NOVEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
The November 2024 newsletter of Let’s Move in Libraries includes:
- How to join a 2025 healthy eating challenge focused on libraries
- How to unlock the joy of community partnerships
- How to follow along the StoryWalk Week 2024 celebration
- How to get funding to bring science education to library events
- How to build resilient communities through library partnerships
- How to support active living with technology
- How to join the US national conversation on play and public libraries
- How to contribute your knowledge on parks and SNAP-ed partnerships
- How to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversations
This month’s featured image comes from the 2024 I Partner with My Public Library Awards. In High Point, North Carolina, non-profit Growing High Point teams up with the High Point Public Library to combine food access with learning and literacy. Growing High Point is one of 11 organizations and individuals across North America selected by a group of 30 reviewers to win this year’s award.
One reviewer said, “I loved learning about all the impressive partnerships and community engagement happening across the U.S. (and Canada), and I felt inspired to continue supporting my own public library––and to encourage others to do the same.”
Learn more about all the winners and Honorable Mentions at the 2024 I Partner with My Public Library Awards webpage, and be sure to sign up for the online Awards Ceremony to take place Friday, November 8 at 2 pm Eastern / 11 am Pacific. All are welcome!
Finally, if you missed this year’s call to participate — either as a nominator or as a reviewer — don’t worry! Another call for applications will be coming in June 2025 for next year’s awards.
The best way to make sure you don’t miss the call is to sign up for our monthly newsletter. Share the Sign up for the Let’s Move in Libraries newsletter link to spread the word!
How to join a new healthy eating challenge focused on libraries
Through our involvement with ConnectWell, Let’s Move in Libraries is helping ConnectWell gain more experience with their library-based Wellness Challenges.
We invite YOU to join us in a free library-based healthy eating challenge in 2025!
Public libraries in the United States and Canada are invited to deploy ready-made programs that engage people in healthy lifestyle practices at the library. Consider joining this great opportunity to build community and social support while helping your patrons expand their nutrition literacy and improve their eating habits!
We hope to work with you to help you offer a five-week Healthy Eating Challenge for your community sometime in February / March 2025. All resources are prepared and ready for you to go! We hope that rural libraries could get 10 participants, suburban 20, and urban 30. Families are welcome – healthy eating is a family affair, and a family unit counts as 1 participant.
The five-week program starts with a basic overview of nutrition – presented in a fun, engaging format – followed by a discussion of the challenge, and getting ready to try new things for breakfast. The second week focuses on lunch. The third focuses on dinner. The fourth focuses on snacks. And the last week is a celebration! Throughout all five weeks, participants will use a two-page challenge handout to keep track of their commitments to try new healthy foods, starting with breakfast, then expanding to lunch, then dinner, and finally snacks.
To make the training fun and exciting we would like you to join a community of approximately 30 public library workers from across North America in a five-week online Healthy Eating Challenge in January 2025! Let’s Move in Libraries will be joining the challenge. This immersive experience will be fun, engaging, and give you the information you need to lead the challenge in your community at your library February / March 2025. You will also be asked to attend a one-hour overview and training session and spend approximately 5 hours during the month of December reading through the program materials so that you feel comfortable using it at your library.
By joining this project you will gain access to fun, engaging evidence-based information you can use to support nutrition and healthy eating. You will gain experience implementing programming related to healthy eating. You will get to engage with public library workers from across North America that are participating in this project. You will get access to free training on leading nutrition and health challenges.
If you’re ready to sign up, just fill out this form!
If you want more information, join us at a 45-minute information meeting on November 7, at 1 pm Eastern/10 am Pacific time and we’ll be happy to provide a brief overview and answer your questions! This information session will be recorded for those unable to attend. Click this link to sign up.
Learn more at the Join The ConnectWell Challenge webpage. We hope you’ll consider this free opportunity!
How to unlock the joy of community partnerships
Join us Wednesday December 4 at 2:00 pm US Eastern, 11:00 am US Pacific for a free webinar on “Partnerships and Building Relationships: How, Why, and Who.”
This event – hosted by Niche Academy — features Dr. Noah Lenstra of Let’s Move in Libraries and Rebecca Hass of Anne Arundel County Public Library. Rebecca just published a book on 101 Seeds for Library Joy. In this webinar, we will help you discover (or rediscover) the joy found in working collaboratively with your community.
Here’s what this webinar is about:
It takes a village… What strategies work for libraries wanting to become stronger community partners? How can you do this work no matter your job title? Being strategic, accountable, and a library advocate focused on documentation are key, but so too is centering the entire process around joy.
In this free one-hour webinar, Rebecca Hass and Noah Lenstra share how to center joy in the sometimes complicated work of building and maintaining community partnerships.
