Thank you,

Cathy Lancaster

Youth Services Coordinator

Library of Michigan
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, MI 48915
My Pronouns: She/Her/Hers - See www.mypronouns.org to learn more.

LancasterC5@michigan.gov | 517-335-8129 | www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan
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Join the MiYouth Listserv, created for Michigan public library staff to share and discuss children and teen programming and services.

Michigan's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan

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CSLP is excited to Unearth a Story^TM
this summer with the

We are excited to partner with this NYC-based institution, dedicated to scientific research and education (and home to one of the largest natural history libraries in the world!). The American Museum of Natural History knows how meaningful libraries are to learners of all ages and hopes to offer new ways for you to connect with the curious minds in your community.

Exclusively for CSLP members, the Museum will be offering the following special benefits:

Image of an example of a panel that contains images and information on a winged dinosaur.

Free educational content, designed for librarians. For Unearth a Story^TM, AMNH will share an AMNH Librarian Guide with a curated selection of paleontology videos perfect for sparking conversations about dinosaurs this summer!
A special rate on the popular 2D panel exhibition Dinosaurs Among Us (Contact travelingprograms@amnh.org for more information!)
And coming soon: A 3-part professional development webinar series with AMNH experts focused on engaging visitors with dinosaurs, paleontology, and archaeology

Dinosaurs 101 for Librarians: AMNH’s Education team shares core paleontology concepts, dinosaur terminology, and practical tips for engaging visitor s. Details coming soon!
Engaging All Your Audiences: Russell Taragan discusses techniques and tools AMNH explainers use to interact and connect with diverse audiences.
Scientific Discoveries in Paleontology: Paleontologist Aki Watanabe presents a lecture on dinosaur-to-bird evolution.

Find these and future resources on the AMNH Guide on our CSLP website and find more information about the American Museum of Natural History at amnh.org.

Vendor Survey

The Collaborative Summer Library Program's Vendor Committee is seeking feedback on products in our store for summer 2027 and beyond. In an effort to provide the most useful items for your libraries, communities, and patrons, we would appreciate thorough and honest responses from any and all folks who make purchasing decisions or use products from the CSLP store.

Survey link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCxaqFNq39WpipFwslEks8loGgMnoYQV1eIfzpZI-gLaX0_w/viewform

Your suggestions and comments will be read thoroughly and taken seriously as we consider what to provide for summer 2027 and beyond!

Survey will remain open until March 20th, 2026.

SciStarter Resources for Your Library

SciStarter, a global citizen science hub that connects millions of people to thousands of opportunities to participate in real scientific research, is partnering with CSLP to help bring citizen science opportunities to your library this summer!

View the recording of the recent webinar, Unearth a Story this Summer with SciStarter and the Collaborative Summer Library Program, for ideas on how to incorporate citizen science opportunities into your library programming. Check out library-related information here: https://pages.scistarter.org/library/.

Image that says "Citizen Science Month, April 2026. America 250. 2.50 Million Acts of Science" with an image of a robot.

And coming up this April, we're celebrating Citizen Science Month! Citizen Science Month is an annual global celebration of public participation in scientific research. Each April, individuals and organizations take part in activities that allow small contributions to add up to meaningful scientific advancements. Learn more about how your library can celebrate, contribute, and log acts of science this April by visiting https://scistarter.org/citizensciencemonth.

Find these resources and any future additions in the CSLP online manual here!

Do you adore wordsmithing words and phrases?

Do you love word play?

Staff from member libraries are welcome to join the Theme & Slogan Committee for a deep dive into developing the short list of slogan options for 2029's Nature theme.

We're offering two Zoom sessions to try and get input from as many libraries as possible:

Unearth a Story(TM). 2026 Manual Highlight. Image of a purple pterodactyl sitting on a branch and reading.

Stone Mosaics

Chapter 2, p 77

Stone mosaics can be a creative activity for different age ranges or even a multigenerational program. Participants will glue small stones onto a wooden plaque or canvas in a design of their choosing. Adjust the type of glue and other materials to fit the age of the participants and your library budget.

Mosaic sample with white and black stones on round background.

Mosaic sample of bee made with stones on round background.

Mosaic sample using white stones to make moon and stars on round black background.

An image of dinosaur silhouette and dino print silhouette, each on a separate piece of paper.

Another optional element is to add templates! These would be helpful for younger ages or for anyone that might prefer some guidance or inspiration. To create your own templates, choose simplified images and size them appropriately for the mosaic surface size. Print on cardstock, then carefully cut out the inside of the image. The templates can then be laid on top of the surface for the patron to either trace lightly then remove or directly fill in with stones. The images could be of any theme, but dinos could be extra fun!

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