When the Richland County Public Library in Columbia, South Carolina, received a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation to create Growing Savers: Smart Money @ RCPL, they knew they wanted to focus their efforts on educating children and families—and that meant they’d better find a way to make finances fun. So they commissioned a catchy theme song rather than just scheduling seminars. And they partnered with both professionals and patrons to create performances that show smart money choices in action.

“Four score and seven years ago, Lunch Money wrote this song!” announced a miniature Abe Lincoln and his pint-sized piggy bank counterpart when local children’s indie-rock band Lunch Money debuted “Shake My Piggy Bank,” the library’s new song about saving money:

“…I go to the library
where I get all my books for free.
Then I shake, shake my piggy bank.
I don’t break, break my piggy bank…”

Listen Now to Shake Your Piggy Bank! By Lunch Money
Lunch Money is Molly Ledford (guitar, lead vocals), J.P. Stephens (bass, vocals) and Jay Barry (drums).

Not only does the tune get the toes tapping, it makes an excellent point: The library is a source for free, fun learning experiences that’s open to everyone. That makes it a great spot to learn financial literacy.

When the Growing Savers team at RCPL began brainstorming, “someone brought up SchoolHouse Rock,” recalls Heather McCue, children’s room librarian and member of the team. Using catchy tunes destined to lodge in the memory was the perfect model to generate excitement for RCPL’s innovative financial information services. “We want to make it fun for kids,” says McCue. “Not that saving isn’t hard, just like learning to read can be hard, but we want to make that fun too!”

Instilling wise money habits in the young is the place to begin. “The research bears out starting with kids,” says McCue, who cites the rising cost of college and the lack of personal financial literacy in high school curriculum as examples of the need. It’s much better to master smart saving and careful spending when you’re managing an allowance, rather than waiting until credit cards, college loans, and even a mortgage are in the balance.

By weaving financial lessons into ongoing library events for children and teens and partnering with other organizations in the community—including the NiA Company, a multicultural theater group, and Richland County First Steps program for at-risk parents—Growing Savers’ success is like money in the bank!

Program offerings include:

• For the youngest future financiers, Saturday story times may include books with money-managing lessons like Bunny Money or Benny’s Pennies, and the library has acquired a collection of toy cash registers and oversized plastic coins to help make money a less abstract concept, as well as let preschoolers practice discerning between wants and needs and making wise spending choices. Monthly “family learning nights” feature financial activities geared toward elementary school-aged children, as well as tips for parents about how to discuss money with their kids.

• For teens and their parents, RCPL has stocked their website with videos that demonstrate smart approaches to money, and “Shake My Piggybank” is available for download by anyone who finds it inspiring. Teen clubs at the library have also created Japanese anime-style comics about saving and spending, as well as writing and performing a reader’s theater piece about money—activities that allow them to share their newfound financial knowledge with others.

RCPL’s tagline is “access freely,” notes McCue, so she hopes the community will continue to see it as a source for no-cost financial information, along with everything else it has to offer children and families, for a long time to come. The Growing Savers team is certainly pleased with the feedback they’ve received so far. “We know we’re on the right path and doing what the community needs because opportunities have fallen in our lap and partnerships have sprung up naturally,” she says. “Lots of people are very hungry for this information.”

Grant-funded programming is made possible by Smart investing@your library®, a partnership between the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The initiative supports public libraries across the country in their efforts to meet the growing need for unbiased financial and investor education at the grassroots level by providing grants for programs like Growing Savers: Smart Money.

Growing Savers will continue through May of 2013, but the librarians pioneering the new service hope to take financial literacy offerings into the future. McCue is already planning a library card drive and reading challenge for local schools. “A library card is like a first credit card,” she says. “If you bring books back on time, there’s no penalty.” Children who already have a library card can help their schools by reading selected money-smart books, and at the end of the contest, the school with the most new cards and most books read will win a performance from Lunch Money.

“Without a doubt, the library is the best deal in town,” McCue adds. And thanks to service innovations like Smart investing@your library®, “it’s also a great way to teach your children about money.”

Start the course

“We’re delighted that South Carolina recognizes the value of helping residents manage their money in smart ways during these trying economic times,” said Library Director Dwight McInvaill.

Smart investing@your library® is a collaboration between RUSA, ALA, and the FINRA Financial Education Foundation. The program helps libraries design and execute innovative projects that address the growing need for access to unbiased financial and investor education at the grassroots level.