They’ll present examples of libraries across America that have devised working systems for building partnerships and strong community relationships. And they’ll take a deep dive into the successes and challenges experienced at Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Public Library.
You’ll leave this session not only with renewed confidence in your ability to find partners, but also with plans to integrate partnerships and relationships even more fully into your work, and into the work of your library.
If you’re interested but not able to attend the live webinar, go ahead and register. We’ll send a recording to all registrants after the fact.
How to follow along the StoryWalk Week 2024 celebration
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who submitted photos for our fourth annual StoryWalk Week celebration! StoryWalk Week is a partnership between the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) and Let’s Move in Libraries.
This year StoryWalk Week will be November 10-16, 2024.
Here’s how to follow along. Make sure you follow ABOS on Instagram and Facebook, and follow Let’s Move in Libraries on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Every day during StoryWalk Week we’ll be featuring the stories and photos you submitted! The complete collection of 2024’s submissions will then be shared and celebrated on the Let’s Move in Libraries webpage.
You can also see the webpages for
And get inspired for your own StoryWalk adventure at our StoryWalk resource page.
Did you miss the call to participate? We’ll be opening up the call for submissions in 2025 on October 1!
How to get funding to bring science education to library events
Note: Priority for applications submitted by Nov 15, 2024
Get started with your application for $2,000, resources, and more support at this link.
Learn more about how libraries can benefit through the story below.
Igniting Curiosity: Malvern-Hot Spring County Library’s Approach to Blending Science and Community
Clare Graham, Library Director at Malvern-Hot Spring County Library, is leading science engagement initiatives that showcase unique ways libraries can integrate science into the heart of their communities. This past year, Clare organized “Eclipse over the Brick City” in Malvern, 
Arkansas, aligning with the 2024 solar eclipse to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for local residents and visitors. This event included free community activities celebrating Malvern’s place in the path of totality with interactive exhibits, educational resources, and a lively local campaign. Clare’s efforts drew community leaders and volunteers from all walks of life, making it a memorable weekend in Malvern, which saw 2 minutes and 38 seconds of totality.
This holiday season, Clare and her team are set to participate in the “Science In Vivo”, a program produced by the MIT Museum. Their project, “Holiday Wonders: In Science”, is under development to premiere at Malvern’s annual Christmas on the Courthouse Square event, held after the town’s Christmas Parade. With this project, Clare, along with Library Services Manager Tina Bell and Library Manager Staci Allen, will use the festive spirit to inspire curiosity by blending hands-on science activities 
with holiday joy. The “Science In Vivo” project provides Clare and her team with resources and a peer network to help create meaningful science experiences in their community. Participation also includes $2000 to compensate participants for their time meeting with fellow organizers and providing insight regarding their event planning process.
From her work with “Eclipse over the Brick City” to bringing science into the holiday season, Clare Graham shows how libraries can serve as vibrant centers for community science engagement even beyond the library’s building. Looking to add a science experience to an existing event in your community? Find out more at science.events/vivo and SituatedEngagement.com. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but priority will be given to submissions sent in by Nov 15. Interested but not sure where to start? Email to start a conversation with the MIT Museum team!
How to build resilient communities through library partnerships
The Building Resilient Communities Project aims to enhance the collaborative efforts between public libraries and community-based organizations in addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change and its associated social and health impacts. Recognizing the urgent need for action, this initiative focuses on empowering library and community leaders to create resilient environments through strategic partnerships.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project is led by the Space Science Institute with partner organizations, OCLC’s WebJunction program, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and Interactive Learning Dynamics.
This Fall, this project is organizing a series of free webinars on public libraries and climate change, with learning opportunities centered around partnerships, community building, and communication. Check out the project page on WebJunction to learn how you can get involved!
How to support active living with technology
We recently had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Joe Titus, CEO and Co-Founder of Hiveclass, a digital platform utilizing technology to provide access to quality instruction and education in a variety of sports and wellness activities. Hiveclass works actively with libraries across America, and so I was thrilled to talk with Joe about his background and the company.
Read the interview here. Here’s a short excerpt from our conversation:
Noah Lenstra: Thinking to the future, let’s imagine what things could look like 5 or 10 years from now, in the ideal world how would you like to see Hiveclass and libraries working together?
Joe Titus: Health and wellness is at the top of mind, whether that’s for children or all ages. We’ve gotten so much feedback around our yoga product, for example, as being something that works well in libraries. So many libraries have a yoga instructor come in once a month, once a week. And there are those that want to add fitness, dance, or mindfulness programs but are unable to due to instructor fees (especially for libraries with multiple branches) or for lack of teachers in rural parts of the country. But now they can offer it digitally with Hiveclass offering the instruction. It’s really affordable, and they could offer Yoga almost everyday. Then, regardless of socioeconomic status, zip code, or background, all people could have access to great health and wellness opportunities through in-person programs at the library as well as continuing the practice at home.
