Now that we've finished the Rowen library - though any librarian will tell you that a library is never "finished" - we are currently working on some new strategies, events, and plans.
And we're officially starting a subscriber list!
http://eepurl.com/vEdZL
If you want to receive updates from us, sign up above.
We won't email too often, promise.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Happy MLK Day!
While Library Build isn't having an MLK Day of Service today, we hope that everyone is out there helping out our kids or schools!
Now that Library Build has completed the work on Rowen's library, we're considering what to do next - but we promise it will be great!
Some things to look forward to:
- A new website launch (new logo and everything, it looks wonderful!)
- A guidebook/how-to for those interested in helping their own community school libraries
- A connection service that allows groups or schools to adopt and partner with Philadelphia public schools that are trying to fix their library spaces.
Have a great day everyone!
Now that Library Build has completed the work on Rowen's library, we're considering what to do next - but we promise it will be great!
Some things to look forward to:
- A new website launch (new logo and everything, it looks wonderful!)
- A guidebook/how-to for those interested in helping their own community school libraries
- A connection service that allows groups or schools to adopt and partner with Philadelphia public schools that are trying to fix their library spaces.
Have a great day everyone!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Grand Opening!
This morning, Library Build and Rowen Elementary School celebrated the grand (re)opening of the Rowen library - a library that had been closed for 15+ years.
Parents, teachers, community members, students, and volunteers came out - we thank you!!
I'll write a longer post later, but for now, enjoy our first pictures!
More to come later! Thanks so much everyone!
Email Callie at CallieHammond@LibraryBuild.org if you have thoughts or questions!
Parents, teachers, community members, students, and volunteers came out - we thank you!!
I'll write a longer post later, but for now, enjoy our first pictures!
 | |
| Librarian's desk with the refreshment set up! So happy about the green bookcases! |
 |
| Behave, kids! Just kidding, love your library! |
 |
| Here's something I didn't know: tv cameras are scary |
 |
| Cutting the ribbon at the door of the library! |
 |
| Our fabulous student volunteers who gave tours of the library AND recited great poems about books and reading. |
 |
| A class already enjoying the new reading corner. |
 | ||
| A good view of my epic columns :) |
Email Callie at CallieHammond@LibraryBuild.org if you have thoughts or questions!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tomorrow is the big day
Well folks, tomorrow is the big day.
I always have tried to keep this blog very positive - which is why I'll never write about fights with the school district, disappointments from people who I thought I could count on, money issues, hearing for the ten billionth time "why don't you talk to me after you've done a library..."
But I'll be a little more honest with the blog tonight. Today was one of those days that make you go crazy, the day when you feel like no one's giving you a break, everyone wants something but no one will help you a little, the traffic won't stop, there's no food in the house, your credit card got stolen, your car got hit, there are no parking spots.
I was driving down Broad Street in a fit of total road rage - not the best road on which to have road rage in Philadelphia. Many thanks to Ryan Seacrest for playing some jamming tunes. I needed them.
And then I got to the library. Panic: what needs to be done, can I do it right now, sh*t I never bought a rug!, why is the floor still a mess?, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT THESE COLUMNS?
Because apparently 12 months isn't long enough to finish a library.
So I started painting the columns. It's 4PM the day before our grand opening and I thought, "Yes, I should paint the columns."
So there I am, no one else in the library, painting. the. columns.
Actually, there were people. The principal had gotten the district's maintenance crew to come out and clean. So it was me, standing on a table and painting while they cleaned. Also, I'll tell you something - I had no idea what they were talking about, it was like code. "We need the green packs, thats the M3, where's the 104." Huh?
And I thought, I might get sued by some union now - I'm probably not allowed to stand on tables and paint in a school district school. Note: this sentence may have to be taken out.
But they didn't seem to mind me, in fact they were kind of amused by my color choices for the dang columns.
You want to know what the funny thing about standing on tables and painting columns is? People come and talk to you.
There was talk about tomorrow, about the future of the library, the future of Rowen. About the 20 years the Rowen community hasn't had a school library.
And I got it: my library therapy.
So while I'll always feel like I didn't do enough, didn't raise enough money, didn't make it perfect enough, the library is wonderful and I'm happy with how it turned out, and happier still that the kids will have some semblance of a functional library space.
Happy too that I followed through as well as I could with the resources I had. It's not perfect, but nothing is.
So, tonight, my wish for you all is that you find something that makes you go total bonkers, question why you're doing it, makes you feel stressedoverwhelmedcrazy, makes other people say "are you nuts?", but gives you a sense of the things that you can do if you just put one foot forward and... don't over-think.
And now what to do about a rug?
I always have tried to keep this blog very positive - which is why I'll never write about fights with the school district, disappointments from people who I thought I could count on, money issues, hearing for the ten billionth time "why don't you talk to me after you've done a library..."