Read more about Georgetown Public Library’s innovative Powerful Investment Education (PIE) program

P. S. Money Smart Week 2013 is April 20th – April 27th.

Listen to the full conference call (45 min) by clicking the play button on the left:

Money Smart Week – What Really Worked!

from Milwaukee Public Library

The Milwaukee Public Library’s Resource Guide will be posted on Smart investing@your library® website shortly

The Federal Reserve Consumer Publications website has a selection of consumer materials

Here is the order form (pdf) – they still “snail mail” many pamphlets and booklets free of charge to libraries. It’s great!

Judy regularly requests items for Milwaukee’s “Get Smart About Money” kits and for general handout via display rack.

from Santa Clara County Library

Money Smart Week teen scavenger hunt

Two financial literacy programs Santa Clara County Library used with both adults and teens:

• Money Talks for Teens, UC Cooperative Extension
• Dollars & Sense for Adults

Tips from Schaumburg Township District Library

• Promote programs to staff so they can also attend with public
• Shredded money is available via the Federal Reserve in Chicago and has been used in fishbowls, guessing games, etc.
• When advertising programs, be specific about who the speaker is and what the topic covers
• Evening programs are better attended than ones on Saturday afternoons
• Plan in advance as early as possible and book rooms
• Try new ideas and topics but remember to include favorites such as retirement, estate planning and planning for college

Our presenters have graciously agreed to reprise their remarks. Also, please note the new phone numbers below.

Hope you can join us. After all, it’s always better the second time around!

Team Conference Call: Money Smart Week 2012

Fri., June 1, 4pm ET/3pm CT (45 minutes, max!)

Join fellow grantees from across the country to share lessons learned and winning tips from Money Smart Week 2012.

You will learn:

• Clever ideas for Money Smart Week programming
• Best practices for promoting Money Smart Week programming
• Ways to use free Money Smart Week resources
• Challenges and solutions from experienced Smart investing@your library® grantees

You’ll also get a chance to ask questions of the panelists and share your experiences introducing Money Smart Week in your community.

Panelists:

• Judy Pinger, Coordinator of Business and Technology Milwaukee Public Library (WI)
• Nelly Somerman, Director of Reference Services and
• Alicia Hammond, Corporate and Small Business Liaison, Schaumburg Township District Library, (IL)
• Lisa Liu, Project Manager, Smart investing@your library®, Santa Clara County Library (CA)

Moderator: Katie Moellering, Adult Service Librarian, Emmet O’Neal Library (AL)

Join us!

Dial: 800-504-8071
Passcode: 2804395
Time commitment: 45 minutes

See Money Smart Week Programs from 2012

Programs and events featured in the Programming Librarian’s Guide to the ALA Annual Conference present new programming models for discussion and engagement, resources and inspiration for program development and practical tips for fundraising, promotion and building community partnerships, all serving the development of the library as a community cultural center.

Read more about the Smart investing@your library® panels offered at ALA Annual

To view the full list of Programminglibrarian.org’s recommendations, visit the guide at www.programminglibrarian.org/annual2012.

Smart investing@your library®: Everyone Counts!
Sponsored by PLA
Saturday, June 23, 8:00-10:00 AM
The role of librarians as trusted navigators leading patrons to the most useful information is increasingly valuable. Smart investing @ your library® is building the capacity of public libraries and librarians to provide reliable, unbiased financial education and resources to those who need help. Librarians are building collections, delivering programs to people of all ages and economic circumstances and creating a national network of replicable service models. Using data to tell the story, reaching out and working with community partners, and integrating market research into program design are successful strategies that are building the foundation for a leadership role in financial education.

Speakers will share how they developed and implemented their marketing plans using both social media and traditional methods that include Facebook, print, radio, and word-of-mouth.

As a result of attending the session, attendees will:

• Learn marketing strategies that attract new audiences
• Meet financial literacy/library innovators
• Know how to replicate financial literacy programs

Speakers: Liz Doucett, Curtis Memorial Library (ME); Sandy Dixon, State Library of Iowa (IA); Aubrey Carroll, Florence County Library System(SC); Jamie Ritter, Maine State Library(ME); Dwight McInvaill, Georgetown Public Library(SC)
Moderator: Bobbie Rudnick, Naperville Public Library(IL)

View the powerpoint presentation for Everyone Counts!

Everyone Counts! Program Handout (pdf)

Smart investing@your library®: Program Models That Work
Sponsored by RUSA’s Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS)
Saturday, June 23, 10:30 AM-Noon
Smart investing@your library grantees are at the forefront of financial literacy programs that reach all economic and interest levels.

