This week’s column was submitted Stephanie Spetter, head of the Youth Services department at the .
Every day is a busy day at the Des Plaines Public Library. This past Saturday was no exception, and I’ll get to that in a minute. But first, one program that took place this past weekend made me think about the wonderful partnerships the library has with other community groups, agencies, and businesses, and how fostering those partnerships by sharing our resources and talents has created a wealth of new opportunities for the citizens of Des Plaines.
A great example such a partnership is our growing shared programming with the of Metropolitan Chicago. For years, a librarian from the Des Plaines Public Library has been making visits to the preschool classes at the Y to present story programs to the children there. These programs encourage young children in their development of the necessary skills needed before they can learn to read.
In addition, a librarian from Des Plaines Public Library performed Healthy Kids story time at the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day in April of this year, a program at which Mayor Martin Moylan joined in the song and dance with knee bends and jumping jacks as a good example of participation in healthy activities for the families in attendance.
Earlier:
At the library’s All Staff Day event in March, Kathy Socha, health and wellness director at the Lattof YMCA, presented a program on worksite wellness, helping us understand the basics of energy management (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) on the job and in life.
This brings me to our most recent Library and YMCA partnership event, the one that started me thinking. I told you I’d get to it. Last Saturday, Dec. 3, Socha presented a program for children in grades K-8. This program, dubbed “YMCA on the Move,” highlighted the Library’s “Work, Learn, Play, MOVE” theme and definitely got the 20 plus kids and parents that attended moving.
They played a version of volleyball with just balloons, string, and their feet, bowled with Frisbees, raced hula hoops around a human circle and practiced some yoga moves—all easy ways to keep active during the time of year when it’s just so much easier to be sedentary. The kids enjoyed the benefits of the great partnership built between the library and YMCA, check out the photos.
Click here for a calendar of all events at the library this winter.
