Rethinking Library Programming: Transforming Your Approach (September 2017)

1. RETHINKING LIBRARY
PROGRAMMING:
TRANSFORMING YOUR
APPROACH
PRESENTED BY KATIE LAMANTIA
AND EMILY VINCI
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

2. LET’S START WITH A
QUESTION…
What comes to mind when you think
about library programming?

3. Fun Engaging Informative
Social Experiential Helpful
Safe Reliable Educational

4. HISTORY AND TRADITIONAL
ROLE OF LIBRARIES

5. EVOLUTION OF LIBRARIES

6. TRADITIONAL LIBRARY
PROGRAMMING
Kids
Teens
Adults/Seniors

7. WE KNOW WE’VE EVOLVED,
BUT DO OUR PATRONS?
PERCEPTION
• Libraries are passive
• Libraries are irrelevant
because of the
Internet
• Libraries are for
families with children,
students under 18,
and older adults
REALITY
• Libraries are active
• Libraries have never
been more relevant
• Libraries are for
everyone

8. QUESTION…
How do we communicate with our
patrons via our programs? What
messages are we hoping or trying
to send? How do we want our
patrons to view us?

9. OUR ROLE AS FACILITATORS OF
CULTURE AND DISCOVERY
• Yes: We want to give our
patrons the reliable programs
that they like and come to us for.
• But: We also want to bring them
new experiences that they might
not otherwise have.
• And: We can do it in the safety
of a place that they trust – the
library!

10. GETTING INTO THE
MINDSET TO GET OUT OF
THE MINDSET
At the library

11. Traditionally we’ve operated with an idea
about what is and isn’t the domain of the
library. Such thinking can limit our ideas and
cause us to miss out on crucial
opportunities.

12. • Free yourself from constraints
• Focus on the community
• Build a relationship of trust
• Courage
• Not hurting people by introducing them to something they haven’t seen
before
• Risk taking is okay
CHANGE COMES FROM WITHIN

13. GETTING YOUR MANAGEMENT
TEAM ON BOARD
Communicate to your manager first and get approval
Think about how you’re going to evaluate and report back:
• Qualitative comments
• Statistics
• Project Outcome

14. RESOURCES AND
POP CULTURE

15. PROGRAM EXAMPLES

16. I. LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMS:
TAKE OVER THE LIBRARY!

17. COMIC CON

18. COST: $ - $$$
PREP. TIME: VERY HIGH
AGE GROUP: ALL AGES
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 4 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Shows the library in a new light
• Relevant to current interests and current cultural trends
• Invites in new people
• Shows people how to use the library in a new way
• Social and cultural opportunities
Fun Experiential Social

19. MAKER DAY

20. COST: $$$
PREP. TIME: VERY HIGH
AGE GROUP: ALL AGES
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 3 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Shows the library as an active and engaging space
• The library as a place to make/create/do
• HoMaGo
• Emphasis on process vs. product
• Engages patrons of all ages
Educational Experiential Engaging

21. FUN FAIR

22. COST: $$
PREP. TIME: MEDIUM-HIGH
AGE GROUP: ALL AGES
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 2 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Objectives of learning how to play and share
• Library TAB built life-sized games
• Staff in a dunk tank
• Engages patrons and staff of all ages
Fun Engaging Social

23. ACTION PLAN
• Research
• Strategic planning
• Budget
• Present idea to management
• Assemble a team or backup
person
• Timeline: we suggest planning
7-8 months in advance 

24. PROJECT PLANNING TIPS
AND TRICKS
• Project leader
• Play to your coworker's strengths
• Rotate leadership roles
• Get all staff involved!
• Communication
If you're a supervising librarian, perhaps you can't offer your staff higher
pay or many opportunities to go to professional development
conferences, but you can offer them the freedom to incorporate their
own interests into programming and outreach.

