Adult Summer Reading: Bringing Adults on Board to Encourage Adult and Family Literacy Tuesday March 4th (3-4pm)

Happy Paczki Day! Have a zero calorie, virtual Paczki on us! ********* Introduction Thank you everyone for tuning in this afternoon. My name is Donna Olson. I am a librarian at HCDL. My duties include Adult Services, Reference, Programming & Marketing, Collection Development, Cataloging, and lots of stuff in between. Some of you may recognize me from LibraryBiz Connect promoting libraries as a portal for local economic development, that fall under my programming & marketing duties. My sexy title out on the street is the information specialist librarian lady person. When Library of Michigan contacted us and asked if we would like to share our Adult Summer Reading stories, we were happy to oblige. As it were we just coming off an extremely successful summer. And our event, well, it could have been the most successful ever . . . or a train wreck. Because of good solid planning (and a little bit of luck!), it was the best ever. ********** So lets get started. Adult Summer Reading: What Works! ********** At Howell, we have Two Components 1. Read a Book and win a prize! a. One book one chance to win b. This lasts throughout the summer. The drawings are held around the time of the kids Summer Reading Party

c. Last year, over 60 local businesses donated 80-100 products to use as incentives for Adults to read. And this does not account for the incentives used for the kids summer reading program. d. We had 438 participants vying for the prizes. Even accounting for exaggerations, the boxes were overflowing. 2. In addition to the Reading Competition, we now hold one, maybe two, summer adult events. a. Its held in July. b. We found July to be the best month, even though i. The Basic RULE is that summers are a dead zone for adult programming. Adults are very busy elsewhere in May-June. Adults dont come out for library programs. The weathers breaking; they are out on the boat, in the garden, doing end of the school year stuff with the kids, camping, anything but at the library. ii. One year, we took a chance. In July. We found that July is a good month for the right event. After all, things start to change in July. Its really hot! Gardens are in. Schools been out for a while. The kids are off doing their own thing. Folks are looking for something fun a reason to come into town, to be part of a fun group. Is there any safer fun group than the Library? (Thats rhetorical) c. For example, last year, we held the 1st Historic Howell Pub Crawl. We are a district of 54,000+. We partnered with our five downtown pubs. Each offered one drink and hors d'oeuvres, while we, the tour guides told the story of the buildings. We synchronized a shot-gun start and we moved on the hour. QED How did we pull this off?

Lets start with the Reading Competition: The basic structure followed what works for the kids. A sheet of rules and a sheet of coupon entries. Two sheets of paper and a staple. Acceptance meant that you are now a player. But we needed incentive to finish! We needed prizes but, we had next to nothing in the budget. What do you do? We have a history of working with our local business community showcasing our business resources, so why not offer an exchange of value for value? Approach them, individually. So a couple of us walked up and down our main streets chatting up local business owners. We were overwhelmed by the support. As badly as we wanted stuff, they wanted new customers even more. They wanted to hook up with us. Be linked to us. Be part of our marketing. We will take all of the pizzas and bread stix, all the oil changes, bottles of wine, gift cards, fish tanks, gym memberships, slurpees, paintball games, Christmas tree coupons . . . we will take it and offer it as incentives. After the kids summer reading extravaganza, we draw names until all of the prizes are gone. Then staff contacts the winners and arranges pick-up. The entries are tallied and used for a future display of what summer readers read. How fun! For the Event: We needed Pubs so we approached our local restaurants to partner. We charged the crawlers to participate and passed the money to the Pubs. Now we have local businesses involved. Then we needed volunteers so we approached the DDA. They found wonderful volunteers to be tour guides and story tellers; We needed ideas and our Chamber of Commerce helped work out the details modeled after one of their events: Chambers September Stroll.

We approached the Media who loved the ingenuity of the plan we received lots of publicity. Library tie-in? The theme: Digging at your library became Digging around in the past at you library We were still within the parameters. We ended each hour session with a history lesson and library pitch we talked about the history of the building or business. Then we added for more information, be sure to check out our local history collection at the library and be sure to visit the Archives housed on the lower level of the Howell Library. As an aside, the Pub Crawl was a couple weeks prior to our (successful) millage election. After five stops, I guarantee that this group remembered to vote! Finally, always keep the big picture in mind. Always keep your goals in mind: to show our local community the relevance of the public library. We can do this as a community partner by showing what we have to offer in an atmosphere that benefits many. ********** Simple, right? It looks simple. As you know, it takes a lot of work in the front end for something to appear seamless. We will come back to the fun stuff, meanwhile, lets talk about: ********** Planning We start planning for summer reading during the previous: Nov/Dec Order our generic summer reading stuff. Jan Start thinking about themes and tie-ins AND print newsletter deadlines
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WE are print newsletter deadline driven; our newsletter hits the porch early May so my deadline is early March . . . like right NOW! Jan/Feb we plan summer program(s) We are not married to the theme; we often play off it For example: Digging at Your Library became Digging Around in the Past at Your Library and so on. . ********** Programming KEY: Target Audience: Identify Your Target Audience In the summer, our target is the 21-40 somethings. They are looking for fun. Those older will be there. Its the younger ones that we need to work a little harder to attract to the library. Our unspoken rule is to put together a quality inexpensive night out. And we have to do it without breaking our bank. Our funds are limited. We have to have a good return on our investment. So our process must be lean. Rhetorical Q: Can we put just anything together and tell our audience to come? We no longer live by build it and they will come. Weve all been burned by this. So much so that we didnt offer anything in the summer for a number of years. Then we became more analytical. We now identify our target audience . . . this drives our marketing plan. (Not only who but how) ********** As library programmers (event planners), we have definite obstacles. We ask ourselves:

