 |
Programming
Adult Programmer User's Group |
Notes from the first meeting of the Adult Programmer User's Group - August
2008
Best Programs:
- Social
- Fun
- Spoke to a person's need
for validation
Examples:
- eBay
Day administered by the local post office - free program run by the USPS
(Staatsburg)
- Adult Summer Reading
Program: collect book reviews on index cards, entered into drawings for gift
certificates to local restaurants (Beacon)
- Stylist for "Art
of Dressing" as part of a women's series (Patterson)
- Videography (Beekman)
- Amateur Archeologist
program (Rosendale)
- Hand-on computer class
to teach the basics, held before the library opened for the day (East Fishkill)
- Quilting/sewing/knitting
groups
- NEA Big Read Program
(Poughkeepsie)
- Family program: jewelry
making
- Defensive driving course
(AARP: $10 a person)
(East Fishkill)
- Historic House Group
- discussed historic preservation of homes, tours of houses, session on "hauntings"
(Milton)
- Moveable feast in local
historic homes (Coxsackie)
Worst Programs:
- Speaker didn't show
- No one came
- Saturation in the community
on the topic
- Program w/o local interest
or need; other group already addressing a need
- Programs that are not
fun
- Compete with busy schedules
of families
- Avoid summer, Friday
nights and Saturday - although if you have the "right program"
it can work - something that is a "free night of entertainment"
- social and fun or reaching out to "weekenders"
Tips:
- Make a library "impact"
on outside groups meeting at the library. Examples: welcome the attendees
to the library; leave newsletters on the chairs or targeted workshop or resource
handouts
- Make great displays for
each program. Bring in books from other libraries to promote Request-a-Title
- Turn it into a social
occasion that does good for the community
- On the evaluation
form:
- Ask how they heard
about the program
- Ask for ideas for
future programs
- Local presenters from
the community can attract attendees who are new to the community
- Listen to what people
are asking for at the reference and circ desk, invite them to related programs,
build interest mailing lists
- Programs offered as a
series keep people coming back
- Become part of local
tours (through historical society, tourism department)
- Historical societies
can also be a resource for speakers
- Ask attendees to bring
a fancy dessert.
- Create an "atmosphere."
For example, poetry night @Staatsburg: lights turned low, white Christmas
lights, electric candles on the table
- Planning with community
partners can tap into new audiences
- Recognition book plate
in honor of presenter
- Adult programming funded
by the Friends
Group
- "Programming
as fundraiser"
- Network with patrons
and trustees for potential presenters
- Advertise through related,
community-based listservs (example: Red Hook Moms email list)
- Provide programming for
groups already holding their own meetings/programs in the community, who may
not already be library users (example: senior center that does programming,
how could the library partner with them or integrate library resources into
their existing programs?)
Resources
Home
| Public
Library Catalog
| Calendar
| Contacts | Services
| Bulletins
| Member Libraries
| MHLS
Board of Trustees | Web
Site Index
Administration & Management
| Resource Sharing & Millennium
| Reference & Collection
Development | Library Programming
| Professional Development
| Marketing, Advocacy &
Funding | Youth
Services | Trustee Resources