Penn Libraries Community Engagement

Penn Libraries Community Engagement Spreading the joys of literacy and working towards access and equity for learners of all ages throug

Penn Reads Literacy & Children’s Art Project presents a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event, “Imagine A Wor...
01/07/2026

Penn Reads Literacy & Children’s Art Project presents a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event, “Imagine A World…..!” We invite children, ages 3 to 8, to come imagine with us while we create and learn more about Dr. King’s vision! Young readers will be able to participate in a THEATRICAL STORYTIME EXPERIENCE (beginning at 11:30 AM sharp), explore the uniqueness of a university library, and even create a book to take home! Storytellers, librarians, teachers, and library staff will guide us in this creation. We will even have pizza and snacks to munch on to fuel our imagination! Click the link in the bio to register!

Philadelphia storyteller Diane Leslie (and coordinator of the annual UPenn MLK Symposium) got the readers at Heston & Po...
01/25/2025

Philadelphia storyteller Diane Leslie (and coordinator of the annual UPenn MLK Symposium) got the readers at Heston & Powel Elementary marching, dancing, and dreaming to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. With a reading of We March by Shane Evan’s, a coordinated dance to Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday, and of course cupcakes, kindergarteners and second graders got in the celebrating spirits. PLCE and WePAC were so glad that Storyteller Diane gave us all a library cafe to remember (and to inspire).

Looking for an exciting and rewarding job this summer? Love libraries, literacy, equity, and working with community?If y...
04/10/2024

Looking for an exciting and rewarding job this summer? Love libraries, literacy, equity, and working with community?
If you're a current Penn student with workstudy funding, come join PLCE!
Check the link in our bio for more information!
If you have further questions, please email Rosie Jacobson at [email protected]

Do you like picture books, community work, and literacy? Are you interested in getting involved in Philadelphia schools?...
01/25/2024

Do you like picture books, community work, and literacy?
Are you interested in getting involved in Philadelphia schools?
Are you a current Penn student (undergraduate or graduate) with Work-Study funding looking for a fulfilling, engaging, and exciting job this semester?
If you've answered yes to all of these questions...🎉Come work with PLCE!🎉
We’re currently hiring Community Engagement Literacy Interns and would love to hear from you! Apply at the link in our bio!
Any questions? Email [email protected] or [email protected]!

Did the books we mentioned in our last post seem cool but didn't quite convince you to pick them up?We'll try again to g...
11/24/2023

Did the books we mentioned in our last post seem cool but didn't quite convince you to pick them up?
We'll try again to get you to add these books to your shelves by providing summaries and tips about each title! And if that doesn't get you excited about these books, maybe the beautiful illustrations from the books on each slide will!
Happy reading!
Titles
◾ How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara and G. Brian Karas
◾ Skulls! by Blair Thornburg and Scott Campbell

Did the books we mentioned in our last post seem cool but didn't quite convince you to pick them up?We'll try again to g...
11/21/2023

Did the books we mentioned in our last post seem cool but didn't quite convince you to pick them up?
We'll try again to get you to add these books to your shelves by providing summaries and tips about each title! and if that doesn't get you excited about these books, maybe the beautiful illustrations will!
Titles
◾ The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater
◾ Frankenslime by Joy Keller and Ashley Belote

"What a wonderful time of year! I am snug in my nest with a belly full of hazelnuts and the sun is shining through my le...
11/16/2023

"What a wonderful time of year! I am snug in my nest with a belly full of hazelnuts and the sun is shining through my leafy canopy. Such lovely colors: red, gold, orange..."- Alice Hemming
The leaves are finally turning and it's time to curl up on the couch with a good book! Here are some of our favorite Fall reads! Check them out with your young reader (or by yourself!) and be on the lookout for some fun information, tips, and tricks about these titles in the near future!
Titles
◾ The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater
◾ Frankenslime by Joy Keller and Ashley Belote
◾ How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara and G. Brian Karas
◾ Skulls! by Blair Thornburg and Scott Campbell

Meet Librarian Yasmeen, the Community Connection Librarian, to explore her Library for book recommendations from around ...
11/09/2023

