Cindy Crushes Programming: 5 Virtual Programs You Can Do Right Now, by Cindy Shutts

In the midst of this pandemic, a majority of our public libraries are closed to help flatten the curve and keep our patrons and our staff safe. A lot of libraries now find themselves trying to figure out how to provide teen programming when our buildings are closed and being in groups is unsafe. That means a lot of libraries are pivoting to online and virtual programming. Today, librarian Cindy Shutts rounds up 5 virtual programming ideas that you can do right now.

Virtual Escape Rooms

Virtual Escape Rooms are super popular with libraries right now. You can take the idea of an Escape Room and create an online version that lets your teens figure out if they would survive – or escape – at home, on their own time and at their own pace.

Here are links to a few of my favorites:

The Minotaur’s Labyrinth Escape Room by Karen Liu (Salt Lake County), a Teen Librarian at The County Library’s Riverton Branch.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevkDdrrd0tTxoBHZwreEQQdBxhU9A-cVB81AA49S-TV_XqIw/viewform?fbclid=IwAR27NN4t4-p2aIwyXm7Vx2emZZBpdyKLQ0wBQdMN4k_u8L_gLbgj48ttaCg

Hogwarts Digital Escape Room created by Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflNxNM0jzbZJjUqOcXkwhGTfii4CM_CA3kCxImbY8c3AABEA/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2Yx5fl4wdOSrM56PlV8PHZXxKm23WqnXIVB_awvUqO_6MQ8G88oxqUxZg

The Morristown and Morris Township Library made an awesome digital escape room about The Six of Crows.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegbY4E9AuG2LqI1eaA8FS4T0jnvoSrGesVJAp_P4fRrDI0Mw/viewform

Digital Art Show

The Plainfield Public  Library is running a digital art show on their instagram and it’s super cool. You can check out their instagram https://www.instagram.com/plainfieldteens/.

This is a great opportunity to share those digital media tips, tricks, app reviews and more with your teens.

Volunteering Online

Some teens are still required to do volunteer hours so we at the White Oak Library District,  have given them the option to write reviews for our library blog for hours or for them to create their recipes online via Students Rebuild: Hunger Challenge. We borrowed this from the Homer Township Library. Here is a link to their page https://homerlibrary.org/volunteer .

Eye Spy in windows and virtually

Homewood Public Library made a window eye spy so that if a patron is going for a walk past their building can look for the hidden items in the window. https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=library%20eye%20spy&epa=SEARCH_BOX

This can be done virtually also but making your own eye spy in your house and taking a picture. I am planning to create an Eye Spy for my mom in one of our bookshelves at home.

Midlothian invites residents to play virtual Eye Spy

Virtual Booktalks

I am working on this right now at my library. My fellow teen librarians and I all picked books that were available for downloads on Libby. Anderson’s bookstore in Naperville  is doing this also.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=library%20eye%20spy&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Some librarians are still uncomfortable putting themselves out there on social media, and that’s okay. You can create booktalks using stop motion movies, for example. Not all virtual booktalking has to be you standing in front of a camera.

Have an idea to share? We’d love to hear what you’re doing in the comments.

Cindy Shutts, MLIS

Cindy is passionate about teen services. She loves dogs, pro-wrestling, Fairy tales, mythology, and of course reading. Her favorite books are The Hate U Give, Catching FIre, The Royals, and everything by Cindy Pon. She loves spending times with her dog Harry Winston and her niece and nephew. Cindy Shutts is the Teen Services Librarian at the White Oak Library District in IL and she’ll be joining us to talk about teen programming. You can follow her on Twitter at @cindysku.

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