Promotional Video Project for Summer Reading Club at Kent District Library By: Tricia Jo Kannegieter

Masters Project Submitted to the College of Education At Grand Valley State University In partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Education

Grand Valley State University April 2011

Abstract Research has shown that Summer Reading Clubs that are run by public libraries, such as Kent District Library in Kent County, Michigan, are an invaluable resource for bridging the summer gap. This project explores the research supporting this conclusion and the published studies regarding the promotion of Summer Reading Club to the Millennial generation. Generally, Millennials are very technologically perceptive and are constantly connected to social networking and video streaming websites. The goal of this project is to create a plan for developing an exciting promotional video that will entice teens and older children to join a local Summer Reading Club. Additionally, it provides a means of evaluation to determine if the promotional video does in fact raise the attendance numbers of Summer Reading Club.

Table of Contents Abstract........................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ ii Chapter One: Project Proposal Problem Statement ................................................................................................ 1 Importance of Issue .......................................... .......................................................1 History of the Issue ..................................................................................................3 Statement of Purpose................................................................................. ....... 4 Objectives of the Project................................... 4 Key Terms... ..................... 5 Scope of Project................................................................................................ 7 Chapter Two: Literature Review Introduction .......... 9 Theory/Rationale...10 Research/Evaluation........................................................................................... .10 Effectiveness of Summer Reading Clubs ......................... ................................10 Influence of Summer Reading Gap on Students ...........................................10 Socioeconomic Status and the Accessibility of Books and Library Programs.................................................................................11 Time Devoted to Reading ............................................................................13 Significance of Successful Summer Reading Clubs..... ................................14 Impact of Effective Summer Reading Clubs ........... ....................................14 Marketing and Promotions within the Library.............. ....................................16 Bridging the Gap between Generations........................................................16 ii

Determining Library Demographics............................................................18 Outreach and Promotion of Services ..... ......................................................19 Summary.................................................................................................................22 Conclusion.. ........ 23 Chapter Three: Project Description Introduction ........ 25 Project Components ................ ...............................................................................25 Summary of Local History In Relation to SRC .................................................25 Objectives and Rationale for Project.................................................................26 Description of Project and Process of Project Completion .............................. 27 Determining the Distribution of the Video ...................................................27 Acquiring Staff Input...................................................................................28 Acquiring Student Input...............................................................................28 Collaboration With Teen Volunteers............................................................29 Administration Approval .............................................................................29 Distribution .................................................................................................29 Project Evaluation30 Project Conclusions................................................................................................ 31 Plans for Implementation.......................................................................................31 References......................................................................................................33 Appendixes Appendix A-Communication with Principals Sample E-mail..............................36 Appendix B-Collaboration with Librarians Informal E-mail Request for Ideas for Promotional Video .............................................................................. ..38 iii

Appendix C-Storyboard Template ..................................................................... ..40 Appendix D-Communication with Students Interest and Idea Survey for Promotional Video .............................................................................. ..42 Appendix E-Photo Release Form....................................................................... ..44 Appendix F-Summer Reading Club Sign-up and Survey ................................... ..46 Appendix G-Informal Librarian Evaluation of SRC Video Promotion ............... ..48 Data Form.....50

iv

1 Chapter One Project Proposal Problem Statement There is a problem that exists in the in the Kent District Library (KDL) system today: children and teens of the Millennial generation are being reached in traditional, non-digital formats that do not utilize the Web 2.0 tools that they are accustomed to using to communicate with each other (Jukes, 2008). It is a goal of the KDL system to promote and facilitate literacy and a love of reading amongst the districts teens and young people. KDL strives to accomplish this goal especially during the summer months when students are not in school and thus not as apt to maintain their reading skills. Although KDL is extremely successful with outreach and interest among young children and adult patrons in regards to Summer Reading Clubs (SRCs), older school age children and teens often get lost in the shuffle. Simple posters and pamphlets are not enough to get these age groups to physically travel to the library and join SRCs; KDL needs to begin utilizing new promotional tools in order to connect to Millennials at their level. Millennials are rapid consumers of digital video, yet KDL does not currently have a video promotion project in place to reach them at this level. If a promotional video were in place for SRC at KDL, more teens would receive the message and would be knowledgeable about SRC and the services KDL offers. KDL needs to reach out to teens in the form of a promotional video in order to bridge the gap that exists to the Millennial generation. Importance of Issue In light of library budget cuts in recent years, there has been much debate over

2 the effectiveness of SRCs provided by libraries. Political administrations question whether SRCs are actually closing the achievement gap for students during the time spent away from schools in the summer. Recent studies have determined that students who participate in library summer reading programs are, in fact, more prepared for reading assignments when school resumes in the fall than students who do not attend SRCs at libraries (Roman & Fiore, 2010, p. 30). Teachers reported that students who attended summer reading programs at their libraries started the school year ready to learn, had improved reading achievement, appeared to have increased reading enjoyment, were more motivated to read, were more confident in the classroom, read beyond what was required and perceived reading as important (Roman & Fiore, 2010, p. 30). It is apparent that summer reading programs are extremely important to student achievement for students of all ages. With the Millennial generation rising, it is extremely important to revolutionize the current way that libraries promote SRCs and the activities that they provide in order to maintain the interest and engagement of 21st Century students. If we continue to ignore the problem that exists for librarians trying to reach teens in the digital realm, teens and older children will disregard SRC services offered by the library during the summer months and will thereby lower their chances for high academic and reading achievement when school resumes in the fall. Research has found that students that do not read at all during the course of a summer have lower scores on reading comprehension tests when school resumes than their peers who did read during the summer. These gaps in reading achievement grow larger between these two groups of

