How Public Libraries are part of the solution to food insecurity

Across America, in major cities you’ve heard of and in countless places you most likely have never considered, public librarians are working with local, state, and national partners to bring food to those who need it. Wait — librarians? Yes indeed. And, when librarians distribute food, they do more than merely give it away. They also use the library’s myriad educational and lifelong learning resources to integrate culinary literacy into library programming, so families and individuals don't just leave with food, they leave with the knowledge needed to know what to do with it. As trusted members of nearly every community in the United States (and in much of the rest of the world), public librarians are uniquely positioned to support food access and food literacy. This interactive dialogue with librarians who manage farmers' markets, summer feeding programs, community fridges, and culinary literacy centers will focus on building an understanding of the unique roles of local librarians in community food systems. If you care about food, health, or community development, this event is for you. Featuring:

• Patrice Chamberlain, MPH (Master's of Public Health), former Director of California Summer Meals Coalition and current Lead of “Lunch at the Library,” California Library Association
• Leighan Cazier, Farmers Market Manager, Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina
• Erica Freudenberger, Outreach & Engagement Consultant at the Southern Adirondack Library System and co-founder of “Fresh Food Collective Farm-2-Library initiative”
• Caity Rietzen, Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Culinary Literacy Center
• Curated by Noah Lenstra, Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Director of Let's Move in Libraries
• Moderated by Tom Llewellyn, Strategic Partnerships Director, Shareable.net, and co-founder of the Asheville Tool Library

Would you like to help shape the discussion? Please send your questions for the panelists to info@shareable.net This is event is co-presented by UNC Greensboro School of Education, Let's Move in Libraries, and Shareable.net