About
The Welcoming Library is a pop-up conversation on immigration created by I'm Your Neighbor Books. Each Welcoming Library is a collection of acclaimed picture books featuring New Arrival and New American families representing communities across Vermont. The collections build welcoming skills of the long-term community and create a crucial sense of belonging for immigrants and their new generations. Given the national conversation about immigration, the Welcoming Library seeks to raise awareness and build sensitivity for all ages through children's literature. Each book contains a discussion guide attached to the inside back cover to facilitate engagement in the topics of welcoming and belonging. Whether it is a parent discussing a picture book with a child or a public library story hour reading, the books foster crucial discussions on what it means to arrive in a new culture, country, or community. Readers who are “new arrivals” themselves may see their cultures and communities reflected in the narratives in the Welcoming Library collection.
The Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) acquired three Welcoming Library collections available to borrow by Vermont public libraries. Public libraries may request a Welcoming Library through LibCal reservation, and more details about borrowing and shipping are below. Availability of the Welcoming Library is supported by VTLIB with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Promotion
The Department suggests promoting the collection before it is received. Whether sharing the project within the library or with the broader community, the Welcoming Library Toolkit provides guidance, from display set up to lesson plans and programming guides, and includes promotional images and messaging. Please acknowledge VTLIB and IMLS when promoting the collections.
VTLIB & IMLS logos and attribution guide
I’m your Neighbor/Welcoming Library Toolkit
- Welcoming Library Video (7 min.)
- Printable Signage
Contents
All three Welcoming Library collections have the same contents. The Welcoming Library arrives in two large bins containing the following:
- 30 picture books (titles listed on this spreadsheet), one collection and set-up info sheet with QR code
- 20 square blocks with holes, 38 dowels, 8 square shelves, 8 rectangular sliders, 1 large banner
The LibCal Catalog reservation instructions for the Welcoming Library, StoryWalks®, and microphones walk borrowers through the process. Requesting libraries will have the collection for a borrowing period of three months. It is recommended to loan the books for two months in order to have time to collect, inventory, and pack the materials for return.
Upon arrival, locate your Welcoming Library, and use the spreadsheet in the circulation section to inventory the books and display unit components before exhibiting. Please report any shortages to VTLIB.
Circulation
Libraries can decide their own method (much like those that use the ABLE Library Large Print deposit collections) of attaching/using a barcode for their library for circulation. This is how the collection shows up in the Verso catalog. The MARC record is entered as a kit (link) with each book added as an item. You can download your inventory sheet in Excel to design your own circulation checklist. Consider taping return reminder slips to the circulating books.
Display Unit Set-up
The Welcoming Library book display breaks down into pieces to allow it to move between locations. Here is how the pieces come together:
After Hosting
When the borrowing library is ready to send the Welcoming Library back to VTLIB, they will again gather the collection and display unit components and link through to the inventory spreadsheet. They will use that sheet to inventory the Welcoming Library books and display unit components before returning. Please report any shortages to VTLIB.
Once all the collection and display unit components are packed into the bins, the borrowing library will email the courier, Priority Express, to arrange delivery to VTLIB and so the driver will have space for the bins. Suggested message text: For our next courier pick-up, I will be returning two oversized red bins to the Vermont Department of Libraries.
Updated 5/16/24