3 students and by the time the students who do not read during the summer are in middle school, it is possible for them to be 2.5 years behind their peers in reading comprehension skills (Elling, 2009). This gap grows larger as the students enter high school and the repercussions of not reading during the summer could have a severe impact on the likelihood that they will be able to obtain the test scores necessary to attend college and eventually get a well-paying job. History of the Issue Librarians have been struggling for decades with ways to get school-age children and teenagers into the library, especially for SRC programs. Nationally, the historic approach to promoting SRCs to students was to visit schools, hold assemblies promoting SRC, distribute flyers and brochures for SRC, and market the program within individual libraries. These approaches do not utilize the technologies and Web 2.0 tools that Millennials use and are therefore not reaching them at their level. For the past ten years in Michigan, librarians have been attempting to develop ways with which to connect to teens and older children using modern technology. Some of these endeavors have been successful. For example, many Michigan libraries have created blogs, library websites, and Facebook pages to get in touch with their teens. KDL has incorporated all of the aforementioned techniques with some success; however, we have been doing for these promotions for many years and they are no longer holding the interest of the Millennial generation. On the KDL webpage, we have a blog that teens can read (but not contribute to). We also have an outdated Facebook group that they can join to talk about upcoming and past events with their peers. At the quarterly youth meetings, KDL Youth Librarians have been discussing new promotional techniques we could use to capture the attention of the Millennial

4 generation. While considering new methods, many librarians discovered that when they passed teens on the computers in the library, they were oftentimes on video streaming sites such as YouTube or Facebooks video site. Because I am a Youth Librarian who also has a background in filmmaking and editing, my librarian peers requested that I develop a plan for implementing video productions for SRC promotions. It is our hope that we will produce a video that appeals to the Millennial generation. They will share this video with their peers using Web 2.0 applications and as a result, these students will be sufficiently intrigued to join SRC. Statement of Purpose In order to solve the problem of successfully reaching and catering to older children and teens within the library system, I propose to create a plan production and distribution of a promotional video to hopefully increase teen enthusiasm for SRC. An increase of teen enthusiasm will hopefully lead to an increase in SRC attendance as well as a greater understanding of content material; as a result, teens and older children will be more successful with their reading and other academic endeavors when school resumes in the fall. Evidence of success will be demonstrated via an increase in summer SRC attendance at a local public district library. Objectives of the Project The goals of this project are to: Provide evidence of the importance of Summer Reading Clubs; Explore available research about successful approaches to teen program promotions; Research promotional videos that other libraries have created to increase patronage;

5 Create a plan for developing a promotional video to publicize the SRC program at KDL; Include KDL Youth Librarians and KDL teen patrons in the creation of the video; Evaluate the success of the promotional video using surveys and material circulation numbers; Maintain and increase reading comprehension skills for students enrolled in SRC during the summer months so they are prepared for the reading that teachers and tests will expect of them the next year in school; Create a method of evaluation in order to determine if the project was successful. Key Terms At-risk Students Students who risk the possibility of falling behind their peers in reading comprehension skill. Blog Shortened term for Weblog, blogs are online journals that authors publish to their website and encourage other users to comment on. Book Club (Literacy Circle) A club for children that meets regularly in order to discuss and understand books that they are reading. Book clubs can assign books for students to read or they can allow the students to choose what they are reading. When choices are given, students generally talk to the others about the books that they read and advise against or in favor of others reading that book. Digital Media Digitized content (text, graphics, audio, and video) that can be transmitted over internet or computer networks. Facebook A Web 2.0 website where people from around the world can meet and

6 become friends (permitted it is legal in their country.) On this website, people are able to create online profiles, share their current statuses, join groups, play games, and become fans of celebrities, various forms of media, and political movements. Teens generally use it as a tool to communicate, share and make plans with their peers. Kent District Library (KDL) A library system consisting of 18 branches within Kent County, Michigan. KDL offers a variety of services and materials for people of all ages. Literary Lunch A gathering of students during their school lunch hour to read and discuss books. At KDL, a teen librarian will read a fun book to students for the duration of the lunch period. The purpose of Literary Lunch is to get students to have fun and get excited about reading and perhaps even entice them to visit the library. Millennials A term for the generation of children born from 1985-2002 (Political, 2007). These young people have grown up around computers and other technological devices. Because of this, they are often considered to be multitaskers with a short-attention span (Campbell & Dunn, 2008). Older Children (School-age Children) Elementary school students who are in grades one through five. Reading Achievement (Reading Comprehension Skills) The ability of students to make sense of the text they are reading. Social Media Technologies and websites that are used for the purpose of connecting and sharing with other people. Socio-economic Status The status of a family within a community based solely on their income, occupation, and education.

7 Storyboard A scene-by scene plan that is drawn before a video is produced. Summer Reading Club (SRC) A club offered by most libraries to encourage reading during the summertime. In these clubs, children are expected to read and keep track of a certain amount of books over the course of a summer. Students An umbrella term that includes the terms teen and older children. Teen Advisory Board (TAB) A group of teens that volunteer to suggest changes to current library procedures. Teens Young adults that range in age from eleven years old to eighteen years old. Web 2.0 Websites or web technologies that facilitate an en environment for people to openly share, add to, and modify content. Examples include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Wikis, Wikipedia, and blogs. Wiki A multi-user, editable information resource website. YouTube A video sharing websites where users worldwide can upload videos and share them with the rest of the world. Users are able to stream content onto a variety of devices including computers, cell phones, BluRay players, phones, and iPods. Scope of the Project My promotional video project for the library system will include the tools and planning materials necessary for producing and distributing promotional videos for KDL SRC programs. It will not address how to involve other Youth Librarians with the production or how to go about teaching video production skills to students,. The success of this project will require many factors that are beyond my control as a project administrator. It will require that KDL administrators agree that the cost of this project is worth the increased patronage. It will also require that Youth Librarians concur with the ideas motivating this project and are able to dedicate their time to

8 gathering information for the project. Lastly, the success of this project will hinge upon the opinions of the Millennial students that we are trying to reach.

9 Chapter Two Literature Review Introduction In order to understand why it would be worth the time one must invest to produce a promotional video to bring teens and older children into the library, it is important to review previously researched evidence of two essential concepts: the academic benefits of SRCs to students, and previous library promotional efforts that have been attempted and tested for teens and school-age children. The first section of Chapter Two will be a discussion and review of the importance of SRCs in an academic context. Among the literature published pertaining to summer reading programs, there are five main topics that are generally addressed in most of the articles: the influence of the summer reading gap on students, socio-economic status and the accessibility of books and library programs to students, the time devoted to summertime reading, the significance of successful SRC experiences, and the impact of effective SRCs. The second portion of Chapter Two will pertain to researched methods that have been employed in the past to promote library programs to school-age-children and teenagers. Among the researched topics that are available regarding library promotions are: bridging the gap between generations, determining library demographics, teen collaboration, coordination with schools and local communities, online promotions and outreach, and video promotions. This section of chapter two will involve an in-depth investigation of these topics and the research that has been published concerning them.

