Blogs

It’s December, and that means Santa Claus is coming to our library.

Accountability. Creativity. Support. Coffee. Sometimes all of these elements need to come together to foster a writing environment.

In 2012, the Youth Services team at Skokie Public Library decided to create a summer reading initiative for middle school youth. We all know that pleasure reading takes a nosedive when kids hit middle school — something about all those junior high reading assignments — and we wanted to see if we could help to change that.

Starting a new library program from scratch can feel intimidating. Will people show up? Will evaluations show at least an average level of engagement? These were the thoughts creeping into my head when I decided to develop an introductory class on blogging.

Every day, people with years of experience and loads of knowledge and creativity leave their jobs in our communities as they retire or transition to new careers. All of those folks have the potential to develop and present excellent programs at your library. 

On the morning of June 25, attendees of the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., gathered to honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. The vigil not only provided an opportunity to mourn, but it highlighted our profession’s commitment to creating safe and welcoming spaces for all patrons. ALA Annual focused on inclusion of patrons from all sections of our communities, whether or not they fit into our majority demographic. From collection development practices to program development, attendees were encouraged to listen to and learn from their patrons.

Hooray for PreK! is an interactive weekly storytime that incorporates the five early literacy practices (talk, sing, read, write and play) as well as science and math concepts. Four- and five-year-old children attend this registered program with an adult caregiver.

This year the LP Fisher Public Library teamed up with our local run club, the River Valley Runners. They got a place to have their monthly meetings, access to awesome running books (and periodicals, thanks to the generous donation of a member), and we got to particpate in their fun runs and help plan their events. It has turned out to be a true win-win.

Large library systems often have the resources to create innovative programming. However, a librarian with a great idea faces their own set of challenges when trying to implement and market a new program. 

Recently, I gave an informal presentation to new staff members at my library about ways to launch their library programs. Before you get started, make sure you can answer these five questions: