Teens and Tweens Tackle Loneliness and Conflict Through "Circle Keeping" Program
Milwaukee Public Library

The Milwaukee Public Library is tackling teen loneliness and conflict through the "Circle Keeping" program, a space that seeks to help teens develop the skills needed for a healthy and safe life — and avoids the disciplinary action of banning teens from the library when conflicts do arise.

The idea to implement these circles at the library came from experiences with at-risk youths, said Tammy Mays, public services area manager of branch libraries at MPL. “We were trying to figure out a way, instead of just continuously banning them from coming to the library – we were like, ‘We have to think of another way to reach our youth.'"

Jackie, a 16-year-old who attended a circle during the summer, said, "I think it would definitely, genuinely be a safe space to share things that are on your mind and get advice. And that’s what a lot of people my age need: Someone to confide in.”

Read the full story on Urban Milwaukee.

Joining the Fight Against the Opioid Crisis
St. Louis County Library

St. Louis County Library is the latest library system to announce that it will offer the overdose reversal drug Naloxone, available free of charge at all 20 county library branches. “Individuals who need a kit can request one with no questions asked,” Library Director Kristen Sorth said at the news conference at the Lewis and Clark Branch Library. The branch was chosen for the announcement because it’s in a postal ZIP code with one of the highest number of overdoses in the county.

Although the county had a decrease of almost 11% in drug overdose deaths last year, mostly tied to opioids, County Executive Same Page, a medical doctor, said it’s still the third-highest number over the past five years. “While we’re glad to see the decrease in overdose deaths, one year does not make a trend,” and additional efforts are needed, he said.

Library director Sorth said library employees won’t administer the Narcan spray. She said, however, that social workers assigned to five branches since May under a separate program are trained and authorized to do so, in the event of an overdose on site.

Read the full article on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website.

Making Community Connections at The Kitchen
Edmonton Public Library

At Edmonton Public Library's Stanley A. Milner Branch, community members can take advantage of The Kitchen, a 2,100-square-foot state-of-the-art cooking space. There, the library hosts classes and special events that aim to do more than fill empty stomachs; its larger purpose is to nourish skills, food literacy and community connections.

The space boasts induction cooktops, a high-tech ventilation system, state-of-the-art appliances, and any number of gadgets that could be found in home or commercial kitchens. Its dozen workstations are moveable, and overhead power drops make it possible to rearrange the space quickly and easily. Melanie St-Onge, EPL’s manager of adult services, said The Kitchen was inspired by similar programming at the Philadelphia Free Library and Halifax Public Libraries, and reinforced by local demand.

“We are always in conversation with the community," St-Onge said. “We've heard about skill building, like knife skills, basic recipes, how to make a great chocolate chip cookie ... We try to offer a range of skills focusing more on the basics, because that is a gap in the community.”

Read the full article on the Alberta Prime Times website.

Bringing Together Fans of All Ages at Third Annual LibCon
Iowa City Public Library

The Iowa City Public Library hosted its third annual LibCon comic book convention this weekend, which brought comic, cartoon, and art lovers of all ages together to enjoy their favorite hobbies. Marking the first LibCon since 2019, comic fans were treated to a convention featuring a wide variety of booths and activities.

Doug Brenner, who is a part of social club Mindbridge Foundation, said his love for science fiction extended beyond a passion for science and served as a form of escapism. “Science fiction was something that I was introduced to when I was really young and, growing up being gay, I didn’t really feel like I was fitting in necessarily,” Brenner said. “Yet, this world suddenly seemed like a world that meant something with people being different.”

Attendees noted the more intimate, authentic feel of the con compared to other, larger conventions. They said that the Iowa City comic scene was not much different than that of Chicago, despite the difference in the cities’ respective sizes.

Read the full article from The Daily Iowan.