10 Rationale and Theory Public schools do not currently provide opportunities for students to actively seek out reading material during the summer. School media centers are closed do not typically allow students to borrow books from them for the duration of the summer. Three consecutive months without reading materials causes an academic divide between the students who have access to books during the summer and those that do not. When libraries expose students to literacy circles and books clubs during the summer, research has found that students are more likely to maintain their reading comprehension skills over the course of the summer. Library SRCs can provide an expense-free opportunity for these students to maintain their reading skills and have fun with their peers at the same time. In order to reach these at-risk students, however it is necessary to develop a promotional technique that will not only cater to their generation, but also entice them to travel to the library and read during the summer. Only after the necessity of SRCs in public libraries is established and the methods that libraries have previously employed to promote these programs are explored will it be possible to develop a plan for an SRC video promotion for KDL. Research and Evaluation Effectiveness of Summer Reading Clubs Influence of summer reading gap on students. In all of the literature available regarding SRCs, an occurrence called summer slide, summer setback, or summer shortfall happens during the summer months when school-age children and teens are not in school. All of these terms refer to a reading gap that transpires between students who spend time reading during the summer and who that do not. According to the research performed on the effects of summer learning loss, students

11 who do not read at all during the course of the summer lose at least one month of skill and knowledge gained in the previous school year (Lu & Gordon, 2008). After over 100 years of research on the topic, researchers have found that students who do not spend time reading to maintain and gain reading skills can lose up to 22% of the skills that they learned in the previous year. For an elementary school student who does not read at all during summer vacations, this will amount to a total of 2.5 years of reading knowledge and skill lost by fifth grade (Elling, 2009). Unfortunately, students who rank low on the socio-economic scale (SES) are much more likely to suffer the effects of the summer reading gap than their higher-ranking peers (Gambrell, 2008). Socio-economic status and the accessibility of books and library programs. When schools close for the summer, the school media centers are not open for students to check out books, nor are there busses available to transport children to the library when their parents or guardians cannot drive them. Early elementary students lower on the SES oftentimes do not have bookshelves lined with books for them to enjoy at home over the summer, and frequently their parents are not educated about the importance of reading books over the summer with their children (McGill-Franzen & Richard, 2004). As a result, these children fall behind their peers in reading comprehension skills. When school resumes in the fall, teachers assign students books that are too difficult for them; they witness their peers accomplishing their reading goals and feel unsuccessful when they are unable to catch up to them. By the time these students are in later elementary grades, middle school and high school, the interest and self-confidence is not there for them to read; as a result, they are reluctant to go to a library and check out books. (McGill-Franzen & Richard, 2004).

12 Nearly all of the literature published on the summer reading gap issue addresses the fact that disadvantaged students, usually those of a low socio-economic status, are the most effected by the summer slide. By the time students are in ninth grade, two thirds of the reading gap between students who read during the summer and those that do not can be explained by the fact that those on the lower end of the SES do not have the same access to books that their peers higher on the SES do. Even when students on different ends of the SES accomplish the same academic gains during the school year, the economically disadvantaged students are often behind those same peers when school begins again after the summer. (Balsen & Moore, 2010). For those that are low on the SES and are already not as proficient as their higher SES peers, the gap between their skills and knowledge of reading becomes even larger (Gambrell, 2008). In a study done by Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson (2007), higher and lower ends of the SES were studied in regards to college prep classes attended, dropout rates, and eventual college attendance rates. In terms of college prep classes attended in high school, 62% of the high SES students and only 13% of the low SES students were enrolled. By graduation, only 3% of the high SES students had dropped out while 33% of the low SES students had dropped out. The following fall, 60% of the high SES students enrolled in college classes while a mere 7% of the low SES students enrolled. These numbers are staggering and the gap is much larger than it should be. With a total of 2.5 years of reading knowledge and skills lost by fifth grade among the (usually lower SES) students who do not actively read during the summer, it comes as no surprise that the gap is so great by the time students are enrolling in college classes.

13 Currently, policy makers are attempting to develop intervention plans to close the summer learning gap. They are contemplating modifying the school year calendar to allow for shorter, more frequent breaks with the hope that a break that does not exceed two or three weeks will allow for a smaller amount of knowledge and skill lost. They are also contemplating extending the school year and offering more summer school options (Gambrell, 2008). Until these policies are in effect however, it is the responsibility of the public library to enrich the summer reading experience for young people. Time devoted to reading. An issue addressed by Lu and Gordon (2008) is the fact that many Summer Reading Lists distributed to students to accomplish during the summer do not cater at all to boys, who generally prefer non-fiction. They also do not usually cater to any non-white cultures. In fact, white men who have been longsince deceased write most of the books on these reading lists. Lu and Gordon found that when students were given the opportunity to choose which books they wanted to read, they read far more books than were required over the summer. Generally, they tended to prefer young adult and teen books to classics and bestsellers. While most young adult books available on the market today do not provide vast amounts of academic value, the goal is to keep students actually reading and practicing the skills that pertain to reading over the summer. The content is not as important as maintaining existing reading skills (Lu & Gordon). Research has determined that number of books read during the summer directly correlates to reading skill and knowledge gained by the beginning of the new school year. When a student reads four to six books over the course of a summer, they are able to maintain their reading skills; when they read 10-20 books over the

