To limit participants and raise some money for the library’s Friends group, spellers pay a $5 fee to enter the bee. Audience members get in free, but can donate money to sponsor spellers who cannot afford the fee.[iv] Spellers can also purchase cheats at the time of registration, ranging from a $3 ‘Ask a Friend,’ where a friend in the audience can spell the word for them from their own knowledge, to a $15 ‘Mulligan,’ where a speller can stay in the competition after misspelling a word.[v] A “Big Cheat Deal” package gives contestants several cheats at a discount, and was so popular in the second year of the event that nearly everyone bought it, said Bonnie Brzozowski, a reference librarian at the library and one of the spelling bee coordinators.[vi]

These fees brought in enough money to allow the event to break even in its first year, after the Friends donated the proceeds back to the library’s programming budget. In its second year, with a change in venue, the event ended up costing the library $1000.[vii]  This year, the event cost between $500-750, Brzozowski said.[viii]  Although the event doesn’t raise as much money as it costs, the library will likely continue doing it in the coming years as it attracts a hard-to-reach demographic.”People react to the event as something to keep going because it brings people to a library event that we never see at a library event, the 20-  to 30-somethings,” Brzozowski said.[ix]

With the bee’s large number of contestants and the benefits of the cheats, a big challenge has been timing. In the second year, Brzozowski said the event lasted nearly four hours before a champion was crowned. This year, an “end-of-bee” round was introduced, in which 20 words are given and all remaining contestants at the end of the round are declared winners. This allowed staff to limit the event to two hours.[x]

Another important consideration is the bee’s word list. Official Scripps spelling bee lists are difficult to come by, so the library’s spelling bee committee makes its own list of about 500 words per year to challenge contestants.[xi] Committee members ask for suggestions of difficult words from friends and coworkers, look up lists of frequently misspelled words, and use their own leisure reading time to collect words. “Any word I find that’s a great spelling word, I write it down and keep a list all year long,” Brzozowski said.[xii]

References

[i] “Sip & Spell: An Adult Spelling Bee | Programs That Pop.” Library Journal.  Accessed June 22, 2017. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/05/opinion/programs-that-pop/sip-spell-an-adult-spelling-bee-programs-that-pop

[ii] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in an e-mail interview with the author, June 22, 2017

[iii] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in a phone interview with the author, June 20, 2017

[iv] “Sip & Spell: An Adult Spelling Bee | Programs That Pop.” Library Journal.  Accessed June 22, 2017. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/05/opinion/programs-that-pop/sip-spell-an-adult-spelling-bee-programs-that-pop

[v] “Sip & Spell Official Rules.” Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. Accessed June 22, 2017. https://cbcpubliclibrary.net/pdf/SipandSpellOfficialRules2017.pdf

[vi] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in a phone interview with the author, June 20, 2017

[vii] “Sip & Spell: An Adult Spelling Bee | Programs That Pop.” Library Journal.  Accessed June 22, 2017. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/05/opinion/programs-that-pop/sip-spell-an-adult-spelling-bee-programs-that-pop

[viii] Bonnie Brzozowski, Reference Librarian at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, in a phone interview with the author, June 20, 2017

[ix] Ibid.

[x] Ibid.

[xi] Ibid.

[xii] Ibid.

The post Library Spells Success with Sip & Spell Event first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

We can’t say that this is an activity that would work everywhere. It seems quite situation-dependent. For example, ours Adult Library Lock-In consisted of a core group who grew up attending lock-ins and other library programs. However, this time they brought their college friends, roommates, co-workers, and significant others to meet the librarians and former classmates they spent hours with at the library sometimes as long as five years ago.

How does an adult lock-in look different from a high school lock-in? Instead of large coolers filled with lemonade and water there is a carafe of very strong coffee and some 2 liter bottles of soft drinks. There isn’t a litany of rules to go over at the beginning so everyone behaves because everyone is an adult now. Anyone can leave when they want because most have cars, so there isn’t a need to call an over-sleeping parent and remind them to come get their child in the morning. There is more talking among the participants at the beginning of the event as they catch up with each other on what they have been doing since the last time they saw each other. Even in the age of social media it seems like talking face-to-face is still the best way to get information. There are also new friends from outside the community. It isn’t just kids from the local schools in the area.

