Transcript Infopeople Webcast Series: Promoting Reading in Your Community Promoting Reading To Youth Thurs., Dec.

Infopeople Webcast Series:
Promoting Reading in Your
Community
Promoting Reading
To Youth
Thurs., Dec. 4, 2003,
12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
Presenter: Katie O’Dell
[email protected]
Technical Housekeeping

Use Chat window to ask questions or post to group

Click IM button to send a private message

For technical problems, send IM to HorizonHelp

Evaluation pops up during Q&A; please fill it out

Webcast is being archived; will be available on
Infopeople’s website tomorrow
Today’s Webcast

What is Reading Promotion?

Programs and services overview

Early Childhood - making the connection

School Age - building the relationship

Young Adult - supporting their needs
What is Reading Promotion?

Encouragement and support of active
reading for pleasure and information

Making resources available to youth
in our communities and promoting
those services to increase the
popularity of reading
Why It Matters for Your Library?







Creates life long readers and library users
Supports work of schools and parents
Creates new relationships with parents
Advertises readers’ advisory services
Attracts funding through grants and
sponsors
Builds intergenerational bonds in the
community
Increases circulation
Programs and Services Overview

Reading Promotion programs and
services for all youth

Booklists

Readers’ advisory

Website resources

Summer and year-round reading programs
 Author/illustrator
visits
Booklists
 Annotate!!!
 Multiple
audiences: youth,
parents, and educators
 Available
at multiple outlets
Readers’ Advisory
 Identify
strengths in reading knowledge of each staff
member and post to your intranet
 Use
a small portion of each staff meeting to rotate
booktalks to increase readers’ advisory knowledge
 Promote
staff reading knowledge through “staff picks”
display, promotional stickers or buttons
 Submissions
newspapers
to library newsletters and community
Web Site Resources

Reading promotion main feature of site

Links to authors, illustrators, and book sites

Online current booklists

Book discussion information, virtual book group

Form for young patrons to submit their own reviews

Contests and opinion polls

Online reading programs and reading logs

Create email lists for youth and parents
Summer and Year-Round
Reading Programs

Summer reading - make the most of this
recognizable library service for youth

Amazing sponsorship opportunities

Offer online version of the program

Year-round reading programs

Special promotions and contests
Author and Illustrator Visits

Can work for all ages

Spend as much or as little as you want

Low cost - local or new authors and illustrators,
out on book tours, appearing at conferences

More investment - bringing in nationally known
talents, share with local libraries or schools,
involve youth in planning and preparation
Early Childhood: Making the
Connection

Connecting with

Parents

Childcares

Preschools

Social Service agencies
Connecting with Parents and
Caregivers






New library card pack to hospitals and birth centers
Stock booklists at pediatrician’s offices
Consider age specific storytimes for babies, wobblers,
and preschoool
Advertise your services to play groups, indoor gyms,
park and recreation programs
Connect caregivers to library services through visits,
email, mentoring, book packs, storytime training
Offer licensed child care providers the same
considerations you offer teachers: longer checkout
times, higher hold limit, reduced fines, etc.
Connecting with Preschools and
Social Service Agencies




Build relationships with preschools and
social service agencies through visits,
email, and mailings
Extend invitations to appropriate staff
trainings to staff
Rotating collection of book sets
Trade promotional space with social service
agencies to expand potential audience
School Age: Building the
Relationship

New opportunity to build a relationship
between burgeoning independent child and
library
 Library card campaigns
 Involve youth in your library
 Merchandizing
 Programming
Library Card Campaigns
Getting the cards to the kids
 Working with schools
 Annual event
 Allowing youth and teens to work off
fines or offer restitution days
 Bookmark with tips on managing library
card

Involve Youth in the Library




Library Youth Advisory Board
Friends of the Library
Volunteer opportunities
Informal relationships
Now that you’ve got them, what are you
going to do with them?
 Daily
tasks: organizing board books,
straightening shelves, covering books,
labeling, etc.
 Involve
 Youth
them in planning programs
volunteers as library ambassadors to
schools
Merchandizing





Creative displays
Pop culture topics – how to stay on top of
these
Involve youth volunteers in coming up with
topics and keeping displays stocked
Staff picks and new books shelf
Face outs and strict weeding
Programming

Book Discussion Groups

Relate all programming back to library
collection and reading interests

Library sleepovers

Program series that explores popular topics
like science, history, animals

After-school reading club or program time
Young Adults:
Supporting Their Needs

Changing needs of young adults

Build a library environment and staff that
respects and welcomes teens

Promote resources young adults are most
interested in
Changing Needs of Young Adults




Developmental needs of teens
Don’t make assumptions of what you think
teens want or need – ask them!
Involve teens in decision making processes
Depending on library programming may or
may not be the best route to supporting
young adults
Building A Welcoming Library

Careful look at how teens are treated

Staff and volunteer training on teens
developmental needs and interests

Teen space

Up to date, in shape collection

Advocate for allowing food and drink in the
library

Teen input critical for success
Promoting Resources Young Adults
Need and Want

Readers’ advisory: identify which staff is most current
on what y.a.’s are reading

Career and continuing education resources
prominently displayed

Food handler’s licensees readily available

Booklists and pathfinders for sensitive issues
Handouts

Class outline

Web resources for promoting reading to
youth

Print resources for promoting reading to
youth

Web resources for book discussion
groups for youth
How to Contact Katie O’Dell
[email protected]
Questions and Answers