Meet Librarian Yasmeen, the Community Connection Librarian, to explore her Library for book recommendations from around the world and experience the power of books in uniting hearts!
In the first Shelf, Yasmeen shares some of author Nadia L. Hohn’s () top picks 📚✨ Dive into the magic at the link in our bio!
Books in this post:
◾Harriet's Daughter by M. NourbeSe Philip
◾Front Desk by Kelly Yang
◾A Likkle Miss Lou by Nadia L. Hohn and Eugenie Fernandes
◾ Malaika's Surprise by Nadia L. Hohn and Irene Luxbacher

Get ready to meet your 10 new best book friends! Starting soon, we’ll introduce our Virtual Librarians who will invite y...
10/26/2023

Get ready to meet your 10 new best book friends!
Starting soon, we’ll introduce our Virtual Librarians who will invite you into their wonderful worlds of books, activities, games, and more. You’ll meet Librarian Nigel, who loves discovering joy and sharing it with others, Librarian Miss Alice, aka, the Legendary Philadelphia Storybuilder, Librarian Ramona who will help us discover what wellness means to us, and so many more!
Get excited! We can’t wait for you to meet them!

We're so happy to introduce our new PLCE student team members! Tina, Layla, and Sarahi joined us for their first day in ...
10/24/2023

We're so happy to introduce our new PLCE student team members! Tina, Layla, and Sarahi joined us for their first day in our partner libraries and helped some young readers find books about space, Chinese cuisine, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
They'll be working closely with returning team members Katie, Mica, and Peter to continue our work in schools and literacy settings.
Welcome!

“He steps into the spot where Ida liked to soak in the sun. He listens to their city pulsing around him. He remembers wh...
09/26/2023

“He steps into the spot where Ida liked to soak in the sun. He listens to their city pulsing around him. He remembers what Ida said, you don’t have to see it to feel it. The sidewalks tap and the streets hum. Gus’s heart beats. And Ida is right there. Always” -Ida, Always
As hard as it is and as sad as it makes us, saying goodbye is part of our lives. The books on our Grief Shelves are full of different characters and different losses. Read these with your young reader and give them some space to talk about these deep feelings.
Losing a Friend
◾ Ida, Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso
◾ Birdsong by Julie Flett
◾ Paws and Edward by Espen Dekko and Mari Kanstad Johnsen
◾ A Map of the World by Kao Kalia Yang and Seo Kim
Losing a Family Member
◾ I Lost Something Very Special by Husna Rahman and Anita Bagdi
◾ Love Made Me More by Colleen Rowan Kosinski and Sonia Sanchez
◾ Dadaji’s Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ruchi Mhasane
◾ My Father’s Arms are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde and Øyvind Torseter
◾ If You Miss Me by Jocelyn Li Langrano
◾ Birdie by Eileen Spinelli
PhillyCEAL is the local initiative of the National Institutes of Health Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (NIH CEAL). NIH CEAL is working with local communities to find ways to share trustworthy health information--an effort being managed through a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Philly Counts. Penn Libraries Community Engagement (PLCE) team is leading a piece of this larger initiative through collaborating to build health education resources & library collections within partner schools.

“He steps into the spot where Ida liked to soak in the sun. He listens to their city pulsing around him. He remembers wh...
09/26/2023

“He steps into the spot where Ida liked to soak in the sun. He listens to their city pulsing around him. He remembers what Ida said, you don’t have to see it to feel it. The sidewalks tap and the streets hum. Gus’s heart beats. And Ida is right there. Always” -Ida, Always
As hard as it is and as sad as it makes us, saying goodbye is part of our lives. The books on our Grief Shelves are full of different characters and different losses. Read these with your young reader and give them some space to talk about these deep feelings.
Losing a Friend
◾ Ida, Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso
◾Birdsong by Julie Flett
◾Paws and Edward by Espen Dekko and Mari Kanstad Johnsen
◾A Map of the World by Kao Kalia Yang and Seo Kim
Losing a Family Member
◾I Lost Something Very Special by Husna Rahman and Anita Bagdi
◾Love Made Me More by Colleen Rowan Kosinski and Sonia Sanchez
◾Dadaji’s Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ruchi Mhasane
◾My Father’s Arms are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde and Øyvind Torseter
◾If You Miss Me by Jocelyn Li Langrano
◾Birdie by Eileen Spinelli
PhillyCEAL is the local initiative of the National Institutes of Health Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (NIH CEAL). NIH CEAL is working with local communities to find ways to share trustworthy health information--an effort being managed through a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Philly Counts. Penn Libraries Community Engagement (PLCE) team is leading a piece of this larger initiative through collaborating to build health education resources & library collections within partner schools.

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