Help us imagine the future of the Library Field Project. Get involved today!
This summer the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), alongside our consulting team BKS Studio, is hosting a series of community gatherings aimed at bringing together a diverse and creative group of cultural institution workers from New York City and Westchester County. We began with the meet and greet Social Happenings in June (more info here) where participants explored key relationship skills, reflecting on their histories with spaces, and began to identify needs and challenges of working outdoors. These meet and greet social happenings set the groundwork for building new or renewing existing relationships with each other and our surrounding environments. Now as we shift to full summer mode, it is time to find inspiration and envision ideas for the future outdoor Library Field project!
We invite all current and future METRO members to the following community envisioning sessions – THE IMAGININGS! Help us keep the momentum going this August!
Imaginings are in-depth nature learning, interagency demonstrations, and brainstorming sessions in outdoor spaces. We will focus on bringing together METRO’s current members and potential partners to explore the benefits of place-based programming, learning, and sharing. Participants will be invited to attend 1 of 2 sessions held at various sites in Westchester County. During the Imaginings attendees will share and relive memories of New York City and Westchester County using native-to-space/ native-to-place based techniques that center the past, present, and future of the Library Field initiative.
New and returning participants welcomed! For these Imaginings we invite all current and prospective METRO members, leaders and workers at cultural heritage institutions to meet and share with each other their vision for the Library Field. This would include not only your expertise in the fields of galleries, archives, libraries, and museums but also your insights as inhabitants and enjoyers of the local environments, land, and resources found in New York City and Westchester County. Your views will help craft the future of the project! As a token of our appreciation, we would like to offer participants an honorarium of $25 for sharing their time, expertise, and engagement with our Imaginings.
Are you ready to join the fun? The following opportunities will be open for participant registration through August 1st, 2024 on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- August 2, 2024 from 12 pm to 2PM at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation[RSVP LINK]
- ABOUT THE SITE: 4,700 acres of rolling countryside located in Westchester County’s largest park. The terrain is extremely varied, ranging from deep hollows to ridges 800 feet high. There are hemlock gorges, dry uplands, wetlands, ponds, and two rivers,meadows, marshes and vernal pools, all connected by 35 miles of trails. Want to preview some of the interesting sights to see when you visit the park? Check out this cool story map!
- BONUS SOCIAL HAPPENING: Family Friendly Overnight Camp Out at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
- Join us for an All-Ages Library Field camp out opportunity to be held shortly after the Imagining event with an official start of 6 pm. Attendees are welcome to stay overnight at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation with us as we continue to imagine and learn about the future of the project. Alongside optional activities, attendees will be provided camping support and advice, supplies, dinner and breakfast, as well as an open air structure for shade and protection. NOTE: site is both tent and car camping friendly. Once you RSVP, METRO will send more information on camping tips & walk thru of provided supplies.
- August 13, 2024 from 10 am to 12 pm at Hilltop Hanover Farm[RSVP LINK]
- ABOUT THE SITE: Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center is dedicated to the development and advancement of sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, community education, and accessible food systems for all. The Farm is a bucolic 400-year-old historic working farm in Yorktown Heights, Westchester County New York. In 2011, the non-profit organization The Friends of Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center, Inc. a 501(c)(3) was established. Today Friends conducts the farming and educational programming, in a cooperative public-private partnership with the County of Westchester. More information can be found on their website.
What to expect:
- After registering through the Eventbrite link, an email will be sent out with further details about transportation and access details
- Ward Pound Ridge Reservation transportation details
- Hilltop Hanover Farm transit details
- Food will be provided (lunch for each / dinner for Ward Pound Ridge Reservation)
- Activities will be held outdoor with adequate shade, hydration, and sitting breaks
Are you a beginner to outdoor programming? Nervous about extreme climate such as heat, rain, or other inclement weather? Worried about being outside unprepared? Not a problem! With the guidance of METRO staff and BKS, we aim to provide all necessary supplies to help soothe some outdoor frustrations or concerns. BUT we also emphasize that as we plan for the Outdoor Library, there will be many lessons to learn on how humans can re-adapt to our constantly changing environments.
What METRO will provide
- Meal ingredients, cooking and eating supplies, and fire pit
- Cool and icy treats
- Canopy for shade
- Tents (limited supply; please confirm if you need one)
- Bug repellent
- Sunscreen
- Lighting
- Coolers and ice
- Potable and drinking water
- Chairs
- Emergency first aid
- Backup toiletries
- Trash bag and containers
- Ventilation and reflectors
- Flashlights
- Multi-tools
- Hand sanitizer & basic cleaning supplies
- Emergency electricity
- Experience advice on various outdoor survival strategies
What YOU should bring to make the event more enjoyable
- Water bottle
- Hat
- Sun screen (if a particular type if preferred)
- Bug repellent (if a particular type if preferred)
- Fans (anything to help with heat and humidity)
- Rain gear (just in case of potential light rain)
- Closed toe shoes (optional back up sandals)
- Change of clothes light colors preferred (optional)
In case of inclement weather, METRO staff will
- Notify registered participants day of if weather prohibits event attendance
- Confirm backup rainy day alternative date once after registration
If you have questions or issues when registering please contact libraryfield@metro.org for more information. If you can’t make these events, sign up for the monthly newsletter for future opportunities (details below).
But what exactly is the Library Field project?
The Library Field is a new project for METRO. We are looking for a nonurban, semi-rural outdoor location that our network of libraries, archives, museums, and other organizations can use as a shared programming space. During the COVID-19 pandemic, METRO took part in a nationwide initiative that revealed some of the implications of moving library programs and services outside of buildings. Cultural institutions all over the country refocused their efforts on safe outdoor programming through environmental education, storywalks, community gardening, nature connectedness work, citizen science projects, and more. Based on what we learned during that difficult time, METRO plans to open a permanent facility that will serve our region and become a prototype for a new service model for libraries, their partners, and their communities. With activities situated somewhere between those of a park, a preserve, a museum, and a library, the Library Field will be a shared environment that will deepen the community’s understanding of the natural world and the way that we study it, find inspiration in it, and are responsible for its protection.