Learn how they are creating models that use social media to capture attention, design games that appeal to kids, teens and adults, partner with social service agencies and market innovative school programs to provide unbiased financial education and resources. As more people need and want to learn how to manage their personal finances, these innovative libraries are leading the way.

Speakers: Paolo Melillo, Orange County Public Library (FL); Kurtis Kelly, Estes Valley Library (CO); Nelly Somerman, Schaumburg Township District Library (IL); Jim Blanton, Chesapeake Public Library (VA); Karla Heberlig, York County Public Library (PA)
Moderator: Susan Wolf Neilson, Wake County Libraries

View the powerpoint presentation for Program Models that Work

Program Models That Work Program Handout (pdf)

Money Smart Week, hosted by ALA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is a full week of free financial literacy programs intended to provide personal finance education to consumers.

Money Smart Week is part of Financial Literacy Month. Make sure that your local media know about the programs you’re hosting this April with our Financial Literacy Month PR Templates.

Below are the Smart investing@your library® grantees that are participating in Money Smart Week, April 21-28, 2012.  Libraries interested in developing their own Money Smart Week financial education programs can review the Money Smart Week Library Partner Kit or read more about how your library can get involved.

General Services Administration (GSA) has also put together a great list of free government resources related to financial literacy topics.

Alabama

Emmet O’Neal Library, Mountain Brook

• Contest held during the month of April to celebrate Financial Literacy Month.
• Every patron who reads and reviews a book on personal finance or investing in the month of April will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Pelham Public Library, Pelham

• Money Talks program presented at Senior Center and the Pelham Public Library.
• Literary Cents, a cross curriculum program between the Math and English classes, will be presented at the middle school
• Poetry is Alive with Poems about Money and Savings will be presented at intermediate school.

California

Santa Clara County Public Library

• Programs for Adults
• Programs for Teens
• Programs for Children and financial literacy website
• See all of the financial literacy programs
• Read the Santa Clara press release

Indiana

Carmel Clay Public Library, Carmel

• Comfortable Retirement, presented by Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
• Dine on a Dime program for teens on making favorite treats at home
• Screening of Chasing Madoff, a documentary on Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme
• See the full list of financial literacy programs on a bookmark.

Monroe County Public Library, Bloomington

• Partnering with United Way and the Monroe County Financial Stability Alliance
• Programs for both adults and kids
• Spanish-language Financial Skills workshop
• See the full list of financial education programs on a bookmark.

Illinois

Naperville Public Library, Naperville

• Organizing Your Financial and Vital Records: What to Keep and Why
• Phone Bill Clinic: Lower Your Monthly Phone Bill (Citizens Utility Board)

Niles Public Library, Niles

• Citizens Utility Board Phone Bill clinic
• Introduction to Morningstar Investment Research Center
• Selling Basics – eBay and Amazon

Schaumburg Township District Library, Schaumburg

• The Fixer’s Greatest Hits: Stephanie Zimmermann, the Fixer columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, will give a Smart investing@your library® program during Money Smart Week
• Preparing Your Estate Plan
• Don’t Pay the College Sticker Price
• Preparing Retirement Income
• It’s Your Money, Get Smart
• Money Smart Kids Programs
  To celebrate Money Smart Week, the library has created 3 events designed especially for your kids to learn more about money.
• Money Matters for Kids (9-12 years old)
• Junior Savers (ages 6-8)
• Super Savers (ages 9-12)
• See the full list of free personal finance education opportunities.

Ohio

Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County

• Displays and bookmarks about money at branch locations
• FUN FINANCE stations at several locations includes games and activities
• Family programs and story times with money themes

Washington

Timberland Regional Library, Tumwater

• Financial Fraud
• Couponing
• Financial Independence
• 8 steps to Entrepreneurship
• Shred-a-thon

Wisconsin

Fond du Lac Public Library, Fond du Lac

• Collaborated with the Wisconsin Dept of Financial Institutions. This state agency donated$4,000 to purchase 1,800 copies of “Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Commercials.” Copies were distributed to individual libraries as giveaways during Money Smart Week.
• Libraries agreed to plan a story time around money and register at Money Smart Week website
• Statewide, 45 libraries are participating

Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee

• Earth Day @ Your Library: Every Drop Counts
• Do You Know What’s In Your Credit Report? Find Out!
• Managing Your Investments: Making Value Line and Morningstar Work For You
• See all of Milwaukee’s financial education programs on a bookmark