THINKING INSIDE THE BOX:
Portable Programs for Public Libraries
Lindsay Schluter, Youth Services Librarian
Sophie Walker, Teen Services Librarian Winnipeg Public Library
Family Literacy Fun Day Kits (FLFD)
Teen Programs in a Box (TPIB)
WPL’s Portable Programming
o What are “portable programs?”o Overview of FLFD o Results of the program at WPL o Customizing the concept:
• Funding• Station Planning• Training• Promotion
o Impact on the community
Outline
Ideas and instructions for programs are planned centrally
Supplies purchased in advance and packed in durable plastic totes
Staff book programs with central coordinators and receive program kit via library’s delivery system
What are Portable Programs?
Minimize costs Supplies can be ordered in bulk Materials are re-used
Maximize staff time Program created once, and used over
and over again
Benefits
Family Literacy Fun Day
at Winnipeg Public Library
What is Family Literacy?
Family literacy refers to the many different ways that families can work and play together while developing reading and writing skills. It is a way of improving literacy while having fun as a family.
Family Literacy Fun Day
19 Family Literacy Fun Days!1048 Participants!
By the Numbers….
Average number of participants per branch: 41
o High End: 225 participants at Louis Riel Libraryo Low End: 19 participants at St. Vital Library
Response From the Public
When is the next one?
We Loved it! All the activities
had elements of fun and
learning!
We had a wonderful time!
This was our first time
coming to the library!
A great time for family bonding!
Response from Staff
I think it is a great idea and look
forward to hosting another
one.
I would love to see more ‘portable
programs’ such as this.
This is a great program and I can see it becoming
more popular after every event as people become
more familiar with it.
We realize now that the
program can be a success via drop in. There is always the uncertainty of numbers when
there is no registration.
It’s 100% Portable!
This is a program that is designed to maximize the re-usability of program materials, and minimize the staff time spent planning and preparing!
Family Literacy Fun Day Kit
port-a-ble : moveable, convenient, handy, compact, wieldy
Funding
o Community Foundations Toronto Community Foundation
o Government Organizations Ontario Trillium Foundation Canada Post
o Non-Profit Organizations ABC Life Literacy Canada Kiwanis Clubs Rotary Clubs United Way of Canada Raise-a-Reader
o Businesses Indigo Books, Music & More
Station Planning
o Public Libraries Winnipeg Public Library London Public Library Toronto Public Library
o Non-Profit Organizations North West Territories Literacy Council National Adult Literacy Database ABC Life Literacy Canada
o Early Childhood Education SuppliersWintergreen
Scholar’s Choice
Invest in quality totes!
Training
Family Literacy Fundamentals • What is Family Literacy? • Why is it important to foster Family Literacy skills?
Logistics of Family Literacy Fun Day
• Scheduling• Staffing • Set-up• Advertising
Train all staff on safety procedures!
Promotion
Newsletter, 25%
Staff , 24%Website, 16%
Poster, 14%
Media, 8% School, 4%
Friend, 9%
How Did You Hear About Family
Literacy Fun Day?
Portable Programs Rock!
The possibilities are endless!
Teen Programs in a Box!
TPIB Project: History
Based on SDCL TPIB project, 2007 Simple concept: everything in the box!
Consumable supplies Tools Instructions Recommended books for display Booked by branches Sent via delivery or courier to location
Kit Example: Bookmaking
Our Project
Started in 2008 Team of 4 librarians, 2 “research
assistants” Passionate about teen programming, or
at least giving teens something to do Knew it would be a challenge to get
everyone on board Needed funding; no wiggle room in
children’s and adult programming budgets
Grant Application
Funded by Jack Montgomery Community Outreach Grant, offered by Library Board
Failed on first application, needed to rewrite and resubmit before funding was awarded
Liked the level of detail and research that went into our proposal: Detailed budget with itemized lists of
supplies and with estimated costs Statistics
Statistics
Teen usage of libraries at WPL:
Customizing TPIB to WPL
Our project: Funded by grant $5000 Budget:
$3000 for kit contents $1500 for promotional materials $300 for packing/shipping $200 for resupply
1-year timeline
So many kit ideas…
…so what do you choose? Customizing the TPIB Concept for
WPL: Looked at examples of other libraries Looked at old wish list of programs Looked at our skill sets, built list of
“doable” programs
Customizing TPIB for WPL
“And why is this a LIBRARY program?” Fun for fun’s sake is not quite enough Must be related to our library’s
collection and overall mission Repeat the mantra: the purpose of the
program is the collection Helps in persuading administration,
staff
Value Proposition
Source: Library Journal, 10/1/2009, Vol. 134 Issue 16, p. 27
Teen Programming Value Proposition
Our Value Proposition
Criteria: Popularity with teen audience Ease of repetition/cost of re-supply Staff effort needed to run programs Lack of similar programming in
catchment area Tie-in to Library collections Tie-in to Library’s overall mission
Assembling the kits
Purchasing and assembling wasn’t easy Strategies:
Pilot programs to ascertain volume• Budget may need revision • New supplies that need to be added
Good suppliers, maximize trips• Local wholesalers• Retail stores (Michaels, Walmart, Home
Depot)• Dollar stores (Dollarama)
WPL’s TPIB Kits
Wii Gaming (2 kits) Duct Tape crafts Mini dolls/Fabric crafts Sock Puppets Bookmaking, card-
making & scrapbooking
Board Games
Dungeons & Dragons CD Clocks Bags & Bows Wandmaking
workshop Collage Art workshop Jewelry-making Zombie Makeup
Contents
Guide Patterns,
instructions & samples
List of books for booktalking and display
Posters, Display Boards and Handouts
Staff Buy-in and Participation
Staff buy-in has been positive Wanted to see 100% increase in teen
programming across system from 2009 to 2010 Offerings increased from 10 programs
at 5 locations to 27 programs at 14 locations over the same time period
Staff have been eager to book kits, even asking months in advance
Part-time staff are getting involved
Troubleshooting Promotion
Difficult to combat the “If You Host It, They Will Come” mentality among staff Word-of-mouth marketing remains the
most essential tool for branch programs Staff need to be engaged in program or
it can fail Display posters, samples at talking
points Circ counters, ref desks—wherever staff
regularly engage teens Try, try again
Marketing
$1500 of TPIB budget was set aside for promotional materials
Half spent on Teen Summer Reading promotions, remainder used to create lasting posters for schools and libraries
Advertised events on WPL teen Facebook page, YouTube
Sharing?
Teen kits don’t have to be just for teens Tools can be re-purposed for adult
programming, tween events Outreach programs in schools, remote
locations Teachers, community groups interested? Share the wealth (of knowledge, at least) Make guides, instructions available
Programming is hard, time consuming Addresses challenges that staff face:
need for specialized training time to design, assemble and promote
the program cost of the materials
Box programs provide branch staff with everything they need to provide self-directed, high-interest programs
Conclusion: Why In A Box?
Minimization of costs Supplies can be ordered in bulk Expensive items not duplicated
Maximization of staff time Initial creation takes time Cost associated with time decreases
with each repetition of same program Ease of use
Benefits
Lindsay [email protected]
Sophie [email protected]
wpl.winnipeg.cawpl-teens.winnipeg.cafacebook.com/wpl.teens
Thanks for Listening!!