14 course of a summer, they are able to improve and build upon already-existing skills (Matthews, 2010). It is the goal of library SRCs to provide fun, engaging books that young people will rapidly consume. As a result, SRC programs need to be exiting enough to entice young people to attend them. Significance of successful Summer Reading Club experiences. When children and teens are exposed to SRCs within a library setting, the academic benefits they attain are vast. When children attend SRCs, they are maintaining and building upon their skills in vocabulary building, word recognition, fluency, world knowledge, grammar, syntax and reading comprehension (Matthews). This can be attributed to the fact that while at a SRC, students are able to decide which topics they would like to explore and the books that they would like to read. With the skill they gain from doing this, they are able to develop a vast knowledge of certain topics, which can be a facilitator for future independent reading (McGill-Franzen & Richard, 2004). According to the Education Commission of the States (2009), SRCs generally have a positive impact, but are more effective in eliciting literacy skills in children and teens when the attendance numbers are small. In order to keep numbers small a variety of meeting times and groups can be made available so all students in the area are able to gain the academic benefits of attending library SRCs. Impact of effective Summer Reading Clubs. In 1978, Heyns researched summer programs within libraries and stated, More than any other public institution, including the schools, the public library contributed to the intellectual growth of children during the summer (Heyns, 1978). The benefits of attending library SRCs are evident to teachers when schools resume in the fall. According to teachers, thirtyone percent of children who attended these programs either improved or maintained

15 their reading knowledge and skills while only 5% of those that did not participate were able to do this (Matthews). Further research performed by the National Center for Education Statistics provided evidence that there is a strong correlation between fourth grading reading scores and the amount of childrens materials that are circulated in the public library (Lance & Marks, 2008). With researched evidence suggesting that visiting libraries and borrowing books assists in maintaining and developing reading skills, one would assume that parents and guardians would be adamant that their children and teens visit the library often during the school year. Much of the time, however these students have homework, extra-curricular activities, jobs, and social obligations that they are heavily involved with and they find that they do not have time to visit the library, let alone time to actually read a book for enjoyment. These explanations are exactly the reason why students should join SRCs at their public libraries during the summer; teens are not as heavily consumed by these activities during the summer and will have more time to enjoy the services that the library provides. Regardless of time available during the summer, many parents and guardians do not bother taking their children to the library because they feel that their child does not enjoy reading as much as participating in other activities. However, it is a general misinterpretation that teens do not like reading. In a recent survey, 91% of teens said they either liked or really liked reading, 85% of teens read outside of school, 88% think that reading is really important, and 66% get their books from a library (Kan, 2006). Librarians need to support this general attitude and strive to attract teens and older children to the library in order to continue their love of reading throughout the summer.

16 For those students that generally do not literary pursuits, librarians need to attempt to redefine reading. Rather than focusing on developing skills, librarians should focus on helping the students have fun while reading (Gorman, 2008). In order to get children and teens excited about reading so that their reading skills are not lost during the summer months, libraries must strive to provide stellar summer programs that students will have fun attending. When children and teens are excited about reading, not only does it lead to better grades in the immediate future, but also prepares them to be lifelong learners and instills a motivation to always pursue knowledge (Miller, 2007). Marketing and Promotions within the Library Understanding the importance of SRCs is vital when contemplating methods of gaining the interest of older children and teens. In order to maintain and improve reading comprehension skills during the summer, library SRC programs are working diligently to create remarkable programs that inform, engage and empower youth. In the past two decades, researchers have being exploring and writing many articles about different methods that have been employed to attract young people to the library. All of these methods are changing as a new generation emerges and avenues of connecting with them are transforming Bridging the gap between generations. In the past, individual libraries have developed different approaches to promoting SRCs to teens and have found that a variety of techniques is affective. However, teens today are of a different generation than those that existed twenty or even ten years ago. In order to form a strategy for communication with them, it is necessary to discover more about the Millennial generation that we are working with. Millennials are different from any previous

17 generation because individuals within the generation have been consumers of digital media their entire lives. Often labeled chronic multitaskers who are so absorbed in their technology and media devices that they abandon the development of everyday social skills and academic achievement, teens are used to information, ideas and friends being right at their fingertips at all times (Hill, 2010). The idea of living without technological devices surrounding them at every moment is foreign to them. Whether it is their iPod, phone, computer, eReader, gaming device, or iPad, Millennials are constantly plugged into a technological device (Quinney & Smith, 2010). In contrast, the majority of practicing librarians grew up in an age when phones were plugged into a wall rather than being constantly in ones pockets or hands; computers were a rarity, only available to the most technologically advanced corporations. In order to connect with Millennials, it is essential for Youth Librarians to keep themselves up-to-date with popular technology and social connection tools. Libraries around the world are incorporating many different strategies for keeping librarians up-to-date on these trends. In fact, KDL librarians are encouraged to complete a program entitled 23 Things in which the Librarian needs to complete 23 different Web 2.0 tools, such as utilizing RSS feeds, uploading videos to streaming websites, and joining social networks. The KDL librarians chronicle their efforts in a blog and when their blogs are complete, they receive a personal MP3 player as an incentive prize. Quinny and Smith (2010) refer to a librarian that has mastered Web 2.0 as Librarian 2.0. This new librarian is adept in popular ways of participating in the Web 2.0 world and is knowledgeable about connecting to people (particularly young people) who also utilize these Web 2.0 applications. In order for Youth Librarians to be able to connect with Millennial teens, it is essential that they

18 first become 2.0 Librarians who are able to communicate with them using methods that the teens are privy to. Determining library demographics. When librarians have both mastered Web 2.0 skills and are ready to begin communicating with their youth patrons, it is necessary for them to become familiar with the area that their library is representing and communicating with via these tools. When assessing the demographics of the area covered by a library, one must take into consideration: population numbers, age range, ethnicity, socio-economic status, district area schools, the number of homes with internet connections, where young people work and socialize, and the number of young people with library cards and how many of them actually use those library cards (Hannan, 2011). Librarians can find much of this information by examining census data, inquiring at government offices and schools and by asking the teens themselves. Another technique that librarians employ is surveying teens that do frequent the library to find out what they would like to see implemented at their location (Shay, 2011). Librarians can gather a lot of information from these surveys, from what brought the students to the library to which video games they would like to try. When a library is able to gather seemingly trivial information about their teen patrons, they are able to draw an idea of who the teens are and how they would like to represent themselves within the community (Jones, 1998). When librarians have determined the youth populations that they are trying to reach, they can begin to plan outreach and promotional methods for library programs like SRC.

