From Oakland to New York to Sesame Street, Kids are Hungry

This New York Times article on the childhood hunger epidemic in Alameda County has been making the rounds at my work.

One noteworthy point the article makes: at some of the 90n or so Oakland schools that serve free breakfast to students, the meal has been incorporated into the first instructional period of the day.  Translation: kids are eating in class.  And it works better for everybody.  Of course it's distracting, but teachers were finding that the alternative to eating in class wasn't that kids eat earlier--it was that they don't eat.  Since kids can't learn or function on an empty stomach, having breakfast as soon as they get to school means they are more attentive, more alert, more responsive in class.

Meanwhile, down on Sesame Street....
PBS introduced a new Muppet this past Sunday:  Lily, a seven-year-old child whose family deals with food insecurity.  It's sort of heartbreaking that hunger among children is widespread enough that Sesame Street producers felt the need to create a new character for kids to relate to, someone likable on a show they trust who also does not know where her food will come from on any given day.  But I think it's exciting that Sesame Street is taking on the topic. 
Did you watch? 
(Here's a Millennial confession for you:  I didn't, because I literally could not identify a nearby friend with access to network television.  Everyone in my area watches tv on the internet.  Hope PBS makes this available online...)

Ulterior motives, and the 2012 ACL Institute

Some of you know that a not-so-secret purpose of this blog is to aid the planning of the 2012 ACL Institute. Let me talk a little about that!

ACL is the Association of Children's Librarians, "an association of people interested in library work with children and young adults."  It happens to be mostly public librarians, school librarians, library school students, and people who were formerly one of these things, but it is open to all.  Members meet once a month to share book reviews and produce the monthly newsletter Bayviews.  We have among our ranks reviewers for School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Horn Book; past members (and chairs) of the Newbery Committee; activists; leaders; people who make decisions every day about how library resources are made available for the children in their community. 

Each spring, ACL presents a conference on some aspect of children's librarianship, known as the ACL Institute.  Our forthcoming Institute (date tba but probably April 2012) will be called "Eat the Library," and will present panel discussions and workshops on food and libraries and how they intersect.

Planning has just begun, so keep watching this space for details about the event.  Below is a rough framework for possible panel topics.  Consider it an appetizer!

Libraries nationwide are positing themselves as core services in cities, part of the social safety net.  Contrary to longstanding cries of “no food in the library!,” some libraries are offering just that:  community gardens, seed libraries, programs on healthy eating, books that advocate healthy eating and activity, help getting food stamps, and even free meals for kids.

How can we in the Bay Area incorporate the healthy food trend into our libraries?  What impacts will it have if we do?

Possible panels/forums:

• Incorporating gardening/food growing/seed lending into the library.  
• Food distribution at the library
• Breastfeeding and feeding young children in the library.  
•  How is Hunger Impacting Your Patrons?  
• A “best cookbooks for kids” browsing session and hands-on demo---and we can eat what people make!

BIBLIOGRAPHY: I see ACL producing a booklet for libraries on steps to take, at varying levels of commitment, to adopt each of the ideas discussed that morning.  For example:

PLANTING at Your Library

EASY:  Purchase and display books on container gardening, urban

gardening, and growing vegetables.

MEDIUM:  Connect with community gardens in your area.  Invite

them to give presentations or hold meetings at your library.

KIND OF HARD:  Have patrons bring in potted plants from home.  Create

a space for them in your library.  Appoint a staff person or volunteer to water them.

HARD:  Start a garden at your library, with the help of a Friends group or

corp of volunteers.

           

            RESOURCES:

Here we can list books, and also websites, local organizations, etc that may help libraries with garden projects.