How does an adult lock-in look the same as a high school lock-in? There are current and retro-gaming systems set up around the building. Tables are filled with board games ready to play. One television is ready for movie-watching. There is still pizza to eat, and someone still wants to organize a game of capture the flag. There are still people who decide to curl up in a niche on a comfy chair and read during the night, and there are still one or two people who decided to sleep for an hour or two during the event.

Why an adult lock-in? Whether these new adults are attending some type of post-secondary education in the area or farther away, they still want to come home. For many of them the library was their home during high school. This was their third place other than school and home. They could be themselves here. Now they want to share that with their significant other, their college roommate, or their co-worker who likes the same things they do. It is also a time to show the important adults in their lives, the librarians, that they have grown up and become something. Now they tell the librarians about their jobs, their classes, and their internships. And just like during high school, the librarians listen attentively, praise their efforts, and remind these young adults that they still believe they can do anything.

These kids aren’t kids anymore. They are now able to vote for library levies and generally support or ignore libraries. Soon they will have kids of their own, and hopefully they will bring their babies to your library for storytime!

The post Library Lock-ins for Adults first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Let’s explore some thought-provoking infographics from libraries.

KU Edwards Partners with Johnson County Library to Evaluate Library’s ROI

This example tackles the challenge of distilling technical research findings into a concise message without undercutting the complexity of the research. This example below is from Johnson County Library who partnered with the University of Kansas Edwards Campus on a Return on Investment study.[1] The infographic below was used to communicate the findings of the survey in a meaningful way.

Next let’s look to an academic library system. Louisiana State University Libraries took a visual approach to their Impact Report: 2014-2015.[2] The report pairs concise descriptions of performance with clear infographics. Additionally, striking photographs from inside the library provide the backdrop for both the text and infographics. The university’s colors of purple and gold are incorporated throughout the document. The report is a lesson how to make annual reports engaging and relevant. Below is an example from the Impact Report: 2014-2015 that lends itself to print, web, and social media formats.

Louisiana State University Libraries Impact Report 2014-2015: Ebook Usage

Greene County Public Library created an infographic about their successful 2014 Summer Reading program.[3] This is an especially inspiring example because communicating summer reading program results is a challenge many libraries face annually. An element of fun or whimsy is added with the trophy cup being used to signify a record number of enrolled participants.

London Public Library, located in southern Canada, takes a fresh approach to a library factsheet.[4] Below is their factsheet that both shared key performance metrics and demonstrates trends in use. Most notably, what could have been a black and white page with many long numbers is instead an engaging and intriguing graphic that invites the users to explore.

London Public Library Budget FAQ 2012 Snapshot

In this post, I aim to intrigue and inspire you to think about how you can make your presentations and reports more engaging. It can be difficult to sift through all the findings and distill a message to its core elements. This is a real challenge. However, think of it like this: realistically any audience— this definitely includes me— will likely remember only a fraction of all the information you present. By extracting the key takeaways, you are creating a more cohesive message and ensuring the audience walks away with the message you intended.

References:

[1] “KU Edwards Partners with Johnson County Library to Evaluate Library’s ROI.” The University of Kansas Edwards campus, 2015. (The full results and methodology of this study will be published in the future.)

[2] “Impact Report 2014-2015.” LSU Libraries, 2015.

[3] “Summer Reading 2014.” Green County Public Library, 2014.

[4] “London Public Library Budget FAQ.” London Public Library, 2012.

Further Reading:

Cook, Gareth and Maria Popova. The Best American Infographics 2015. Boston: Mariner, 2015.

McCandless, David. Knowledge is Beautiful: Impossible Ideas, Invisible Patterns, Hidden Connections – Visualized. New York: Harper Design, 2014.

Munroe, Randall. Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.

The post Inspired by Infographics first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

So, what exactly is “unprogramming”? According to Koester, “The unprogramming philosophy is that it is possible to create and offer programs for youth audiences that are at once highly engaging and collection­ driven without requiring large amounts of planning, funds, and staff time. Unprogramming is high­ impact, low­stress programming.”[1] Koester explains further, “Unprogramming” is a concept that now ­retired Wisconsin librarian Marge Loch­ Wouters and I gave name to in 2013. We’d been sharing some of our recent program successes online on our blogs, on Twitter, etc., and started to notice that our most successful programs had something in common; specifically, that they were less staff­-intensive and more participant-­directed than typical and traditional programs. In the same way that conferences with a participant-­directed format took on the term “unconference,” we added that “un” to the front of “programming” to indicate the same general idea: more participant interaction and determination.”

