1. Good Practices in Library Programming March 14, 2012

2. Different Activities for Different Audiences • Everyone • Children 12 & under • Youth 12 + • Adults • Families • Women • Men

3. A Sampling of the Possibilities…

4. 1. Everyone • Assisting patrons to find the right book: • Lists of Recommended Books (by age group; or by subject) • Advising patrons with book suggestions • Featuring or displaying new books

5. 1. Everyone • Offering Incentives: • Provide cookies, fruit or other snacks during scheduled activities or events • Supply literacy kits to parents • Give away backpacks or school supplies to children who use the library • Free classes, such as computer classes or research classes

6. 2. Children 12 & Under • Story time: • Reading stories to a group of children • With or without parental accompaniment • Engage the children: use different voices for different characters; ask them questions about the story; sound effects; show illustrations • Use a puppet show to tell a story

7. 2. Children 12 & Under • Story writing/Book making: • Have children imagine a story and provide them with paper and markers to illustrate and write their own book, with guidance from the librarian • Children can present the books to other children afterwards • Children can perform plays they write or stories they read in books

8. 2. Children 12 & Under • Music events: • Singing nursery rhymes together • Inviting a musician to perform for the children

9. 2. Children 12 & Under • Art • Have children make illustrations and then put them on display in the library - Craft hour • Sponsor an art competition • Display art books in library

10. 2. Children 12 & Under • Outreach to Children • Have a story reading hour in a local orphanage • Have story readings in local schools

11. 3. Youth 12 + • Study Support: • Homework help seminars • Tutoring • Workshops on research, referencing, writing skills and other academic skills

12. 3. Youth 12 + • Reading Promotion: • Youth Book Club • Reading Competition • Book review competition • Display photo essay on a book made by youth • Poetry reading

13. 4. Adults • Book Clubs • Everyone in the club reads the same book • The club meets to discuss the book (i.e. monthly) • Members take turns selecting the book

14. 4. Adults • Job Skills Support: • Resume writing workshop • Vacancies information bulletin board in library • Have an area with brochures or fliers for training programs and study opportunities

15. 4. Adults • Offer Recreational Classes • Learn a foreign language • Kitchen gardening, horticulture • Literacy classes • Writing classes • Nutrition

16. 5. Families • Activities for Families: • Family story hour • Mom & kid(s) story hour • Family literacy program