19 Outreach and promotion of services. The majority of researchers who have investigated effective library promotions for teens agree that in order to connect to teens, librarians need to constantly confer with the age group they are trying to reach. Teen Advisory Boards. Teen Advisory Boards (TABs) are excellent avenues through which librarians can directly communicate with teens. Teens that are voluntary members of TABs are able to lend their opinions and ideas for what can make the library a more inviting place for teens (Peowski, 2010). Peowski noted that deliberating with teens can sometimes be difficult because they are often hesitant to share their ideas in front of their peers; this can be remedied however by utilizing Web 2.0 tools, as research has found that teens are more willing to express their opinions and ideas when protected by the shield of anonymity (Quinney & Smith, 2010). Employing a TAB staff would be one possibility for librarians to utilize when planning to promote SRCs and other library programs. Research has shown that when young people are able to contribute their ideas to a project, that they are more likely to take ownership in that project (Barack, 2008). If they have a sense of ownership over the promotional product and the program that they are promoting, they are more likely to share their excitement with their peers. Studies have show that this word of mouth amongst teens holds more weight that any other form of promotion (Hannan, 2010). Such tremendous promotion would undoubtedly result in an increase of attendance at the promoted program, leading to increased academic achievement, patronage and collection circulation. Coordination with schools and local communities. After the teens have come together and created ideas for promotional techniques, librarians need to collaborate

20 with local area schools. When libraries and schools work together, the possibilities for student achievement (particularly during school break times) are outstanding. One of the most effective ways for librarians to connect to their teen population is to regularly visit their schools to actually get to know the students and promote library programs that might interest them (Morrison, 2010). If the librarian has a close relationship with the school district, he or she may even be able to schedule regular meetings (such as literary lunches) with groups of teens. Teachers may even refer students to the library to investigate topics for research projects and reference help (Alut, 2002). Opportunities like this allow students to form relationships with their librarians, thus making them more inclined to visit the library to learn more about the programs that their librarians are most passionate. Once promotions are effectively in place with the school districts, it is essential to promote programs in local community hot spots. Once librarians have gotten to know their teens, they should inquire about places that they like to gather for socialization (Campbell, 2008). Popular areas are often coffee shops, skateboard parks, sports fields, Boys and Girls Clubs, playgrounds, places that employ teens, and places those teens enjoy shopping. Flashy, youthful print materials such as flyers and brochures are the most effective means of advertising in these areas, but it is always necessary to obtain permission from the correct authorities before placing any signage on community or commercial properties (Hannan, 2011). Research suggests that while these print material promotion techniques do increase attendance to library programs and library patronage, they do not reach the vast majority of the Millennial generation. In order to reach young adults who are continually connected to their technological devices, Librarians must reach them at their level (Campbell, 2008).

21 Online Promotions and Outreach. In order to reach the Millennials, who have (often erroneously) been categorized as multitasking youth with minuscule attention spans, librarians must utilize Web 2.0 tools such as community blogs, text messaging, e-mail, Wikis, video streaming, pod-casting, and social networking applications (Campbell & Dunn, 2008). The most emergent communication among young people is Facebook, a social networking website. Many libraries, KDL and all of its branches included, already have Facebook pages. It is necessary to take this a step further and develop fan pages for teens at those libraries. On these pages, Youth Librarians can promote upcoming events, post pictures from past events, announce upcoming promotional prizes (and the winners of those prizes), and communicate exclusively with their teen patrons. In order for librarians to promote their Facebook pages, they simply tell teens to check out their library page for teens on Facebook; because of the easy accessibility to handheld devices, some of those teens will be fans of that page within minutes of the suggestion. Goodstein (2008) even suggests allowing the teens to create and partially maintain the Facebook page themselves. In doing so, librarians are not only giving them ownership of their library, but they are allowing the teens to validate and highlight their expertise in technology and social networking. Video Promotions. A significant portion of the Web 2.0 phenomenon is the accessibility of instant video uploading and streaming. In a study by Duke, MacDonald, and Trimble (2009), marketing students created video campaigns to advertise the reference assistance available at the library. The marketing team developed a light-hearted promotional video that catered to the interests of students; the result was extremely successful. Student surveys reported that they previously had

22 no idea what purpose the people behind the information desk served. The video was extremely effective in helping students learn the role of the librarian; librarians even saw a dramatic increase of students that approached them for reference help after the promotional video began to air. Research regarding video promotions for libraries is significantly lacking at this time. Librarians and researchers have made suggestions about how integrating short video promotions to YouTube and Facebook pages would probably be very beneficial to librarians. Because teens are always looking for new video material to watch online, researchers can assume that video promotions for the library distributed via Web 2.0 tools would be successful. Currently, however, librarians and researchers have not attempted to track the development or potential success of such endeavors. Summary Researchers predominantly suggest that SRCs and other summer reading programs are invaluable resources for school-age children and teenagers to maintain and develop reading skills over the course of summer breaks from school. The available literature addresses a variety of topics pertaining to SRC, including: the influence of the summer reading gap on students, socio-economic status and the accessibility of books and library programs to students, the significance of successful SRC experiences, and the impact of effective SRCs. The summer reading gap, a divide created between students that continue to read throughout the summer and those that do not, can create up to a 22% drop in reading comprehension skills, resulting in 2.5 years of total reading comprehension loss during the course of a students elementary school career. Many times socioeconomic divides between students cause this gap in academic achievement; when

23 parents can afford to buy books for their children over the summer, that child will read. Children who do not have access to books do not have these opportunities and will likely fall behind as a result. SRCs can possibly offset this divide by offering a free service to local students who can visit the library and check out materials to take home and read. When librarians effectively plan and execute SRC programs, students walk away from the experience having experienced fun, empowerment, and most importantly, the development and maintenance of reading skills. In order to get students, particularly teens, to attend SRC programs, it is essential to have a promotion plan that meets them at their level. Youth Librarians must keep themselves up-to-date with the Millennial generation and methods and technologies that young adults use to communicate with one another. When creating promotional materials for teens, the teens themselves must be involved in the process in order to feel a sense of ownership over the projects and programs. It is the job of the Youth Librarian to work with the teens, not for the teens when promoting library programs. The major promotional tools for advertising teen programs and services are: verbal communication with teens, collaboration with schools and community outlets, social networking (primarily Facebook), and video streaming through both YouTube and Facebook. Research has shown that when librarians are able to speak to teens in a language that they understand, via Web 2.0 platforms, they are already using, teens are more likely to act upon the programs the promotions are encouraging. Conclusion Summer reading programs are essential to helping school-age children and

