Programming Librarian

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Planning

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Academic Libraries

It’s Academic: Using Programming Librarian in LIS Courses
As a library science educator, and with concerns about saturated job markets as well as declining job opportunities, I’m always looking for ways to give my students a competitive edge. Read more...

Programming with Grant Funds in the Academic Library: Lessons Learned
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San Jose, California, is a unique facility shared by the San Jose Public Library and San Jose State University (SJSU). In late 2008, San Jose Public Library was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to present a series of public programs on the Federal Writers’ Project, one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal agencies. Read more...

Author Events

Author Events Made Easy
Ah, author events at the library. Is there anything more fun? Author events can also be perplexing, frustrating, and sometimes hair-raising, but mostly when I think of author events I’m primed for a good time—both for myself and my patrons. Read more...

Bringing Writers to Readers: A Partnership That Works
The future of bookselling often seems cloudy in this rapidly changing digital world, but the future of reading is clear. As publishers struggle to determine the best way to produce and market books in this new digital era, non-profit organizations whose mission is to encourage reading must continue to find ways to connect writers and readers. As resources shrink, creativity and partnerships become even more vital. Read more...

Navigating the World of Publishers for Author Programs
Ah, author events at the library. Is there anything more fun? Author events can also be perplexing, frustrating, and sometimes hair-raising, but mostly when I think of author events I’m primed for a good time—both for myself and my patrons. Read more...

Civic Engagement

Engage Your Community: Hosting Forums Using the National Issues Forum Institute Model
About twelve years ago, the City of Virginia Beach began to investigate why its public hearings and other meetings with residents were so confrontational and what they could do differently. Read more...

Libraries and Democratic Life: Promoting Civic Engagement
I’m writing from outside the library world to talk about something powerful that can happen inside the library. I work with the Project on Civic Reflection, a national organization that helps get reflective discussion going in order to build community and deepen people’s understanding of their fellow community members and themselves. Read more...

Libraries and the First Amendment
When five African American men entered the Audubon Regional Library in Clinton, Louisiana, they had already broken the law. The year was 1964 and their crime was entering a segregated, whites-only library. Read more...

Civil War Programming

Overcoming Challenges: Civil War Programming in a Rural Library
While the Civil War was all about conflict, as programming librarians we’re all on the same side now—facing the challenge of getting more patrons into our libraries to enjoy the diverse, quality programming we offer. Rural libraries, though, may face a few additional challenges in programming. Read more...

Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation
February 1861. Abraham Lincoln has been elected as the sixteenth President of the United States. Seven states have seceded from the Union. Representatives from the seceding states gather in Montgomery, Alabama, where they frame and adopt a constitution for their new government. Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederacy. Within the next two months, Lincoln will be inaugurated. Read more...

Copyright

Copyright Tips for Programming Librarians: Public Performance Rights
Many librarians like to include film or DVD screenings in their library programs. Can you do this without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder? Read more...

Copyright Tips for Programming Librarians: Storytimes
Librarians generally don’t ask if storytelling is an infringement of copyright. Don’t worry—it isn’t, but have you ever considered why? Read more...

Copyright Tips for Programming Librarians: Using Images in Programming Materials
Everyone can be a novice graphic artist using computer technologies to capture appealing designs, images, and photos found on the Internet for use in presentations, Web sites, and promotional materials. Some may pause and wonder, “Is this a copyright problem?” Read more...

Funding

Grant Application Tips
Tips for making your grant application stand out from the crowd. Read more...

Grant Funding Sources
Following is a selected list of organizations and institutions that have funded library programs for adults or worked as partners with libraries for programs—have you approached similar groups in your community for funding or in-kind support? Read more...

Making the Case for Library Programming
Even though library programming is widespread, programmers still find themselves faced with having to persuade the library administration, board members, colleagues, and even patrons and the public of its value. Read more...

Library Students and Programming

Get in the Loop!: How Library Students Can Use Programming Librarian
As I round out my final semester in library school at Long Island University, the impending need to fill-up my library skills tool-box and fill-out job applications is in the forefront of my thoughts. Read more...

Literacy

Early Literacy Parties in Spanish
Fiestas de Alfabetización Temprana en Español, or Early Literacy Parties in Spanish, is a featured program hosted at the King County Library System (KCLS) branches and co-funded by the King County Library System Foundation. These eight-week series of free weekly workshops for Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers with children ages newborn to five designed to raise awareness of the importance of early literacy. Read more...

Growing Like a Read: Tailoring an Early Literacy Program for Your Community
Children’s librarians try hard. They buy the best books, attend the best workshops and conferences, plan and deliver the best story times, read the best and latest professional literature, incorporate best practices. But they may only see a child for thirty to forty-five minutes per week or less. Read more...

Partnering to Serve Immigrants and ESL Learners
King County in Washington State has a very diverse population, and the King County Library System (KCLS) has adapted and grown in ways that have made it a very accessible resource for all communities. Established in 1942, KCLS’ mission is to provide all community members with free, open, and equal access to ideas and information. Read more...

