Life skills programs and activities at the library

CHICAGO — Between making financial decisions, maintaining a healthy work–life balance, and juggling health, family, friends, and other responsibilities, life can feel overwhelming. Place these same responsibilities on an individual just entering adulthood who has less real-life experience and it can feel even more overwhelming. So why not make sure our teens and young adults are more prepared to face the world before they go out on their own? How can we also reinforce these skills for adults who may never have learned them or who may need a refresher? “Teaching Life Skills at the Library: Programs and Activities on Money Management, Career Development, and More,” published by ALA Editions, provides a hands-on and interactive approach to creating and planning library programs and activities that will enable patrons to learn and build the most important life skills. From Kimberli S. Buckley’s book, readers will discover:

• how life skills library programs can encourage participants to imagine and prepare for real-world situations;
• a rich variety of step-by-step programs, complete with planning tips, instructions, and a materials and equipment list, for activities such as Mock Job Interviews, Financial Literacy Jeopardy, planning of week of dinners, Spring Cleaning Visualizations, the art of packing a suitcase, practicing self-care, a stress-relief dance party, and many others;
• advice on planning, partnership opportunities, promotion, evaluations, and sustainability;
• ways to promote a safe space and a relaxed environment while leading programs; and 
• additional helpful resources, including a planning template and reading tie-ins.

Buckley has over fifteen years of experience in the library field working with teens and adults. She is currently the library manager at Concord Library in Contra Costa County, California. She teaches at San Jose State University’s School of Information and also teaches an online class called Growing Up Is Hard.

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