How to Share Vaccine Info | Jarry Receives Sullivan Award | Pratt Library Collaborates with Dell
How to Share Trusted COVID-19 Vaccine Information with Parents and Families
ALA is partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ “We Can Do This” campaign to share trusted information about COVID-19 vaccines with parents and families with children.
The partnership focuses on information for parents and guardians of children younger than 12 years old. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are currently recommended for children ages 5-11, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to consider authorizing vaccines for children younger than five years old in June.
To date, vaccination rates for children ages 5-11 are significantly lower than for older age groups. Only 35 percent of people ages 5-11 have received at least one vaccine dose, compared to 87 percent of people ages 12 and older.
The “We Can Do This” campaign provides a range of expert-verified outreach tools and sharable resources that libraries can use to inform their communities, including resources about COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 and older.
Free webinar: On May 25, the Public Library Association presented a free webinar, entitled “Informing Parents and Families about Recommended COVID-19 Vaccines for Children,” sponsored by ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy office. A free recording will be available – watch ALSC Twitter for more information!
For those attending the 2022 ALA Annual Conference, ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy office is hosting a program, “Library Outreach about COVID-19 Vaccines for Children,” scheduled for June 27, at 10:30 a.m., in Room 151B of the Washington Convention Center. The session will also be presented through the ALA Annual Digital Experience.
Both the webinar and the conference program will feature examples from libraries that have undertaken activities to provide trusted information about COVID-19 vaccines, pediatricians who will discuss the current medical recommendations, and “We Can Do This” campaign leaders who will present free outreach resources that are available to libraries.
Jarry Receives 2022 Sullivan Award
Marie Jarry, director of public services, Hartford (CT) Public Library, was selected to receive the 2022 Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children. Sponsored by ALA, the Sullivan Award annually recognizes an individual who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children while maintaining administrative responsibilities.
Jarry was selected for her success in developing carefully planned initiatives to support community needs, managing system-wide collection development, and taking a leading role in ensuring that library design principles are employed to create an environment welcoming to all patrons. As a leader in Boundless, a model for urban learning and educational partnerships between Hartford Public Library and the Hartford school community, Jarry’s goal is to improve learning experiences by increasing literacy, thus preparing students for a more promising future. According to Leslie Rodriquez-Torres, Hartford Superintendent of Schools, “Boundless provides greater access to paper books and digital resources to help our students develop that crucial life-long love of reading.”
Jarry has written and received more than $200,000 in grants for STEM programming and materials for early childhood initiatives. She launched the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program and created the Stem Lab on the Go program for use in the library, in school, and at home. She also worked to guarantee that Hartford students and teachers had access to resources using their student/teacher ID’s, streamlining access to the library’s physical and digital collections.
According to Bridget Quinn, president and CEO of the Hartford Public Library, “Marie is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, her management style allowing for organizational growth and continued development of a staff culture of engaged, creative service-minded professionals. Marie’s vision continues to bring programs, initiatives, and resources together for larger impact and social delivery.”
The 2022 Sullivan Award will be presented to Jarry at the ALA President’s Program, on Sunday, June 26, during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC.
More information about the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children can be found at the ALA website.
Pratt Library Collaborates with Dell Technologies
The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore received a donation from Dell Technologies of Chromebook devices. The laptops were distributed, beginning in March, to students, preschool through 12th grade, who are a part of Pratt Library programs. The donation was made possible through a partnership with the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition. https://digitalequitybaltimore.org/
“We are so thankful to Dell Technologies and the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition for their support,” says Pratt Library President & CEO Heidi Daniel. “The Pratt is proud to be a leader in digital equity in Maryland and this donation is just one way we are helping bridge the digital divide in our community.”
The Pratt Library will develop a digital training program for children, teens, and families throughout the city at several library branches. Students in the program will learn how to use the device and access library services including free online tutoring. At the completion of the program, students will be given their own Chromebook. Pratt outreach specialists will conduct similar digital trainings outside of the library in partnership with several organizations including More Than a Shop.
“Technology is critical to everyone’s success in the 21st century. The Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition is thankful to Dell Technologies’ commitment to closing the digital divide and by investing in our communities. And we are proud of our partner and member, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, for being a leading entity in providing digital literacy skills to Baltimoreans,” says Cody Dorsey, executive director of the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition. “This partnership will not only assist in closing the digital divide in our city, but also the gap that has divided so many of our people from opportunity.”
For more information, visit Pratt's website.