Rainy Day Ready

A survey from the American Psychological Association shows that money is a more frequent cause of worry than work, family, or health issues. Empowering people with the knowledge to make sound financial decisions is an important way to make a difference in your community, and many libraries across the country are doing just that. Drawing from the expertise of business librarians and ALA's Public Programs Office (PPO), this book is a ready-to-use guide for offering financial literacy initiatives at your own library. Presenting 16 model programs from a variety of institutions, complete with budgets and funding sources, this resource shares resources for free outreach materials and training; approaches to Money Smart Week from institutions such as public libraries, a tribal library, and community colleges; tips for developing partnerships with members of the local business community; ways to facilitate discussions between parents and children about finances, such as creating a play and learn career center for children using the Family Place model; programming for teens, including a Harry Potter-themed financial literacy series; a program where a banker advises college students on questions to ask when shopping for credit cards; how to collaborate with health and social services agencies in order to reach immigrants and underserved populations; and methods for evaluating and strengthening a personal finance collection. Using these model programs and tools, you'll be taking steps to ensure that your library's users are rainy day ready.