Ooooohhh. Module 8 (New Models) really opened my eyes and thinking, especially looking ahead to November’s Inspiration Report assignment. From Colorado’s Anythink Libraries (especially the Nature Library!) to the Camden County Library System‘s Books and Cooks program, library service models feel like an LIS area of exploration, innovation, and experimentation.
I’m going to put the Nature Library on hold for this reflection post, because the model feels bigger than 500 words. But something about “pairing” libraries with life skills like being outdoors and cooking feels really groundbreaking.
I thought I’d start somewhat smaller, with Camden County Library System‘s Books and Cooks program. When the library system was adding branches, it build in the city of Camden, which, it turns out, is a food desert. From there, system director Linda Devlin created a culinary literacy program with a mobile kitchen. Patrons are educated on nutrition, how to read nutrition labels, and even table etiquette. “My philosophy is, we find out what challenges a community faces and ask how can we help them,” Devlin says.
At my local library, I have tried to build food literacy into children’s programming, and this single avenue does not feel like enough (hence the need for an all-new service model). We’re re-starting our “Kids in the Kitchen” program, in which we purchase and provide food items and help patrons in early elementary school assemble them, essentially. (This is safer and more low-maintenance than cooking or baking.) However, to help boost attendance, most of the food items are candy-based.
For Storytime, I have done several food-based themes: “gathering” for Thanksgiving (there really aren’t too many turkey books!) and “fruit” this past summer. I did do a “Cookies” theme last holiday season, but I would never dare do a “candy” theme for that age group (toddlers and preschoolers)!
In 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) added “Sustainability” to its Core Values. As it turns out, food literacy seems to dovetail with sustainability almost as much as the environmentalism of the Nature Library.
Potential future reading for my Inspiration Report includes:
• United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub
• American Library Association definition of food literacy
References
American Library Association. (2019, May 14). ALA adding sustainability as a core value of librarianship [Press release]. https://www.ala.org/news/2012/01/ala-adding-sustainability-core-value-librarianship
Anythink Libraries. (2025-a). About Anythink. https://www.anythinklibraries.org/about/
Anythink Libraries. (2025-b). Anythink Nature Library. https://www.anythinklibraries.org/about/
Baldwin Public Library. (n.d.). Kids in the kitchen (grades K – 2). https://baldwinpl.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/kids-in-the-kitchen-grades-k-2/
Ewen, L. (2018, September 4). A movable feast. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/09/04/movable-feast-library-mobile-kitchenssss