http://lisachellman.com/blog/topics/mlk+day All blog posts with a particular tag. en http://lisachellman.com/blog/2008/01/mlk-dayof-service <p>Happy <a href="http://www.mlkday.gov/">Martin Luther King, Jr., Day...of Service.</a> That's right: "of service." Why does that last part always get left off the calendar? As its motto goes: "Make it a day ON, not a day off!" <a href="http://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2008/01/martin-luther-king-day-of-service.html">A Wrung Sponge does a nice job of outlining the idea here.</a></p> <p>MLK Day is one of those mysterious holidays when the schools, banks, and post offices are closed, but the library is open. This means entertaining a higher-than-average number of school-age kids during normal school hours. This means extra activities.</p> <p>In past years, we've generally shown a random kids' movie and/or offered a craft time, but this year I wanted us recognize what MLK Day is <em>for</em>: that whole taking-care-of-your-fellow-humans thing. So today, our movie is the Disney channel's <em>Ruby Bridges</em>, and our craft project is making valentines for veterans and senior citizens. It figures that today I got slammed with a cold and had to leave work after setting up the valentine-making station, so I'm not able to be much help myself.</p> <p>Next year, who knows? A book-buddies program? A book drive for a kids' organization in need? I'm already looking forward to it.</p> <p>(Side note: Whenever I'm working on a book that has kids with a day off school for MLK Day, I try and give them something service-oriented to do, without making a big, pedantic fuss about it. If fictional characters can't be model citizens every once in a while, who can?)</p> http://lisachellman.com/blog/2008/01/mlk-dayof-service#comments librarianship mlk day Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:19:07 -0800 Lisa 41 at http://lisachellman.com