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adult programming

Titanic Dinner at the Library

Scanned image of a real ticket for the Titanic

The Titanic Dinner invites guests to select real Titanic passenger tickets from a blind draw. Guests sit with their selected class (1st, 2nd or 3rd), and have dinner while watching a history lesson from a historical impersonator.

At the end of the dinner, patrons discover the fates of their selected passengers and whether or not they were survivors of the sinking.

Mock Citizenship Naturalization Interviews

Photograph shows people at a swearing in ceremony for US citizenship.

Meet a trained librarian in person or online using Zoom for a one-on-one mock citizenship interview similar to the one given to become a U.S. citizen.

A trained librarian will act as an immigration officer and conduct mock interviews with participants. Interviews simulate the naturalization interview that takes place at a USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) office and includes the following: English Speaking test using the N-400, Reading Test, Writing Test, Civics Test.

Skincare of the Ancient World

Photograph of a ancient Grecian bust with a towel and face mask on. Text reads: Skincare of the Ancient World

Inspired by a make your own ancient perfume station at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Skincare of the Ancient World was a program in which I taught patrons how to create their own skincare using the oils and spices that Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans would have used.

This hands-on program combines self-care, sustainability and history to teach patrons how they can use everyday, natural ingredients to create inexpensive, yet effective, skincare products found in ancient times.

Harry Potter Bingo

A pile of red and white bingo cards with some scattered bingo chips

Harry Potter-themed events for adults do really well at our library. Previously we have had Harry Potter Trivia Nights, DIY Harry Potter Crafts and a Harry Potter Escape Room.

We wanted to continue this magical tradition with a new type of program, and Harry Potter Bingo was the winner. Our goal for this program was for adults to view the library as a place to connect and engage with other community members.

 

Library After Dark: After-Hours Programming for Adults

Altoona Public Library LogoJoin us for a webinar with Altoona (Iowa) Public Library to learn how smaller libraries can provide after-hours programming from start to finish for adults, while utilizing limited funds, staffing and space. This session will also share how to prepare for the "what-ifs," including permission/liability forms.

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt

Hands holding a treasure map

Corning Public Library serves a town of 1,500 in southwest Iowa. There's not a lot in Corning; we are the largest town in our county, the nearest city is a 90-minute drive away.

The library is especially important in communities like ours, as we provide programming that both entertains and inspires. Hosting an Amazing Race program allowed us to entertain our patrons while showing them that they don’t have to travel to find interesting things to do with their friends and families.    

Failure: You Can Plan on It!

A sign asking Why? on top of a hill

Failure happens. But, as Neil Gaiman says “If you’re making mistakes, it means you’re out there doing something.” 

We were out there doing something. We were hard at work planning our Boomers and Beyond: Aging Well on the Peninsula program series. We had been talking about Boomers boomers BOOMERS BoOmMeRs until we were blue in the face. We had our offsite locations lined up, and we had phenomenal partners coordinating with us. What could go wrong? 

Pom-Pom Animals

Pom-pom made to look like a fish

In the Pom-Pom Animals class, a child and parent/guardian learned to make pom-poms with a maker tool. Then they shaped and decorated the pom-pom to look like an animal or monster. Participants decorated the pom-poms with markers, felt shapes and googly eyes.

Escape This: Creating DIY Escape Rooms for Your Library

Escape/puzzle rooms are a popular way to incorporate gamification into your library. These interactive live adventure games appeal to all ages and abilities, and provide people with a chance to be a part of a story and their community as they problem solve.

You could hire a company to run your escape room, but the cost — plus the proprietary nature of their product — means that many libraries can only offer an escape room once, if at all. It's time to DIY!

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