Marketing

Getting the Word Out: A Crash Course in Program Marketing
What a way to end your first day on a new job! Jamie Lattimer, Coordinator of Cataloging Services at Urbana University’s Swedenborg Memorial Library, cautiously pointed to a stack of three ring notebooks and said “those tell you about a Ben Franklin project that we are supposed to do in August.” August? That was only six months away. Read more...

Marketing and PR for Cultural Programs
Publicizing your program is just as important as planning the content. Ideally, you’ll want to make this part of your library’s overall marketing communications plan to maximize results. In the crowded media marketplace these days, both high-tech and high-touch are needed for success. Read more...

Repackage, Rebrand, Relaunch: Making Old Programs Look Like New
How can we attract new faces to our regularly scheduled programs? It is all about the packaging! When product manufacturers experience stagnating sales, what do they do? They redesign their packaging! For libraries, the time to start changing the package (without necessarily altering the content) is when we want to reach new audiences or offer something new. Read more...

Partnerships and Collaboration

Collaboration @ Your School Library
Though I work in an independent school that embraces its library, I did not think it would hurt to make a stronger case for the value of our library; therefore, I decided to host a wide variety of events throughout the year. From documentary film day to organic garden building, I wanted to go beyond the author visit and offer my students thought-provoking and interesting activities. Along the way I learned a few important lessons. Read more...

Getting the Most (for Both of You!) from Your Museum/Library Partnership
Perhaps it’s a symptom of the economy and diminishing resources, but there is more talk than ever about partnerships and collaboration in all types of organizations, including libraries and other nonprofits. We are being urged to “maximize resources,” “leverage assets,” and “avoid duplication” in the work we do. Read more...

Libraries and Humanities Councils: A Perfect Partnership
October’s National Arts and Humanities Month offers a great opportunity to celebrate and expand upon a partnership that has been thriving for more than three decades—the partnership between libraries and state humanities councils. Since the state humanities councils were created in the early 1970s, libraries have been their most consistent and rewarding partners, and councils in turn have been among the local library’s most committed supporters. Read more...

Making a Difference Together: Public Libraries and Immigration Integration
Partnerships are critical to what we do every day. Their value cannot be underestimated. By working together it allows us to go beyond simply doing “more with less,” to doing “more with more.” Public libraries are in a unique position to act as a catalyst for innovative community development initiatives. Proactively reaching out to our community stakeholders enables us to improve services and leverage limited resources to build better communities. Read more...

Mutual Affection: Partnering with Local Rescue Groups for Pet Therapy Events
Arts ’n crafts have long been a staple library program, but are typically aimed at children. However, crafting for adults has recently re-emerged as a popular hobby. The Greenpoint branch of the >Brooklyn Public Library has spent the last year experimenting with a monthly program called Greenpoint Hand Skills aimed at bringing in this community of crafters. Read more...

No Library Is an Island: Community Collaborations
Gone are the days when the library stood in splendid isolation. Libraries partner with all kinds of organizations to deliver programs and produce audiences ... more libraries than ever are reporting that successful collaborations are central to their planning and no longer an afterthought. Read more...

The Language of Collaboration: Connecting Zoos, Libraries, and Poetry for Environmental Awareness
Gone are the days when the library stood in splendid isolation. Libraries partner with all kinds of organizations to deliver programs and produce audiences ... more libraries than ever are reporting that successful collaborations are central to their planning and no longer an afterthought. Read more...

Professional Development

Professional Development Opportunities
Several professional conferences and events—from the world’s largest library conference to local seminars—provide opportunities for librarians to learn more about cultural programming through workshops, seminars, model programs, and more. Read more...

Systemwide Training for Programming Librarians: Palm Beach County Library’s Approach
If only there was a class in library school on how to select, plan, coordinate, and publicize a library program! Some schools may teach storytelling techniques to future children’s librarians, but not how to organize and prepare for the storytime. Still others may touch on library programming in classes dealing with services to seniors or special populations. Yet, these courses don’t teach the nuts and bolts of providing programs to their patrons, whether for adults or kids. Read more...

Program Evaluation

Boost Survey Results with Carefully Crafted Questions
The act of planning programs is a big job with a lot to consider. Where will you have your program? How big is the space? Do you need to limit guests; will you need to have them register ahead of time? Will weather or parking spaces be factors? Read more...

Evaluation of Cultural Programs
There’s a lot of buzz about evaluation these days. Are programs effective? Do they make the library, and by extension, the community, a better place? Do they accomplish what we intend and/or do they sometimes have other, maybe even better, unintended consequences? Read more...

Meeting Needs and Making a Difference: Outcomes Based Planning and Evaluation
We’ve all been there. You plan a great program, and only a handful of people show up—or no one does. Maybe something that has always done well in the past mysteriously fails to draw an audience. Maybe you start something new specifically because someone asked for it—and still it doesn’t get off the ground. Read more...

Program Planning

All Together Now: One Book, One Community Programs
This fall, the Chicago Public Library (CPL) celebrates the tenth anniversary of one of its most popular programs, One Book, One Chicago. I have been with CPL working on this program for just over four years, and have learned more than I could ever share in one article. Read more...

