Megan Humphrey's blog

Chicago mother and author Kate Hannigan Issa shares this story of her son Gabriel's first library card.

Illustration: 

Do you remember the excitement of getting your first library card?  There was something so enticingly grown up about signing your name on the application and being able to use your very own card to check out books for yourself.

Of course, excitement manifests itself in different ways.  Do you think you were ever this excited about your first library card?

Welcome to the world of library card holders, Sanders!

Illustration: 

You can get many things at the library with a library card: free movies, music, books, e-books, downloads, classes and, of course, there are trained information professionals - librarians - to help you find what you’re looking for.

Last month, 12-year-old Hieu Nguyen received something extra special at the library: a new bike.

The back-to-school season is in full swing, time to make sure your kids have the most important school supply of all: a library card.

To help get younger kids back in the back-to-school spirit, Fauquier County (Va.) Public Library youth services librarian, Jennifer Schultz, member of the Association for Library Service to Children, shares a few back-to-school book titles below.

If you’re from a sports loving family, you know that an affinity for particular teams or sports is often passed down through generations.  And among what many would consider lucky families, careers in sports run among generations, too. 

Stan and Jeff Van Gundy, brothers who have both coached NBA teams and whose father was a basketball coach, recently made a family trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.  Below, Bill Francis of the Hall of Fame tells us about the visit and about this basketball family's deep connection to baseball.

Illustration: 

We started the Connect with your kids @ your library campaign with a single question: how can the library help parents spend quality time with their families?

With busy lives and tighter budgets, families might find it difficult to spend the quality time together they’d like to.  Parents are working longer hours, and family activities are becoming luxuries fewer families can afford.

The good news is that your library is here to help.

With 28% of the votes, @classicsixbooks is the winner of the National Library Week twaiku contest!  She wins a $50 Amazon gift certificate.

from books to gaming / yes, the best in life is free / at your library 

Thank you to everyone who wrote a twaiku, especially our runners up:

Illustration: 

Thank you to everyone who played along in the atyourlibrary.org #nlwtwaiku contest for National Library Week.  We were overwhelmed by the number of haiku about libraries.  With delight, we read through them all, and with much struggle, we managed to narrow them down to our favorites. 

Illustration: 

Do you know any teens who like making videos?   Their creativity could help win $3,000 for their library.

The Why I Need My Library video contest encourages teens ages 13 to 18 to create original videos on why they think libraries are needed now more than ever. 

Prizes will be awarded in two age categories – ages 13 to 15 and 16 to 18 – to a school or local public library selected by the winners. 

Illustration: 

Last year, 3,200 library lovers nationwide submitted nominations for their librarians for the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.  If you missed the opportunity last year, guess what?  The 2010 nominations are now open.