Doodle It: Inspiring Creativity in Virtual Spaces
“Name connection really helps build that sense of community for the kids because it makes them feel seen. That’s why we have a lot of kids who come back time after time because they feel like they have a relationship with us. They’re not just a kid in a Zoom room.” – Julia Wright
Meet Julia Wright, Youth Services and Outreach Librarian for the Alameda County Library in California. Julia developed a love of reading and knowledge early on, and so, the decision to pursue library school and become a librarian felt natural. Another love of Julia’s is art, thanks to her creative mother who exposed art-focused activities to her as a child, so much so that she performed as Disney characters at Disneyland for several summers. Julia fuses her two passions together to bring her community a virtual drawing program, Doodle It!
We learn more about Julia and the program in this episode:
1:20 – Julia’s upbringing and journey into librarianship
4:20 – Julia’s role as the Youth Services and Outreach Librarian for the Alameda County Library
7:50 – Background on Julia’s outreach department and its function in the community
11:30 – Overview of the Doodle It program including ideation, design, impact, and other logistics
22:30 – Challenges with offering a virtual art program
25:20 – How to keep children engaged in virtual spaces
29:00 – Additional things needed to host an art program
30:35 – Future program expansion possibilities
32:50 – Julia’s advice after years of offering Doodle It
35:35 – Julia’s perspective of the library
Julia reminds us that we are all artists in our own ways, and we don’t need to be perfect to spread creativity in our communities. She invites you to sit in on one of her Doodle It programs. If you would like to observe how she leads the program or have any follow up questions, you may contact Julia Wright directly at jmwright@aclibrary.org.