Skip to main content

Time and Reflection: Preparing for Your Upcoming Summer Library Program

Originally published February 25, 2022

*****

Although the recurring spates of cold weather make it difficult to remember, this year’s Summer Library Program is swiftly approaching, and now is the time to reflect upon the successes and opportunities for change brought by the previous season. Bearing that in mind, I am extremely grateful for the insights libraries provided me via the 2021 feedback survey and wanted to share some of this information to help inform your approach to this coming year.

Overall, 76.1% reported an increase in program attendance compared to the previous year. And, in terms of the provided resources, 78.7% reported having been satisfied with the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) materials, with 74.7% agreeing that applying the resources in the manual helped improve their library’s services to the community. In light of your satisfaction with these materials, consider joining the 2022 CSLP Theme and Slogans Committee to help craft future iterations. For more information, consult the January 2022 CSLP newsletter.

Graph of satisfaction rate with CSLP Materials: 48.1% Very Satisfied, 30.6% Satisfied, 7.4% Neutral, 2.8% Unsatisfied, 6.5% Very Unsatisfied, 4.6% Didn't Use Them
Satisfaction w/ CSLP Materials

Furthermore, during this second summer of the pandemic, libraries continued to be flexible as they responded to the shifting needs in their communities: 46.5% used online tools to help administer programming, 76.2% hosted indoor, in-person events, 26.5% offered recorded or on-demand events, 31% hosted live virtual events, 65.5% disseminated take-home activities and kits to local families, and 11.5% offered special programming or services related to COVID-19 closures. In its 2021 State of American Libraries Special Report on COVID-19, the American Library Association emphasized that libraries “extended necessary lifelines to community members,” “answered the call to serve amid multiple emergencies,” and yet again “proved to be essential ‘first restorers’.” I am truly honored to support you in this work and serve as your Youth Services Consultant.

Chart of different types of programs offered during libraries 2021 Summer Program: 31.0% Live Virtual Events, 26.5% Recorded or On-demand Events, 72.6% Indoor In-person Events, 54.0 % Outdoor In-person Events, 65.5% Take-home Activities or Kits, 11.5% Special Programming or Services Related to COVID-19 Closures, 5.3% Other
Flexible Programming

In preparation for this summer’s program, I want to remind you of existing resources and highlight some on the horizon:

Program Basics

Build a solid foundation with our staff via this series of webinars whose evergreen content is rooted in best practices for remote and hybrid programming.

Teen Mental Health

Prioritize social emotional learning with Patrick Lloyd, our Community Resilience Consultant, as he explores the intersection of teen mental health and programming practices.

Accessibility

Expand your support of underserved populations with Jaclyn Owusu, Public Awareness Coordinator for the Talking Book Program, as she discusses some strategies and resources for patrons with visual, physical, and reading disabilities.

Online Program Management Tools

Leverage online tools with fellow librarians as they discuss the reading trackers, integrated office suites, and social media they use to maximize their efforts.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Becoming a Comics Librarian and the Importance of Joining a Community of Practice

  Originally published April 5, 2023 Library Developments Blog |  Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As a freshly-minted librarian, I was hired to serve at THE high school bearing my district’s name alongside an amazingly zany, veteran librarian who knew the current collection inside and out as she’d been the one to revitalize it with bond money just prior to my arrival. To say that I was intimidated about what I could possibly have to contribute is more than an understatement. So when the moment of truth arrived and I was handed a “small” purchase order to get my feet wet, I. Was. Stymied! Her  fingerprints were all throughout that collection, and what  she  didn’t read our assistant  did . How would I ever fit into this team?! What could I possibly contribute?! To be honest… after teaching a core, tested subject for fifteen years, I was just beginning to read young adult literature regularly...
Post a Comment
Read more

ARSL 2024 Conference Recap

  Originally published October 25, 2024 Library Developments Blog  |  Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission Waiting outside Gate 21 where the scent of pizza from the nearby Eastside Pies booth filled the air, I excitedly chatted about the transitional weather with my new teammate – to quote James Hurst “summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born” – the logistics of traveling for work, and our preparedness to attend the 2024 Association for Small and Rural Libraries (ARSL) conference . Neither of us truly knew what to expect, but we had been told that ARSL is THE conference for rural and small libraries, with conference organizers who not only understand the constraints of these libraries but also the unique opportunities for their being chrysalises of change. The conference theme “Libraries are (r)Evolutionary” proclaimed the event aimed to provide an opportunity for exploring the transformative power of rural and sm...
Post a Comment
Read more

Staff Highlight: Christina Taylor

Originally published July 28, 2021 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission **** As part of our effort to make sure you know who the staff here at the Texas State Library are, we would like to periodically highlight staff members that you may at some point come in contact with! For our next staff highlight of 2021, I interviewed Christina Taylor, Library Development and Networking (LDN)’s new Youth Services Consultant on the Continuing Education and Consulting (CEC) team)! What are your job responsibilities at TSLAC? As the Youth Services Consultant, I will work towards ensuring Texas libraries are knowledgeable about and have the resources to implement youth services that meet the needs of their communities. To that end, I will lead projects for internal, statewide, and national initiatives relating to youth services. What projects are you excited to get started with? As a fervent advocate for comics and graph...
Post a Comment
Read more