Summer Reading Is for Grown Ups, Too!

Caitlin Fralick & Elizabeth GoldmanOLA Super Conference, February 3, 2011

Overview

• Why offer summer reading for adults?• Selling it to your library• Setting up the program• Web 2.0 your summer reading program• Examples• Lesson & tips• Questions

Why do summer reading?

• Summer reading programs for kids are well-established, and teen programs are growing in popularity

• A program for adults has several benefits:o Draw in parents of kids who are participatingo Draw in seniors and younger adults without childreno Take advantage of time of year when people do more readingo Keep library users active and engaged over the summero Develop a suite of programs around a themeo Everyone has a lot of fun

Selling it to your library

• Libraries are increasingly focused on serving adult populations, especially seniors and younger adults

• Summer reading programs for adults are popular in the US, so chance for Canadians to get in on the ground level

• The program promotes reading, which is important at all ages, as well as general library use

• It helps people think of the library as a fun place and recreates the old-fashioned image many people have

Setting up the program

• Planning: o Budgeto Source of funding (library, Friends, grant)o Relationship, if any, to existing summer reading

programo Theme + structureo Qualifying tasks: required reading list; patron’s choice;

credit for non-book library useso Logging: based on pages? Time? Completed works

read? Non-book materials? o Prizes, opening and closing eventso Additional programmingo Online components

Web 2.0 your summer reading

• It’s easy to use social media to support summer reading• Your followers on Twitter and Facebook are mostly adults

o On a library Facebook page, people can discuss books, you can highlight events, and you can provide supplementary material

• If catalogue allows for rating, reviews, tagging, use it• Evanced has an interactive online summer reading program• Other possibilities: collections on Shelfari or Delicious, video

book reviews, user-submitted material on website or Youtube

Programming tips

• Movies are great in the summer. If you don't have a performance license, look for public performance options

• Whatever the theme, there's probably a store, nonprofit organization, or community group in your area that covers related ground. Often locals will speak for free.

• Look for anyone local who has written a book on the topic as a way to tie it back in to reading

• Contact local colleges and universities to see if anyone on staff does research that might relate to your theme.

Example 1: Small library, 2008

• Kids theme was insects, so picked gardening for adults• Launched at senior expo – lots of signups right there• Modeled after kids program: goal was 15 stamps. One stamp for movie,

magazine, library program, reference question; three for a book• Small prizes at 5 and 10 stamps; mass market paperback for completing

program + entry into grand prize drawing• Prizes bought locally and for cost in many cases; some donated• Associated programming: movie series, lectures• Recommended booklists and bibliographies• Drawings done at end-of-summer ice cream social• ~300 participants (library serves 14,000); budget ~ $500

Example 2: medium library, 2010

• Borrowed US theme, “Water Your Mind”• Modeled after kids program (TD): credit for each book read + movies,

attendance at library program• Logging done entirely online through Evanced Summer Reader –

users not required to write reviews but most chose to and reviews were linked to library catalogue records

• Prizes donated by Friends: $1 booksale coupon for first 100 registrants; 4 $50 grand prize gift certificates for local stores

• Screened two documentaries about water and organized panel discussion on local water issues

• ~100 participants (library serves 100,000); budget ~ $300 (donated)

Lessons & tips

• It can take a while to build this kind of program – don’t expect runaway success the first year

• Over time, probably 1/3 the participants in kids program• Staff buy-in is key – every staff member needs to be signing

people up at service points every day• Website and online tools (Facebook, Twitter) should be used to

promote program and add to interactive elements• Great to launch at a local event and/or market at summer

festivals, parades, etc.

Lessons & tips

• Friends groups are a great source of donations as well as participants

• Prizes can be cheap: extra paperbacks hanging around; homemade bookmarks laminated at the library; coupons for discounts on fines

• Where you are buying prizes, shop locally• Key with adults is make the program simple and fun: they don’t

want extra work in the summer• Take advantage of cottagers if you have them – they are

probably reading a lot

Lesson & tips

• Good opportunity for partnerships – with businesses or organizations that fit the theme, with senior centres, with summer events and festivals

• Opportunity to market online resources: Novelist, NextReads, What Do I Read Next, Overdrive, etc.

• Summer not successful? Try a winter reading program

Resources

• Collaborative Summer Reading Program (US)o http://www.cslpreads.org/ (some material for members only)

• Tips from California Library Associationo http://www.cla-net.org/summer-reading/AdultSRP.php

• Marketing ideaso http://www.infotoday.com/mls/apr99/story.htm

Questions?

• Contact us:Caitlin Fralick, caitlin.fralick@gmail.comElizabeth Goldman, egoldman@perthunionlibrary.ca