how valuable the class would be, and came this month. Persistence and patience paid off.”
• “The staff at the [Partner institution] are enthusiastic educators who are passionate about sharing environmental literacy skills with people of all ages. In planning the Story Hike programs, [partner] has helped pinpoint themes and topics of focus for each program depending on the community’s interests. [They have] brought in other community partners so that program participants could meet a barred owl and a Harris’ Hawk in person, before taking a hike to look for signs of birds of prey. [The partner] has offered the use of [their] buildings, volunteers, and resources to make sure the programs run smoothly, and that participants are comfortable. In the future, we plan to offer Story Hikes that focus on the ecology and history of the land.”

Submit your nomination by clicking here, or learn more at the the I Partner with My Public Library webpage.

In addition to submitting a nomination, you can also serve as a reviewer. Reviewers will spend approximately 3-5 hours in September 2025 reviewing nominations and filling out an online form. You can submit a nomination and serve as a reviewer: We’ll make sure you don’t review your own nomination! You do not need to work in a public library to serve as a reviewer.

We can’t wait to read your nominations, and reach out with questions at any point!

Please share this news widely.

Inspiring stories from Oklahoma and Arkansas

Our thanks to Kaylee Stanfield and Candace L. Owens for sharing these inspiring stories from their public libraries in Oklahoma and Arkansas! Share your story to inspire others!

“The Southeast Oklahoma Library System Bookmobile supports healthy living by bringing movement, creativity, and access to wellness resources directly to our communities. One of our standout programs, Hula Hoopventures, encourages kids and families to get active through fun, high-energy hula hoop games and challenges. It’s more than just play—it promotes coordination, physical fitness, and joy in movement.

In addition, our new traveling seed library empowers patrons to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs at home. By offering free seeds and basic gardening guidance, we’re helping families take the first steps toward healthier eating and greater food independence.

Whether we’re rolling in with hoops or seeds, the Bookmobile is committed to supporting the health and well-being of every community we visit.

We’ve already seen some great impacts from our healthy living programs on the Bookmobile. With Hula Hoopventures, kids are moving, laughing, and gaining confidence as they try new tricks and it’s been awesome to see families join in too. It’s not just a class; it’s a moment of joy and connection that gets everyone up and active.

Our new seed library is also growing interest fast. Patrons are picking up seeds, asking questions about gardening, and even coming back to share what they’ve planted. It’s a small step that’s helping folks eat healthier and feel more connected to what they grow.

Little by little, we’re building healthier habits, right from the back of the Bookmobile.”

In Arkansas, Candace L. Owens of the Dee Brown Branch Library of the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock, writes that “I was granted the opportunity to organize a Free Flow Fridays program series centered on mental, social, ad physical health. It was a curated space to relax, relate, read, and release from the pressures of society with a community resource station where local community organizations and individuals shared their active work and passion for community and its over health. A Storytime and activity for families to read and relate. At last, a mindful movement space, where local certified yoga teachers (including myself) donated their time to help relax and release our patrons, community leaders, and library workers. From this series, our adult programmer and digital Literacy guide began developing a plan for Community Chair Yoga & Mindfulness. I am grateful to say I have led our community chair yoga sessions for almost 2 months with a featured Tea for a yoga inspired experience.”

“The community we serve incudes primarily African American and a progressive growth of Latinos with a percentage of Asian and Native American stay at home mothers, working class citizens as well as unsheltered citizens, senior citizens. We have strived to provide Spanish components to all of our programs which has been an apparent success for our spanish speaking patrons and motivation for our spanish speaking staff. In addition, the community impacts include but are not limited to access to underrepresented resources, which has increased our visitor flow. It has impacted our youth to expand their horizons and read beyond the books. We have also incorporated healthy eating with “What’s the Tea?” Infographics, which has been a joy and positive challenge for our seniors.”

Thank you Kaylee and Candace for sharing these stories! Share your story to inspire others!

Let’s Move in Libraries in the News

We’re grateful to share a few additional news stories from the past month.

UNCG Research featured the story of Let’s Move in Libraries in a recent feature entitled “Libraries, for your Health.”

Read on to learn about how this non-profit developed and spread over the last nine years.

The work of Let’s Move in Libraries was also featured in the July 2025 cover story of Library Journal. The article “Parks & Rec & Libraries” written by Dr. Noah Lenstra features inspiring stories of public libraries and parks coming together across the United States to support access to nature, access to health, and access to movement.