24 teenagers maintain and build upon their reading skills during the summer. Research has shown that when students do not read over the course of summer breaks, their reading comprehension scores drop drastically from the previous year. SRCs provide expense-free opportunities for students to have fun with their peers while building and maintaining reading skills. In order for libraries to be successful in attaining the maximum possible amount of attendees, it is necessary to have an effective promotional campaign. According to available research, a successful promotion for a SRC program would involve teen, school and community collaboration utilizing Web 2.0 technologies. Among the technologies that are currently popular are video promotions available via social networks and video streaming websites. In the next chapter, I will develop a project that will set up the creation of a promotional video for Kent District Librarys Summer Reading Club. While developing this project I will utilize some of the promotional techniques that were researched and declared to be successful for libraries in the past. If the project is successful, KDL will meet its attendance goals for SRC and students will effectively maintain and perhaps build upon their reading skills.

25 Chapter Three Project Description Introduction Research suggests that Summer Reading Clubs are essential to the success of students when school resumes in the fall. The difficulty in recruiting students for SRC is the fact that Kent District Library is attempting to connect to older children and teens in ways that are not effective in the digital age. Printed pamphlets and school visits are not working anymore; KDL needs eye-catching video promotions that students can share with their peers via social networking sites, encouraging them to join SRC. In this chapter, I will review the history of SRC at KDL and the objectives and rationale for this video promotion project. I will also outline the individual components of this project, delineating the details of staff and student input, school involvement, teen involvement, administrative approval, and distribution. Lastly, I will explain the methods of evaluation that I will employ to determine if this project was a success. Project Components Summary of Local History in Relation to SRC The Kent District Library currently has a very extensive outreach program in place to get students into the library for SRC. What the system is lacking is a modern approach to SRC outreach. Currently, KDL depends upon a SRC website, school visits, printed brochures and fliers, and promotions within the library to motivate teens and school age children to visit the library during the summer for SRC. In addition, KDL offers video game circulation and tournaments in an attempt to entice

26 teens to come to the library with the anticipation that they will check out and read some books while they are there, as well. These approaches in youth outreach have worked in the past, but the attendance and circulation numbers are not reaching the goals set by administration. Teens need an eye-catching video advertisement that they will view at regular intervals during the weeks leading up to summer vacation. A modern method like video advertising that bridges the gap to their digital generation will motivate them to travel to the library to check out books during the summer. Objectives and Rationale for Project School age students in grades 1-6 and teens in grades 7-12 who are also KDL patrons are the target audience for this project. These students are continually plugged in and connected to others of the Millennial generation via platforms such as social networking sites, cell phones, and video sharing websites. The specific targeted audience is students who subscribe to these services and do not have concrete plans for the summer. Research has continually shown that students academic abilities are impacted by the decision to read during times when they are not in school. When students spend time reading throughout the summer, they are likely to be more prepared for the upcoming academic year and will perform higher on tests. Given the emphasis on high-stakes, standardized testing, students cannot afford to be unprepared when returning to school in the fall. Upon the distribution of the videos produced because of this project, these Millennial students will feel a connection between their own personal interests and the activities and events provided at SRC. This connection will instill a motivation for them to travel to the library, a location where they will not only be able to play video games with their friends and attend entertaining events, but where they will also be

27 encouraged to check out, take home, and read library books. Optimistically, the opportunity to read as many books as they wish over the summer with no out-ofpocket expense will maintain, and perhaps even expand student reading capabilities and comprehension skills over the course of summer break. Description of Project and Process of Project Completion The ultimate outcome of this project will be two videos that students within the KDL service area will view during the month before summer vacation. I will be produce one video for the school-age children and the other for the teenagers. These promotional videos will serve as motivational tools to inspire students to attend the library during the summer. Determining the distribution of the video. In order for the video advertisements to be successful, the platforms that I will use to distribute them must first be determined. We will be utilizing social media and Web 2.0 applications that teens and older children are already using in order to broadcast the videos, but this alone will not be sufficient in reaching our target audience. In order to connect with the group that we are trying to reach, local area schools must be involved. Many of these schools show announcements every day in their classrooms; showing the promotional videos before the announcements during the last month of school would be a great source of motivation to get these students into the library. Before creating the promotional videos, it is essential to have the support of the school districts. With eighteen functioning branches, KDL services a large service area encompassing many school districts. All of the KDL Youth Librarians have direct contact with Principals of all of these area schools. I have created a generic letter that Youth Librarians can personalize for their Principals requesting that they

28 allow this video advertisement to air before school announcements in order to encourage summer reading among their students (see Appendix A). Once KDL has written consent from a sufficient number of the area Principals, we will be able to continue with the process of creating the promotional videos. Acquiring staff input. Kent County is a large region that represents a wide range of demographics. Each KDL branch embodies a diverse population, from the predominantly wealthy to the traditionally underserved communities. The Youth Librarians from each branch are in touch with their individual communities and are able to discern what the young people they are serving are interested in and what they would be attracted to in a promotional video. I will be e-mailing these librarians a to ask them for any ideas they may have for making the video appealing to the demographic they are serving (see Appendix B). When interested Youth Librarians contact me about what they would like to see in the video, I will follow up by sending them a storyboard template with which they can illustrate exactly what they would like to see on the screen (see Appendix C). When planning the videos, I will incorporate as many of their ideas as possible. Acquiring student input. While developing the production of the promotional videos, it is important to gather the input of my fellow staff members; however, it is perhaps even more imperative to gather the ideas of the students themselves. Students already attending library events will be invaluable to this project; their insights will provide avenues through which the video can connect with their peers. Verbal communication with teens during library events will give me ideas of what material to include to the video in order to attract more students to SRC. In addition to verbal communication, I will be giving them a survey and the storyboard