Attracting the Older Adult Audience: Norfolk Public Library’s Meet, Learn & Discover Series
The Norfolk (Va.) Public Library (NPL) Meet, Learn & Discover (MLD) Series, which won the Virginia Public Library Director’s Association Award in 2010 for Outstanding Program for Seniors, targets an audience of adults who are “50 and better” with a series of programs that offer participants the opportunity to come together once a month to hear an informative presentation and to socialize with others Read more...

If You Build It, Will They Come? Audience Building and Diversity
The first step in diversifying the audiences for your library’s cultural programs is deciding who (or is it whom?) you want to come. A “general” strategy is almost sure to fail—e.g., deciding to try to attract more young people, more Latinos, and more men with the same program is going to be tough. Read more...

Bring Generations Together through Storytelling: A How-to Guide
The classroom was filled with forty-five excited third graders. They were in place. The teachers were in place. The storyteller had arrived. But where were the guests of honor? And then twenty older adults entered, some walking briskly, some in wheelchairs, all of them smiling. Read more...

Coffee and Crochet Hooks: Crafting an Adult Hand Skills Program
Arts ’n crafts have long been a staple library program, but are typically aimed at children. However, crafting for adults has recently re-emerged as a popular hobby. The Greenpoint branch of the >Brooklyn Public Library has spent the last year experimenting with a monthly program called Greenpoint Hand Skills aimed at bringing in this community of crafters. Read more...

Film Programming That’s Off the Wall
The first step in diversifying the audiences for your library’s cultural programs is deciding who (or is it whom?) you want to come. A “general” strategy is almost sure to fail—e.g., deciding to try to attract more young people, more Latinos, and more men with the same program is going to be tough. Read more...

Great (and Affordable) Programs STEM from Partnerships
In June 2010, Johnston (Iowa) Public Library was one of the libraries chosen to host the “Visions of the Universe” traveling exhibition sponsored by the ALA Public Programs Office. The grant application recommended that we incorporate STEM programs that best fit the needs of our community into our plan. It was my first time hearing the term “STEM,” and I’ll be honest—I had no idea what it stood for. Read more...

Honoring Native Culture in Oceanside: Local and Sustainable Ethnic Programs in Libraries
The classroom was filled with forty-five excited third graders. They were in place. The teachers were in place. The storyteller had arrived. But where were the guests of honor? And then twenty older adults entered, some walking briskly, some in wheelchairs, all of them smiling. Read more...

Hosting a Traveling Exhibition: Tricks and Tips
Never be afraid to try; the following are some suggestions for hosting a successful exhibit. Read more...

Multiculturalism Happens: Targeting Multicultural Literacy in Libraries
Children’s librarians try hard. They buy the best books, attend the best workshops and conferences, plan and deliver the best story times, read the best and latest professional literature, incorporate best practices. But they may only see a child for thirty to forty-five minutes per week or less. Read more...

Programming on a (Long, Colorful) Shoestring
Planning interesting innovative programs on a limited budget is a daunting task, but with a dose of enthusiasm and a dab of ingenuity, it’s easier than you’d think. The following story about how our tiny library was able to host New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Berg illustrates some of the major elements to keep in mind when planning programming on a shoestring budget. Read more...

Reaching Teens Subversively through Passive Programming
Looking for a way to implement programming at your library, but strapped for cash, staff, or time? Want an easy—and maybe even subversive—way to reach teens? Passive programming is the answer. Passive programming engages teens in the library without requiring much from staff in terms of supervision. It can be applied by those of all experience and comfort levels, making it an ideal solution for those who aren’t necessarily teen experts or when staff is simply spread too thin. Read more...

Your Business Is Our Business: How to Start a “Start Your Own Business” Program in Your Town
Looking for a way to implement programming at your library, but strapped for cash, staff, or time? Want an easy—and maybe even subversive—way to reach teens? Passive programming is the answer. Passive programming engages teens in the library without requiring much from staff in terms of supervision. It can be applied by those of all experience and comfort levels, making it an ideal solution for those who aren’t necessarily teen experts or when staff is simply spread too thin. Read more...

Programming Resources

A Journey through a Goldmine: PBS.org Resources for Programming Librarians
Unless you’ve been living in a mine shaft, you know PBS creates excellent early literacy television shows. Between the Lions and Word World make reading fun for emergent and beginning readers. Read more...

Enriching Library Programs by Increasing Accessibility: A Primer from NLS
NLS is our shorthand for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: it’s a mouthful, I agree, but rich in history and tradition, once you get past the clunky syllables and, some say, obsolescent vocabulary. Read more...

Rural Libraries

The Rural Library as the Focal Point of Learning and Culture
Rural libraries have a special role to play in the communities they serve. In fact, the smaller the community, the bigger looms the library—although there are admittedly some pretty tiny libraries out there. It’s not so much the size of the collection, or number of staff members, or even how many hours a week the library is open. A library has a unique relationship with the people it serves. Read more...