25. II. THINK OUTSIDE THE
WALLS

26. PUB TRIVIA

27. COST: $
PREP. TIME: MEDIUM
AGE GROUP: ADULT
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 2 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Widely popular cultural event
• The library as a hip and fun organization
• Relevant to patrons’ lifestyles
Social Informative Engaging

28. WINERY AND BREWERY

29. Informative Engaging Social
COST: $$
PREP. TIME: LOW
AGE GROUP: ADULTS
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 1 HR
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Introduces patrons to organizations in their local community
• Educational and informational
• Shows the library is relevant to the 20s/30s lifestyle

30. NATURE CENTER

31. Experiential Fun Social
COST: $
PREP. TIME: LOW-MEDIUM
AGE GROUP: ADULTS
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 2 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Learn about hidden gems in the community
• Opportunity to engage in storytelling
• Bring the library outside the walls

32. QUESTIONS?

33. PARTNERSHIPS
Another plus to holding your programs outside of the library
is the strengthened community partnerships that can come
as a result of doing so.

34. III. BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

35. EGG HATCHING

36. Educational Engaging Informative
Background and Outcomes:
• Farm to library
• Life cycle at the library
• Community and staff investment
• Boost in staff morale
• Opportunities for lead up programming and nature/animal
programming
COST: $
PREP. TIME: LOW
AGE GROUP: ALL AGES
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 1 MONTH
STAFFING:

37. SUNSET YOGA

38. COST: $
PREP. TIME: LOW
AGE GROUP: ALL AGES
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 1.5 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• What’s happening elsewhere can happen here, too.
• Relevance to lifestyles
• Library is an energetic, social place
Engaging Helpful Experiential

39. IV. TIME WARP

40. THROWBACK PROGRAMS

41. COST: $
PREP. TIME: LOW-MEDIUM
AGE GROUP: ADULTS
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 1.5-2 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Hey! Remember everything you loved and found at the
library when you were a kid? It’s still here!
But...different.
• Can work cooperatively with Youth Services Dept.
• Clean out closets and can work on shoestring budget
Social Engaging Fun

42. V. RESPONSIVE PROGRAMMING

43. POKÉMON GO/
STRANGER THINGS

44. COST: $
PREP. TIME: QUICK!
AGE GROUP: KIDS-ADULTS
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 2 HRS
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Pop up programming is difficult!
• Marketing is critical to success
• Think about your target audience
• Active and engaging programming
FunExperiential Social

45. YOUTUBE SCIENCE

46. COST: $
PREP. TIME: MEDIUM
AGE GROUP: TEENS
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 1 HR
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• See, try, do!
• No fear of mess
• “Does it work the same, what was different about your
experiment?”
• Science, but fun!
• NGSS standards
Fun EducationalEngaging

47. WHAT’S TRENDING

48. COST: $-$$$$
PREP. TIME: LOW
AGE GROUP: TWEENS
LENGTH OF PROGRAM: 1 HR
STAFFING:
Background and Outcomes:
• Use of sensory and pop culture into fun library
programs for tweens and teens
• Timely and important topics that lead to
conversations
Fun ExperientialEngaging

49. QUESTION…
What is a program that you’d
always wanted to try but haven’t
felt that you could?

50. DISCOVER YOUR COMMUNITY
• Census Information
• Community Attractions
• New Businesses

51. MARKETING
• Internal vs. External
• Logos
• Branding
• Partnerships
• Surveys
• Social Media

52. OVERCOMING BARRIERS
AND CHALLENGES
What obstacles or limitations do you see in terms of
programming?
• Institutional
• Personal
• Community

53. OVERCOMING BARRIERS
AND CHALLENGES
• Have conversations
• Talk about your fears
• Explain programming style to manager and
management
• Open ended programming
• Self guided learning
• Process vs. Product

54. QUESTIONS?

55. FINAL THOUGHTS
• You can do it! Have faith in yourself and your
programs.
• Everything does not have to top the last best and
brightest program.
• Not every program will be a hit, but that doesn’t mean
you shouldn’t try. Who knows – you might be
surprised!
• Every program is a learning experience for you and
your patrons.

56. CONTACT US
Katie LaMantia
klamantia@stdl.org
Emily Vinci
evinci@stdl.org

57. 50+ Fandom Programs:
Planning Festivals and
Events for Tweens, Teens,
and Adults
A Year of
Programs for
Millennials and
More
ALA Editions
Amy J. Alessio, Katie LaMantia,
and Emily Vinci

58. THANK YOU
FOR
ATTENDING!