Programming Librarian » Blog » 2012 » April » My Programming Wish List

an adorable penguin

an adorable penguin

hotblack

My Programming Wish List

Angela Hanshaw | April 12, 2012

My local library is a tiny branch in a huge system (the Chicago Public Library system, to be exact), and budget and space considerations generally limit its programming to toddler storytimes (although I have to give them credit for scheduling an interesting lecture in May for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: “First Voice Narrative of Life in Japanese American Internment Camps”). Recently I found myself pondering what programs I wish I could attend there. If money and potential audience (and possible legal issues) weren’t a consideration, here’s the short list of what I would want to see at my branch:

  • Storytime with dogs! (Okay, being childfree, I wouldn’t actually attend this, but I would love if it was offered.)
  • A knitting circle.
  • A regularly scheduled recipe exchange, where people bring in food samples with their recipes. (I would start with vegetarian cooking, but I could see having themes for each meeting, such as different ethnic cuisines, cooking with whole foods, using a pressure cooker or a slow cooker…).
  • DIY workshops. (This would go well with the local tool library I fantasize about.)
  • Wine tasting and lectures. (But especially the tasting.)
  • Ever watch a zookeeper bring exotic animals onto a talk show? Imagine a koala or penguin at the library. (A monkey would also be acceptable.)
  • Foreign language lessons.
  • And, of course, visits by my favorite authors.

A lot of these seem like they could even be doable, with a partner and a small grant. A dog therapy group, a local knitting store, a grocery store or local restaurants, a home improvement or hardware store, a liquor store, a zoo or animal rescue, and cultural heritage groups could help make my programming dreams come true. (Visits from my favorite authors are a bit trickier, I admit.)

What programs are on your wish list, either personally or professionally?

Angela Hanshaw is Program Officer/Web Editor for the ALA Public Programs Office.

Tags:

Share Your Thoughts


Posted by Susan Melfi on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at 05:03 PM
We actually have a storytime with dogs at our library. The children's department at the Central branch of the Ohio Township Public Library in Newburgh Indiana has two dogs, Candela and Star come in on Tuesday afternoons and children come in and read to them. Both the patrons and the staff enjoy having the dogs visit the library.
Posted by Debra Culp on Thursday, April 19, 2012, at 07:48 PM
Loved your ideas for programs. I would especially like to see the storytime with dogs. I don't have any children, either, but I would borrow one from a few parents I know, for the program. Exotic animals would be cool, too. I visited Australia years ago and got to hold a Koala. They have sharp claws like cats. I'd really like to see a Penguin up close.