29 template to use when expressing their ideas (see Appendix D & C). Collaboration with teen volunteers. During the actual production of the video, it will be essential to have volunteers assist with video production tasks. There is already a volunteer program in place at KDL; in this program, teens can volunteer their time on Saturdays and help the library staff with everyday tasks. These teens would be able to assist with any necessary filming, acting, set-up, and editing that we may need. Volunteers who wanted to appear in the video would need to sign, and have their parents or guardians sign, a release form (see Appendix E). It will be

essential to utilize any talents (such as filmography and editing skills) that the teens may already have to make the most of the final product that we can. Although the teens are assisting to the best of their ability, it will be my primary responsibility to do any necessary planning, filming and editing needed to effectively complete the video projects. Administration Approval. Once the videos are completed, it will be imperative to have the approval of youth staff, branch managers, and other administrative staff before distributing them. In order to make the videos available to these staff members, I will post the videos on YouTube and send them the link so that they may review the videos. If anything needs to be changed, I will do so in a timely manner and then submit the videos for review again. Once the necessary administrations have approved the videos, public distribution will be possible. Distribution. When I have packaged the promotional videos as DVDs, I will be able to send them to the individual branches. From there, the Youth Librarians will be able to deliver them to the schools that agreed to show the promotion before their announcements. After the videos have begun showing at the schools, I will link the

30 YouTube videos to the main KDL website, the SRC website, the main KDL Facebook page as well as the 18 individual KDL branch Facebook pages. From there, teens and older children can share the videos with their peers via Facebook and other social networking applications. Project Evaluation This year, the library is again attempting to reach the SRC sign-up numbers that we were not able to reach last year. We are anticipating signing up 5,000 teens and 12,000 school-age children for SRC. When students sign up this year, we will give them a survey to ask them where they heard about SRC and why they decided to join (see Appendix F). We will compare the numbers of students who signed up this year and those who did last year; we will also analyze the number of students who joined because of the video promotions. With these surveys, we will be able to determine if there is a correlation between an increase in SRC sign-ups and the video promotions. After students have signed up for SRC, we will continue the evaluation of the project throughout the summer. We will compare the circulation rate of youth materials this year to the circulation rate last year and see if the video also caused those numbers to increase. If there is a 10% increase in attendance from the previous year, we will have met our goals and we will be certain that the SRC promotional video was a success. When the summer is over, I will informally e-mail KDL Youth Librarians in order to see if they believed that the time it took to produce and distribute the video were worth the effort for the attendance numbers at SRC (see Appendix G). With this input, we will see if KDL should attempt to produce another video for the following summer.

31 Project Conclusions Upon the completion of this project, the original problem of not being able to connect with students of the digital-age in order to motivate them to sign up for SRC is solved. By creating a promotional video that excites them and that they can identify with, KDL will be able to recruit more students for SRC. As a result, students will maintain, and perhaps gain reading comprehension skills during the summer, as research suggests. These reading comprehension skills will empower them to be exceptional students when school resumes in the fall because they will not feel that they are beneath the skill level of their peers. When students are able to concentrate on building their skills instead of catching up on the skills they lost during summer break, they will be better students with higher achievement rates. Plans for Implementation There will be some requirements of KDL in the forms of funds and employee time. KDL will need to provide $1000 for the purchase of a camera, tripod, microphone, tapes, a hard drive and burnable DVDs. While youth staff will have to lend some time to assist me with providing their ideas and opinions for the video, I will personally be spending the majority of the staff time required to produce the video. I will also be utilizing my personal computer and video editing equipment and software so that KDL may save money in that respect. If this project is successful and the video does bring more students into the library for SRC, it will be necessary to enlist the support of other KDL Youth Librarians to create videos for the following year. If other librarians are interested in creating a video so that we may have more than one for each age group, I will be able to meet with them one-on-one to ensure that they confidently obtain the skills that

32 will be necessary to produce and edit a promotional video. If enough librarians are interested, I would be able to start a work group that would collaborate on video projects and promotions for SRC and other library events.

33 References Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Olson, L. (2007). Lasting consequences of the summer learning gap. American Sociological Review, 72(2), 167-180. Alut, M. (2002). Thinking outside the library: How to develop, implement and promote library services for distance learners. Journal of Library Administration, 37(1/2), 39. Balsen, K., & Moore, D. (2010). The importance of summer reading: Public library summer reading programs and learning (Research brief No. 1). Albany, NY: The University of the State of New York. Barack, L. (2008, April). Tuned-in teenagers: Dancing, karaoke in the library? Its Teen Tech Week. School Library Journal, 20-21. Campbell, S., & Dunn, L.C. (2008). Marketing teen read week. Young adult library services, 6(4), 24-26. Dix, S. (2010). Waging a battle to promote reading. Library Media Connection, 28(5), 20-22. Duke, L. M., MacDonald, J. B, & Trimble, C.S. (2009). Collaboration between marketing students and the library: An experiential learning project to promote reference services. College & Research Libraries, 70(2), 109-121. Education Commission of the States. (2009, June). Summer learning: Moving from the periphery to the core. The Progress of Education Reform. Elling, D. M. (2009, July 14). Department of Ed encourages summer learning programs. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Fiore, C. D. (2007). Summer library reading programs. New Directions for Youth

34 Development, 2007(114), 85-98. doi:10.1002/yd.215 Free Storyboard Template. (2009, March). Film School: Online Filmmaking Course. Gambrell, L. B. (2008). Closing the summer reading gap: You can make a difference!. Reading Today, 25(5), 18. Goodstein, A. (2008, May). What would Madison avenue do? To attract todays teens, think like a marketing pro. School Library Journal, 41-43. Gorman, M. (2008, August). An extreme makeover: Lets reverse the negative stereotypes associated with reading. School Library Journal, 21-22. Hannan, A. (2011). Communication 101: We have made contact with teens. APLIS, 24(1), 32-38. Heyns,!B.!(1978). Summer learning and the effects of schooling. New York: Academic Press Inc. Hill, R. (2010). The world of multitasking teens: How library programming is changing to meet these needs. Young Adult LIberary Services, 8(4), 33-36. Jones, P. (1998). Connecting young adults and libraries: A how-to-do-it manual. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman. Jukes, I., The InfoSavvy Group, & McCain, T. (2008, May). Closing the digital divide: Seven things education and educators need to do. http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/ctdd.pdf Kan, K. 2006. Sizzling summer reading programs for young adults (pp. 1-5). Chicago, IL: American Library Association. Lance, K.C., & Marks, R.B. (2008, September). Off the charts. School Library Journal, 44-47. Lu, Ya-Ling, & Gordon, C. (2008). The effects of free choice on student learning: A