While low attendance can be a frustrating problem, librarians also sometimes fail to capitalize on programs that are successful, thinking that they need to start from square one with each program. However, with unprogramming, recycling program elements is not only acceptable but encouraged. “When we unprogram, we take stock of what kids respond to, what’s worked in past programs, and then we repurpose that for future unprograms. We think about what materials we have on hand—did you buy those grabber hand contraptions at some point, or a Nerf crossbow, or some other cool prop—and figure out ways to use them again in new programs. Unprogramming lets us mine our past successes for smoother, less intensive new programs—no more starting from scratch on every program. And, what I’ve found, is that when we’re encouraged to look back at what has been successful in our past programs, we get a huge confidence and morale boost. We’re able to see the awesome ways we’re reaching youth,” Koester explains[2].

There are a few key elements that are typically included when planning and implementing an unprogram. Ideally, your program should always tie back to materials or services that your library offers, so use your own resources for inspiration when brainstorming. Books are a great place to start, but your program doesn’t necessarily have to be literature-based. The theme is introduced at the beginning of the program with a big group activity that is led by staff. This not only introduces kids to the topic but also serves as a sort of ice breaker. The next part of the program would be giving the kids time to explore three to four self-directed stations that also relate to the theme. The stations require little or no explanation and don’t require an adult to lead the activity. Kids can participate as much or as little as they want at each station. After the “stations of stuff” there is a brief wrap-up and kids can browse related materials that you have put on display.

Programs that are less staff-­intensive allow those creating the programs to watch and get a clearer understanding of what elements work and what elements are not as successful. It also gives library staff an opportunity to interact with kids in a more meaningful way. These observations and interactions can help you plan for your next “unprogram.” Koester advises making reflection a regular part of your planning process: “The life of a youth library staffer is usually one of constantly moving from one thing to the next thing, with little time for interludes. But make reflection a priority—I encourage folks to actually put it in their calendars for at least every six months. When we think back on what’s worked, and what hasn’t, we have a great and reliable pool of knowledge to inform our new endeavors.”[3]

References:

[1] Amy Koester, e-mail message to author, October 21, 2015.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

Resources:

Show Me Librarian

Unprogramming Pinterest Page

The post Unprogramming with Amy Koester first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Networking with other programming librarians, particularly from other library systems or from other parts of your state, can provide you with lots of great ideas of programs to try at your library. There can be something so energizing about it; however, it can sometimes be disheartening as well. When there is a presenter at the front of the room expounding his library’s high attendance of the same types of programs that you have done but gotten nobody, it can hurt. However, how does the speaker define “well-attended” and how do you define “nobody?”

Let’s talk about some buzzwords and what they can mean:

Well-Attended

Every library has a different definition of what a successful program is, let alone a well-attended program. This is often defined as the number of attendees; however, one library may define having five people at a program as well-attended, and another library may define it as twenty-five. Did you ask the speaker at the program or the person you were talking to at lunch what qualified the program as a success? Does the definition change based on the age of the attendees? For a program for young adults, it may be a well-attended program to have six high schoolers there, but for a well-attended adult program there may need to be twelve attendees.

Unsuccessful

Every library has a different definition of what an unsuccessful program is. That can sometimes be more complicated than defining a successful program. Sometimes it is based strictly on attendance. Sometimes it is a ratio. If more people attend a program, the cost per attendee of the event goes down. If it cost $50 for supplies for the program and five people attended, then $10 per person might be too much money to spend. If ten people attended, a $5 per person cost could be more acceptable.

Cost-Effective

Every library has a different programming budget. Everybody has different staffing costs. In a library with very few staff and a very small budget, spending $25 on craft supplies for a children’s program that twenty-five children come to means it is $1 per child. That could be viewed by that library as a cost-effective program. But, if it took the staff person three hours to prepare the program and that person was paid $15 per hour, then that program becomes vastly more expensive. Is this a cost-effective program if the preparation time is so great?

We hope this gives you some perspective on listening to people talk about their fabulous programs. If you can ask someone what their criteria are, you can get a much better understanding of how to compare their programs to what the standards are for your library. Don’t let the green-eyed monster get you (four clichés).

The post The Grass Is Always Greener first appeared on Public Libraries Online.