Sustainable Libraries vs QT30

Where it works: Worldwide What it does: Guides users through the process of making their library more sustainable and thereby more resilient through practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable. Why we need it: The app is a tool for directors, trustees and  staff at all levels, guiding users in establishing policies and practices, developing partnerships, and identifying resources to create a more sustainable library that will be both relevant and financially stable into the future.  Functionality: The app provides checklists, a notes feature, a news feed and shareability of content. What is it: An application for smartphones that enables users to interact with the Sustainability Initiative’s Road Map publication. How do you use it: Install the App and follow the map, working  step-by-step toward the dual goals of a sustainable library and a sustainable community.  There are many possible routes, and the roadmap will guide you. Feel free to explore, considering which path bests suits your library and community.  Follow the links in depth, read the stories of sustainability accomplishments of other libraries.  Examine your policies and those of others and then draft or update what you have in place. Incorporate sustainability into your budget and strategic planning, and set a long-term goal that  your library will become a model of sustainability worthy of emulation and recognition in your community . What benefits do you get: The roadmap will break down the tasks of becoming more sustainable into easy to paths. It will map out the “neighborhoods” of information. At each turn you will learn and gather information, compiling resources and ticking off accomplishments as you go. One step at a time, at your own pace, you will stay on the path to success. A sustainable library is fiscally responsible and stable; able to withstand the next budget cut, the next crisis, or the next technology revolution. The sustainable library has an empowered community behind it. Why should this mobile app be important to you: You want to be ready for what comes next, we all do. Your days are full, with competing demands for your time.  You have a job to do and creating a more sustainable library is just a small piece of it. You can’t fit another project into your day. But you can take a few  minutes a day, while waiting for a bus or for your coffee to brew, to consider new questions and to take one more step to take towards making your library sustainable. It doesn’t matter if you are the custodian, the director, or a trustee, or whether you have years of experience or are just starting out.  You will learn something and you will have something to share with others.

— QT 30 — It stands for spending 30 minutes of Quality Time every day with a child in your life. This is one of the best things adults can do to help children grow up to be their best! Quality time is easy to understand. It means attention is 100% on your child. They can look into your eyes, and you into theirs. You are doing something together. You are touching, playing, interacting. Quality time is simple to give. It’s cuddling. It’s talking and smiling together. It’s pat-a-cake and other simple games. It’s breastfeeding, and singing and a whole lot more. This Guide shares 160 daily quality time activities. There are some for infants and toddlers, and some for older kids. Do one each day for three months, and then start over. You’ve got a full year of fun ahead! — QUALITY TIME MAKES THE DIFFERENCE — When an adult spends thirty minutes of quality time with a baby or toddler child each and every day, they are giving them a great head start in life. The child will have better health, do better in school and get along better in life. Its super-simple…and, it works! — ACTIVITIES! — Some activities in this book are marked with a gold star. They are some of the evidence-based early learning foundations set by the Delaware Department of Education. All children are learners and all children learn through play. These activities give your child a head start on their education! — WHY ARE YOUR CHILD’S EARLY YEARS SO IMPORTANT? — Happy and healthy lives start early. How your children do in school, how they behave, even how they do in life takes shape in the earliest years. Thankfully, it is easy to give your child a healthy start with quality time! — THE FIRST THREE YEARS — The first three years (1000 days) of a child’s life are a period of super-fast changes in their bodies, their brains, and their emotions. In that time, children go from at rest, non-speaking babies to walking, talking toddlers. A child’s growth in this short period of time is amazing. Their bodies, minds, and feelings are getting ready for the life they will live. Even before they walk or talk, babies learn by what they see, hear, and feel. That’s where quality time comes in! — AGES FOUR TO EIGHT — These are the wonder years when children’s personalities take shape and they become more independent. The quality time you spend helps them to do better in school, get along with others, and have confidence in themselves as they grow up. — 30 MINUTES OF QUALITY TIME EACH DAY ADDS UP TO A LIFETIME OF WELL-BEING FOR CHILDREN — You are your child’s first teacher. You give them things to look at. You give them things to touch. You show them to play simple games. You help them to feel love. Every time you do things with your child, they are growing. Even little things count. Just 30 minutes each day is like magic, when the time you spend is quality time. Quality time is easy to understand. It means attention is 100% on your child. They can look into your eyes, and you into theirs. You are doing something together. You are touching, playing, interacting. Quality time is simple to give. It’s breastfeeding and cuddling. It’s pat-a-cake and simple games. Its reading, singing and playing together. — GIVE THE GIFT OF QUALITY TIME TO A CHILD — No matter who you are, you can help children get the quality time they deserve. If you are a parent or caregiver, try out some of the many activities on this website and in the QT 30 Activity Book. There’s lot to choose from, for every day and every time of the year. If you are a day care provider, make sure quality time is part of your program, and share your quality time activities with families. If you are an employer, create work schedules that ensure working parents have time with their children.