Book Bin Displays: What’s Cooking, Brush Up On Your Skills, Romance…with a twist, and I Read Canadian Day

A new month means it’s time to swap out the book bin displays! In February I promoted “I Read Canadian Day” for kids, and “Romance…with a twist” for adults and teens. For March I created two book bin displays that focus on developing new skills. What’s Cooking? For the adult side I did a “What’s… Read More Book Bin Displays: What’s Cooking, Brush Up On Your Skills, Romance…with a twist, and I Read Canadian Day

March 4, 2020March 20, 2020 Karissa Fast - Librarian1 Comment

Reading Gives You All the Feels Bulletin Board Display

Eye-catching? ✔️ Instills a love of reading? ✔️ Fun, relatable tone? ✔️ I love the new February display board. This is a great one because multiple people can help prepare for it. I had a talented co-worker create the giant book, and I love how it turned out. I used the Cricut to create the… Read More Reading Gives You All the Feels Bulletin Board Display

February 1, 2020 Karissa Fast - LibrarianLeave a comment

Libraries and Gentrification

Oh gentrification. The inevitable machine, the mysterious monster, the impossible crawl. A lot of the time when powerful people talk about gentrification, it sounds the same. Repackaged spooky vagueness, either diminishing the issue or shifting the focus. Variations of “there are so many factors at play it’s impossible to pin down,” or “it’s an issue… Read More Libraries and Gentrification

December 1, 2019 Karissa Fast - LibrarianLeave a comment

Using Big Blue Blocks at the Library

Note: this is not an advertisement or a sponsored post. Just a librarian’s honest opinion on a wonderful product. When I first heard of Big Blue Blocks, I knew that I wanted to bring them to my library. Not only do they encourage imaginative play and physical literacy, but they are durable, lightweight, and surprisingly… Read More Using Big Blue Blocks at the Library

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019 Karissa Fast - Librarian3 Comments

Draw Cute Animals – Tween Program Outline

This program was a huge draw (sorry I had to!) Kids come together and learn how to draw cute animals step by step. They also learn how to develop their own personal style, and how to infuse their drawings with characterization. It’s about drawing skills, yes. But it’s also about characterization skills. Storytelling. Humor. Artistic… Read More Draw Cute Animals – Tween Program Outline

September 26, 2019September 26, 2019 Karissa Fast - LibrarianLeave a comment

DIY Donut Stuffies for Kids

A sewing program might seem a little traditional for a library, but let me assure you: that’s part of its charm! I was surprised when the kids in an afterschool program kept requesting needles, thread, and fabric. To make what? Anything! Pouches for knick knacks, pencil cases, and the most exciting of them all: stuffies.… Read More DIY Donut Stuffies for Kids

September 12, 2019September 14, 2019 Karissa Fast - LibrarianLeave a comment

Book Reviews: Albatross, The Whisper Network, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and The Need

Albatross by Terry Fallis (2019) Delightful is the word that comes to mind. Terry Fallis books are funny – they always have a strong comedic premise – but they also have depth. They have a clear moral without being cheesy. And this book is my favourite of them all. Adam is a teenager who wants… Read More Book Reviews: Albatross, The Whisper Network, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and The Need

September 11, 2019 Karissa Fast - LibrarianLeave a comment

Emoji Paint Workshop

Painting + Emojis + Galaxy?! It’s a kid’s dream come true! It’s my dream come true! I think most libraries could run this program once a month and it would fill up every time with new kids. It is incredibly appealing, plus it’s a skill-based challenge that both parents and kids love. I run this… Read More Emoji Paint Workshop

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 Karissa Fast - Librarian5 Comments

How to Add a Ukulele to Toddler Storytime

Ever since I started using my cute little uke in storytime, I can’t imagine going without it. It adds a level of engagement and fun to each session, for everyone involved: the parents, the kids, and me! Each storytime feels like a mini concert, where everyone is the rock star. Toddlers come back to the… Read More How to Add a Ukulele to Toddler Storytime

July 20, 2019May 12, 2022 Karissa Fast - Librarian3 Comments

Tween Program Outline: Break a Record

Looking for a fun, simple program to draw in a crowd of tweens? Look no further than this amazing program that my creative coworker Cathy Terefenko dreamed up! Tweens are presented with real Guinness World Records, and attempt to break them during the event. She was generous enough to share her information with me so… Read More Tween Program Outline: Break a Record

July 16, 2019 Karissa Fast - LibrarianLeave a comment