thinking outside the library: children's outreach
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Morgan SalleeCraighead County Jonesboro Public Library
Thinking Outside
the Library
CCJPL
• Main branch of the Crowley’s Ridge Regional Library system
• 7 smaller branches• Craighead and Poinsett Co.• Service Population: over 100k
CCJPL
• Summer Outreach2012: 57 Programs
1,628 Attendance2013: 474 Programs
7,787 Attendance• School Year Outreach
2012: 61 Programs3,610 Attendance
2013: 285 Programs11,716 Attendance
• Current School Year Daycare Program50 Centers
89 Monthly Daycare Storytimes
1,420 Kids/Month
Why Outreach?
• “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves…”
(ALA Library Bill of Rights)
• Services for infrequent or nonusers & the underserved
• Increase visibility in and engagement with the community
• Create new users/supporters
• Take the library to the patron
• Know YOUR reasons
Know your community
Demographics and needs• Small city surrounded by rural areas• Economic drivers (education, healthcare, manufacturing,
agriculture)
• Lower than average unemployment rate• Higher than average poverty rate• Significant income and education gaps• Lower than average rankings on NAEP
scores (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
• Lack of positive after-school activities for K-12 students
What can we do?
• Identify groups with the most pressing need. Who can benefit most from our services?
• Take the library to our patrons
• Cultivate relationships with local nonprofits, churches, schools, and other organizations
• Early Literacy efforts
• School-Age Programs (during and after school)
• STEAM-based community engagement (all ages)
Where are you now?
CCJPL Children’s Outreach, 2012• Library Card Sign-up Program
• School Visits (parent nights, author visits, SRC promotion)
• SRC- Traveling Storyteller (57 programs/summer)
• Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
• Back-to-School Fair
Start Planning
• Potential Partners
• Have realistic goals• Who, What, Where,
When and Why
• Make a plan
Identify Potential Partners
• Schools• Childcare Facilities• Community Organizations• Summer Programs• DHS
Who?
•Choose Carefully
•Staff or
Volunteers
•Provide Training
•Focus on Quality
•Evaluations &
Feedback
Convincing the Decision-Makers
• Do your research• Know your stuff• Who, what ,where, when, & why• Funding (how much, sources)
• Graphs & numbers• Know your decision-makers,
what are their goals?
Daycare Program
• Traveling Storyteller Program
• Monthly Storytime Visits• Books in a Bag• Year-Round Reading Program• Parent Nights• Early Literacy training
School Outreach
• SRC Promotion & Booktalks
• Parent Nights/ Family Fairs
• Library Card Sign-up• School Visits• Author/Illustrator Visits• Supplemental Collections
Teen Outreach
• Card Sign-Up• School Visits• Author/Artist Visits• SRC Promotion & Booktalks• Crafting @ Lunch• Book Discussions @ Lunch
Branches
• Programs• Training
In The Community
• Fairs/Festivals• Mall/Parks• Movie Theater• Nature Center
Summer
• Traveling Storyteller Program
• Childcare Facilities (including school-age)
• Branch Libraries
• Off-Site Programs: Parker Park & Mall
• Significant Expansions
Invite Them
• Special Programs• Field Trips/Tours• Workshops
Costumes
Quality Programming
•Everything you do represents the library
•Be proud of your
product
•Volunteers
•Evaluation
Traveling Storytellers
• Volunteers or staff
• Full 30 min storytime
• Stories, songs, games, & movement
• Leave crafts & fingerplay sheets
Starting the Program
• DHS for Child Care Facility Directory (capacity, ages served, contact info)
• Set parameters (#s, frequency of visits)
• Contact Centers (availability & limitations)
*Excel Spreadsheet
• Map out your centers
• Assign day/time*Monthly Schedule (W1M, W1T, W1W…)*Calendars
Interest Postcards
Welcome Kit & Gifts
• ECRR Information
• Services for you, brochures
• Books in a Bag list
• My business card
• Storyteller’s Background Check
• Thank you letter and gift
Themes
• Daycare’s curriculum
• Make your own themes
• Monthly (weekly in summer)
• Variety is YOUR friend
• Have back-up books, stories, songs, and games
• Be sensitive about holidays
Storytime Components
• Introduction
• Opening Song (consistent)
• Books
• Storytelling
• Flannelboard Stories/Counting
• Songs (traditional and new)
• Movement (favorites and new)
• Fingerplays
• Counting, Colors, Letters, Sorting
• Games (Books, flannelboard, etc.)
• Leave craft and fingerplay sheet
• Closing song (consistent)
Know your Audience
Tell Stories
• Books, variety
• Flannelboard
• Puppets
• Props
• Classics
• Have kids help
Fingerplay Sheets
Music/Movement
Games
• Matching Game
• Guess Who- Books
• Sorting
• Rhyming
• Colors, Numbers
Crafts/Experiments
• Logo goes on everything• Leave instructions w/ a picture or a sample• Provide everything but the basics• Volunteers• Age appropriate, avoid choking hazards
Pinterest is your friendwww.pinterest.com/morgansallee/
Market the Library
• Introduce Yourself
• Posters
• Bookmarks, promotional material
• Parent Nights
• Put your logo on everything
• Library Vehicle
• Uniform
Potential Issues
• Staff burnout• Cancellations and Rescheduling• Someone Forgets• Lack of Communication• Holidays/Themes• Variety of ages• Illness• Background Checks, fingerprints• Know any rules or policies
The Binder
• Schedule• Contact info• Maps• Notes• Place to record
stats and notes• Mileage Log
Evaluations & Review
• Storyteller Evaluation
• Postage
• Feedback from Storytellers
• How are we doing?
• Changes
The Reward