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.

By incorporating these model programs and tools into your library's offerings, you'll be taking steps to ensure that your patrons are rainy day ready.