But I'll be a little more honest with the blog tonight. Today was one of those days that make you go crazy, the day when you feel like no one's giving you a break, everyone wants something but no one will help you a little, the traffic won't stop, there's no food in the house, your credit card got stolen, your car got hit, there are no parking spots.
I was driving down Broad Street in a fit of total road rage - not the best road on which to have road rage in Philadelphia. Many thanks to Ryan Seacrest for playing some jamming tunes. I needed them.
And then I got to the library. Panic: what needs to be done, can I do it right now, sh*t I never bought a rug!, why is the floor still a mess?, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT THESE COLUMNS?
Because apparently 12 months isn't long enough to finish a library.
So I started painting the columns. It's 4PM the day before our grand opening and I thought, "Yes, I should paint the columns."
So there I am, no one else in the library, painting. the. columns.
Actually, there were people. The principal had gotten the district's maintenance crew to come out and clean. So it was me, standing on a table and painting while they cleaned. Also, I'll tell you something - I had no idea what they were talking about, it was like code. "We need the green packs, thats the M3, where's the 104." Huh?
And I thought, I might get sued by some union now - I'm probably not allowed to stand on tables and paint in a school district school. Note: this sentence may have to be taken out.
But they didn't seem to mind me, in fact they were kind of amused by my color choices for the dang columns.
You want to know what the funny thing about standing on tables and painting columns is? People come and talk to you.
There was talk about tomorrow, about the future of the library, the future of Rowen. About the 20 years the Rowen community hasn't had a school library.
And I got it: my library therapy.
So while I'll always feel like I didn't do enough, didn't raise enough money, didn't make it perfect enough, the library is wonderful and I'm happy with how it turned out, and happier still that the kids will have some semblance of a functional library space.
Happy too that I followed through as well as I could with the resources I had. It's not perfect, but nothing is.
So, tonight, my wish for you all is that you find something that makes you go total bonkers, question why you're doing it, makes you feel stressedoverwhelmedcrazy, makes other people say "are you nuts?", but gives you a sense of the things that you can do if you just put one foot forward and... don't over-think.
And now what to do about a rug?
Monday, November 5, 2012
It's almost here!
A lot of very exciting things have been happening for Library Build recently:
1. Our grand opening is scheduled for December 7!
2. Our last Saturday work day is Sat, Nov. 17! Want to come? Email Callie at calliehammond@librarybuild.org
3. We are very pleased to be receiving logo and website redesign from a verynice design studio - looking forward to unveiling our new look!
4. The board and I are working out the next stage of Library Build's growth - we'll fill you in soon!
1. Our grand opening is scheduled for December 7!
2. Our last Saturday work day is Sat, Nov. 17! Want to come? Email Callie at calliehammond@librarybuild.org
3. We are very pleased to be receiving logo and website redesign from a verynice design studio - looking forward to unveiling our new look!
4. The board and I are working out the next stage of Library Build's growth - we'll fill you in soon!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Most recent work day
Here's some great pictures from our most recent work day - we had a great group of volunteers and got a lot done!
 |
| Hard at work |
 |
| Our fixed up tables! |
 |
| The fiction section taking shape |
 |
| This note says: "New books to be processed, 2001" guess what? the books are sitting in a cabinet |
 |
| Finally finished painting! Empty for now, but not for long! |
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Insurance and the Grand Opening
Happy October!
Library Build has been quickly picking up steam this fall, here's some overview:
- We had our second to last Saturday work day: finished painting, continued shelving new and donated books, and even worked on fixing up the old tables!
- We're planning to hold ONE more work day to put the finishing touches on the space, and then....
- It will be time for the Grand Opening! The date is still TBD, but the principal and I are very excited!
- Our two library Fellows have been working in the library now for TWO weeks! Yes, two! They have been hard at work shelving, making the space work for them, and planning the awesome programs that they are going to be running in the program! I could not be more excited to see what they do this year in the library.
- In more mundane, but most exciting to me: Library Build's insurance is complete and we now have D&O as well as program insurance. The principal and I will be signing an MOU, which will go directly to the SRC (yes, really), and then Library Build can be an official and sanctified nonprofit working in the school district.
Stay tuned for more pictures of the library's transformation - its coming!
Library Build has been quickly picking up steam this fall, here's some overview:
- We had our second to last Saturday work day: finished painting, continued shelving new and donated books, and even worked on fixing up the old tables!
- We're planning to hold ONE more work day to put the finishing touches on the space, and then....
- It will be time for the Grand Opening! The date is still TBD, but the principal and I are very excited!
- Our two library Fellows have been working in the library now for TWO weeks! Yes, two! They have been hard at work shelving, making the space work for them, and planning the awesome programs that they are going to be running in the program! I could not be more excited to see what they do this year in the library.
- In more mundane, but most exciting to me: Library Build's insurance is complete and we now have D&O as well as program insurance. The principal and I will be signing an MOU, which will go directly to the SRC (yes, really), and then Library Build can be an official and sanctified nonprofit working in the school district.
Stay tuned for more pictures of the library's transformation - its coming!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)