35 study of summer reading. School Libraries Worldwide, 14(1), 38-55. Mathews, J. (2010). Evaluating summer reading programs: Suggested improvements. Public Libraries, 49(4), 34-40. McGill-Franzen, A., & Richard, A. (2004). Lost summers: Few books and few opportunities to read. Reading Rockets. Miller, B. M. (2007). The learning season: The untapped power of summer to advance student achievement. Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 1-70. Quinney, K.L., Smith, S.D., & Galbraith, Q. (2010). Bridging the gap: Self-directed staff technology training. Information Technology & Libraries, 29(4), 205213. Peowski, L., (2010). Where are all the teens? Engaging and empowering them online. Young Adult Library Services, 8(2), 26-28. The Progressive Politics of the Millennial Generation. (2007). New Politics Institute. Roman, S., & Fiore, C. D. (2010). Do public library summer reading programs close the achievement gap?. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 8(3), 27-31. Shay, C. (2011). The Twilight Zone: Bringing youth into libraries. APLIS, 24(1), 4246. Walter, V. A., & Meyers, E. E. (2003). Teens and libraries: Getting it right. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

36

Appendix A: Communication with Principals - Sample E-mail

37 Attached is a template for which to appeal to your area principals for permission to air the SRC promotional video before school announcements. Please edit this letter to pertain to your area principals.

Dear [insert Principals name], Research has found that student literacy levels decrease over the summer months, as some students do not read over this extended period. Researchers track reading comprehension skills dropping as much 22% over the course of one summer! Kent District Library is taking strides to instill the fun and excitement of reading into Grand Rapids children and teens via our annual Summer Reading Club. In order to reach more students, we will be creating a promotional video about our Summer Reading Program. I am writing this e-mail in anticipation that you will allow us the permission to show this 30-second Summer Reading Club video promotion before announcements at your school. Please share any thoughts or opinions your have about the video! Thank you, [your name here] KDL Youth Librarian

38

Appendix B: Collaboration with Librarians Informal E-mail Requesting Ideas for Promotional Video

39

Youth Librarian Colleagues: Its that time of year againwere preparing to promote the Summer Reading Club! At the quarterly meeting, we decided to attempt to reach the Millennial generation by creating a promotional video for SRC. The time has come to begin production! I need a few things from you to begin the production: - Tell me about your demographics. What backgrounds do they come from? - What are your teens and older children in to? What do they talk about? What are their interests? - What ideas do you and your teens have for an effective video? What will attract them to SRC? Get your ideas to me within the next week! Thanks! Tricia Kannegieter KDL Youth Librarian

40

Appendix C: Storyboard Template (Free, 2009)

41

Summer Reading Club

42

Appendix D: Communication with Students Interest and Idea Survey for Promotional Video

43

Its YOUR time to shine!

This year, KDL is creating a video to promote Summer Reading Club. Wed love to hear your ideas of what should be included in the video! Please answer the following questions: 1. What are your favorite things to do? What hobbies do you have?

2. What would you recommend including in the video? What do you think would attract the attention of your friends?

3. Do you plan to attend Summer Reading Club this year? _____ YES! _____ no. _____ Maybe? 4. Would you be interested in helping to plan and produce this promotional video? _____ YES! _____ no. _____ Maybe? Your Name: __________________________ Your E-mail Address: ________________________ Your Phone Number: ________________________
Please give this to a librarian when you are finished! Thank you!

44

Appendix E: Photo Release Form

45

46

Appendix F: Summer Reading Club Sign-up and Survey

47

48

Appendix G: Informal Librarian Evaluation of SRC Video Promotion

49

Youth Librarian Colleagues: Congrats on an awesome SRC program this year! Everyone did an excellent job.and hopefully we made the transition back to school easier for a lot of our youth patrons! Now that SRC is over and weve all had time to breathe, Id like to hear your opinions of the promotional video. Please let me know: - Do you think the video was successful in drawing in more young people? Why or why not? - Do you think the time it took to produce the video was worth the increase in patronage? - Do you think we should produce more videos for next year? - If we do end up producing more videos, would you be interested in helping.and if so, do you have previous filmmaking experience? (Its ok if you dont!) Please get back to me as soon as you can! Thanks! Tricia Kannegieter KDL Youth Librarian

50 GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ED 693/695 Data Form NAME: Tricia Jo Kannegieter________ MAJOR: (Choose only 1)
_____ Adult & Higher Ed Advanced Content Spec _____ Cognitive Impairment _____ CSAL _____ Early Childhood _____ ECDD _____ Ed Differentiation _____ Ed Leadership __X_ Ed Technology _____ Elementary Ed _____ Emotional Impairment _____ Learning Disabilities _____ Library Media _____ Middle Level Ed _____ Reading _____ School Counselings _____ Secondary Level Ed _____ Special Ed Admin _____ TESOL

TITLE: Promotional Video Project for Summer Reading Club at Kent District Library PAPER TYPE: (Choose only 1)
_ X___ Project ______ Thesis SUPERVISORS SIGNATURE OF APPROVAL________________________________

SEM/YR COMPLETED: Winter 2011

Using key words or phrases, choose several ERIC descriptors (5 - 7 minimum) to describe the contents of your project. ERIC descriptors can be found online at: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Thes aurus&_nfls=false 1. video technology 2. library programs 3. reading enjoyment 4. summer programs 5. sales promotion 6. reading programs 7. elementary school children 8. high school students 9. junior high school students 10. middle school students