A brief look at ‘grams of interest to engage teens and librarians navigating this social media platform.
We’ve flipped our calendars to April and the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month has arrived! Established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration worldwide. The Future of Library Services for and with Teens report discusses the importance of engaging teens in library programming that helps develop multiple literacies and skills for future college and career success. Poetry month lends itself to a variety of active and passive programs, and libraries are taking to Instagram to share programming opportunities with their communities. Sharing a poem a day on social media, placing boards with magnetic words around the library, and providing the materials necessary for poetry contest entries allows teens to explore poetry at their leisure. On the other hand, holding a poetry slam, blackout poetry art program, or hosting a poet to lead a workshop and reading can foster a more collaborative environment for teens. Spine poetry and poetry contents that require photographs, online submissions, or sharing content on social media provide an opportunity for teens to enhance technology skills. Putting together a book display? Why not ask teens to assist in searching the catalog for materials to include? Don’t forget to pull a few novels in verse and popular fiction titles that include works of poetry.
Need a little inspiration for programs? Visit the National Poetry Month website where you can find a list of 30 ways to celebrate, tips for librarians, and a form to request a free poster with this year’s design by Debbie Millman. Don’t forget that Poem in Your Pocket Day is coming up on Thursday, April 21!
This week’s Instagram images not only highlight what libraries are doing for Poetry Month, but also how they celebrated April Fools’ Day on April 1. Want to share your poetry program plans or tell us a fun April Fools’ prank your library pulled? Use the comments section below!