We think that libraries and other public institutions have the ability to level the playing field for things like that over the next five to ten years and even further. We want to be a part of the evolution of libraries.
How to join the US national conversation on play and public libraries
Our friends at the US Play Coalition invite you to join the second 2025 Libraries, Learning & PLAY Forum on Thursday, April 17, 2025. The forum will be part of the 2025 National Conference on the Value of Play: CREATE, EXPLORE, INSPIRE, April 15-17, 2025, at Indiana University, Bloomington.
How to contribute your knowledge on parks and SNAP-ed partnerships
Let’s Move in Libraries is currently seeking knowledge and input on two topics. If you have knowledge or expertise to share, please reach out to us or email Dr. Noah Lenstra directly.
SNAP-Ed & Libraries Collaboration Toolkit
In collaboration with SNAP-Ed educators, we are in the early stages of organizing a toolkit focused on better supporting partnerships between public libraries and SNAP-Ed. In the United States, SNAP-Ed is a federally funded, evidence-based program that helps people lead healthy, active lives through a combination of educational strategies, social marketing, and interventions to improve policies, systems, and environments (PSE). On the education side, SNAP-Ed teaches participants how to make their SNAP dollars stretch, how to shop for and cook healthy meals, and how to stay physically active. On the PSE side, SNAP-Ed works with state and local partners to support multi-level community and public health interventions that facilitate healthy eating and physical activity for SNAP-eligible individuals and communities with a significant low-income population. In many states (find yours here), SNAP-Ed works through the Cooperative Extension system, but in some states SNAP-Ed is implemented by non-profit organizations, social service and public health agencies, Universities, and more. If you or your library has worked with SNAP-Ed in any capacity, we want to hear about that!! Please reach out to us or email Dr. Noah Lenstra directly to contribute to this project.
Library Journal article on partnerships with parks
As part of a journalistic endeavor to cover how libraries increase access and equity through partnerships with parks, Dr. Noah Lenstra is seeking examples of library-park partnerships that are innovative and impactful. If you or your library have done something you consider to be especially powerful, please reach out to us or email Dr. Noah Lenstra. It is anticipated that this Library Journal feature will be published in Spring 2025.
How to join our monthly Birds of a Feather online conversations
Want to join a community of public library workers and partners interested in the topics celebrated by Let’s Move in Libraries?
Have a burning question you’d like to ask other librarians?
Join us in our monthly Birds of a Feather conversation series.
Beginning in February 2023, we host a monthly one-hour Birds of a Feather online conversation. We are taking the month of October off, but we’ll be back in November: Join us November 20, 2024 at 12 pm Eastern / 9 am Pacific for an inspiring, engaging, open and lively conversation.
What is a Birds of a Feather conversation? It’s an opportunity for individuals with shared interests to gather together (birds of a feather flock together) to share resources, inspire one another, and generally build community.
These events are never recorded so that all participants can share freely. Join us!
Join us for an upcoming Birds of a Feather online conversation to share and gain additional resources. The next event will be November 20, 2024 at 12 pm Eastern / 9 am Pacific.
Finally, we want to end this month’s newsletter with a quick plug for one of our partners, the Charlie Cart Project.
They recently traveled to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Institute in Denver, Colorado to present on food education and public libraries.
Jacquelyn Chi from the Charlie Cart Projected presented alongside Kristina Selby (Meeker Regional Library) and Nadia Martinez (Broomfield Library).
Jacquelyn shared that “It was a true honor to moderate a session on food education in libraries last week at the Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) National Institute! I came prepped with stats from The Charlie Cart Project network to demonstrate the need, interest, and impact of mobilizing libraries for hands-on cooking classes, but stories and real-world examples from
Some high-level takeaways for anyone interested in running hands-on cooking classes in libraries or other non-traditional spaces:
✅ PLAN plan plan
⭐ Now SIMPLIFY simplify simplify
🤝 PARTNER with resources in your community to make it happen!
Thank you to everyone who attended our session and came to the exhibitor hall to chat with us afterwards. Your questions, brainstorms, and personal stories of advocating for food education are so inspiring, and have already given us more ideas about how to bring cooking classes into even more libraries.”
We’re so glad this presentation was a success! Have you recently shared something at a conference or at a webinar you’d like Let’s Move in Libraries to amplify? Let us know!!
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Subscribe to the Let’s Move in Libraries newsletter for monthly editions of success stories, educational opportunities, and food for thought that will deepen the impact of HEAL (Healthy Eating & Active Living) programs and services in public libraries. Also follow the project on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter to stay up-to-date. The Let’s Move in Libraries project focuses on how public libraries create opportunities for individuals of all ages and abilities to engage in healthy activities.