As librarians explore event formats in an increasingly virtual landscape, “hybrid” programs are an option that balance interactivity with access. This selection of resources includes pieces that discuss some of the benefits of a hybrid model, as well as individual libraries’ successes and challenges with their events.
What can you do to ensure that your hybrid programs become standouts in your programming lineup? Try covering these three bases: promotion, delivery and evaluation.
Jeff Zeh and James Hutter of Port Washington (N.Y.) Public Library reflect on the last two years of successes and failures they met while planning hybrid programs.
Watch the full webinar recording to learn more or read some of Zeh and Hutter's tips below.Â
What can you do to make your hybrid programs more interactive and engaging for people, both in-person at your library and at home?
Watch the webinar recording to learn more or read some of Melissa A. Wong's simple guidelines and tips for selecting the right tools and activities below.
Join Jeff Zeh and James Hutter as they discuss the Port Washington Public Library’s efforts to support hybrid programming in their community. They will cover the library’s efforts to establish, promote, and evaluate hybrid programming during the pandemic. Successes and failures met along the way will also be shared. There will be dedicated time for Q&A at the end of this session.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:Â
As we have seen thus far in our hybrid programming webinar series, hosting hybrid programs may look different at different institutions.
What can you do to make your hybrid program interactive and engaging for people in the room and at home? In this webinar, moderator Melissa Wong will share strategies for engaging audience members in the hybrid environment. We’ll explore tools and activities that are simple, fun, and effective, and have time for some hands-on practice.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:Â
Alyssa Denneler has been hosting hybrid events for more than four years as an assistant librarian at Indiana University Bloomington. During that time, she has learned that, although planning hybrid programs comes with some extra steps, the outcomes are usually worth the effort.
Last spring, Indiana University Bloomington launched a virtual exhibit that was accompanied by an in-person program and exhibition. Naturally, attendees of online and in-person events had different experiences; that's to be expected, Denneler says.
Many of us feel confident hosting events in person, and after these last few years, some of us feel confident running virtual events as well. But it can feel a bit more intimidating to think of doing both formats at once in a hybrid event.
Are virtual and hybrid programs worth the investment now that in-person programs have returned? Do they have a life beyond the pandemic?
Boston Public Library employs more than 500 staff members and presents more than 4,500 programs per year. To help these programs run smoothly, many different staff participate in their creation and execution — and that is doubly true for hybrid programs.
Hybrid programming can help libraries a wide range of community members, from people who are wary of COVID exposure to patrons with child care or transportation issues. Hybrid programs can also allow for larger attendance caps and a smoother pivot to a fully virtual program in case of an emergency.
Inspiration Place is an adult craft series that met exclusively on Zoom from May 2020 to January 2022 and averaged 15 attendees per session. April 2022 was the first time a hybrid option was offered, allowing patrons the choice of attending on Zoom or in-person. Out of the 20 registered, 3 attended in-person and 17 virtually.
Using two examples from the Boston Public Library’s recent hybrid programming, the presenters will walk through the logistical details to consider when planning hybrid programs. The many decisions to make about staff roles and responsibilities, registration, managing the online and in-person audience engagement, and leveraging AV and technology, will be outlined and discussed.
Participants will learn the following:
Stumped by the concept of hybrid programming? Need some insight into the logistics of planning a hybrid program? Or maybe you just need a place to speak with other library workers about this new territory in library programming.
In this second webinar in a series on hybrid programming, moderator Melissa Wong will explore the technical and logistical set-up of hybrid programs as well as the types of programs that are conducive to the hybrid format. The webinar is planned to be discussion-based with substantial time for participants to ask questions and share experiences.
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:Â
During the pandemic, online programming allowed libraries to reach new audiences — including, in some cases, people who had never come in person to the library before. But virtual programming fell short in meeting the needs of patrons without a reliable internet connection.
Authors Speak is a new virtual program at Madison Public Library for older adults that features a book talk and four or five workshops taught by a local author.
For the first workshop, Heather Williams presented her book “Drawing as a Sacred Activity” and then taught a five-week drawing basics workshop.
In the shift to online services and programs in the wake of the pandemic, librarians discovered the benefits of online programming such as reaching new audiences. This shift also came with some drawbacks, including bridging the issues of digital equity for patrons without always having the resources at hand. Now, as the country starts to move back to offering more in-person gatherings and services, librarians are left to determine how to balance the shifting priorities and levels of comfort of their patrons while maintaining robust program offerings.
Do you want your livestreams to look more professional? Whether you’re using Zoom, Facebook Live or YouTube, these tech products are relatively affordable, easy to use, and can greatly improve your virtual content.
Matt Mazur, co-founder and director of Turtle Dance Music, shares tech products in a 10-minute video, or scroll below to view highlights.