1. What can we offer that will get adults to go back out at night, after working all day, enjoying a good meal, maybe settling in on the couch? What will do this? 2. What can we offer that adults cannot find for themselves online? 3. What can we offer that is an experience ********** KEY: Food, Drink, Experience, Partnerships Whether in your building or out in the community adults want a quality, inexpensive night out ********** 2013: Historic Howell Pub Crawl Five groups of thirty moving through five pubs every hour. At each stop, they sampled one special drink & finger foods. A tour guide was stationed at each stop and recited the history of the building and pitched the librarys resources. What did we gain? Partnerships with local businesses, promoted library and Archival resources, such as local history& architecture, cooking & beverages, etc. to users and nonusers alike. Reminded participants to vote at the upcoming millage election. Questions? ********** 2012: Sweet Sensations at the Library At least three local businesses demonstrating their yummy products and special skills. They bring enough to share. Weve had a local grocer frost cakes; a deli owner bring in soups & breads; an award winning baker decorating with
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fondant; the fake cake lady, showed video of (extremely shy) local candy maker; a dessert table builder, just to name a few from over the years. What did we gain? Partnerships with local businesses, promoted library resources: cooking & beverages, business etc to users and nonusers alike. Questions? ********** 2011: Digital Scavenger Hunt Created a list of 100 simple (yet fun) clues; signed up teams of 2-4 people; encouraged costumes; each team brings one digital camera with EMPTY sim card. Night of: teams get a packet: rules, clues (homemade) erasable white board, erasable markers. Give the library pitch. Send teams out to scour the downtown - photographing their finds. After one hour, everyone meets at local establishment for pizza buffet. Cash bar. Hears the library pitch. And watches the watch the most hilarious slide show on screens in the bar. (Fun, not juried) prizes are awarded. What did we gain? Partnerships with local businesses, promoted library resources: photography, local history, business etc to users and nonusers alike. Now you have three examples of an experience that will get adults involved. Questions? ********** The Hard Work Lets talk about the hard work Solicitation of Prizes

This is the business side of the equation We had over 60 local businesses donate something that we could offer as a reading incentive. ********** RULE: Do not ask for something free. We are not begging. We are not bothering them. We are not imposing. We are offering value for value Businesspeople do not respond to the word free in a positive manner. They understand that nothing is free. There is a cost for everything. So we talk the talk. We ask, Would you like to contribute something, one of your products that we can offer as an incentive to read this summer? IN RETURN, we will promote your business, as a sponsor, in our print newsletter, which goes out to 54,000+ households, our e-newsletter, which goes out to 20,000+ email boxes, AND list your business in our promotions. How could any business person turn this down? Businesses have marketing/advertising budgets. What they give you will come out that that, and what they get in return? Priceless. The library is a formidable institution. Partners are seen as receiving the stamp of approval from the library. Again, value for value. ********** Set-Up RULE: Find the fun person on your team. This will make the project so much easier

Ask: What do we have? We have lots of prizes, what do we do with them? 1. We organize our prizes by themes or groups. 2. We have boxes, 6x6x12, with a slit on the top. We might have 6-10, depending on the number of themes. Themes might be: Puppy Spa, Auto TLC, Dining Out, Over 21 3. Usually 3-4 related items are listed on each box. 4. Entry slips ask for contact information, title and author of item read, and one sentence summary 5. Drawings are held after kids summer reading party. Drawings continue until all of the prizes are gone. Contacts winners and arranges pick-up. Questions? ********** The Little Question: Why Do We Do This? Adults love the competition so they come back Adults love to get stuff so they come back We use the titles read to put on display. This is another way to give people buy-in . . . so they come back. ********** Rules There arent many. Read what you want. Audio books are great. Tie-in all formats. **********

KEY We push adult summer reading at all of the public service desks. The simplicity of the program allows us to do this ********** KEY Good written instructions are VITAL Many of our staff are part-timers who may not have regular hours. Summer Reading instructions may not be foremost on someones mind when they are not working a desk regularly. ********** KEY Good written instructions guarantee that we are all on the same page. This is cross generational promotion. Having all service desks talking about the same thing in the same way models the importance to the community. ********** Web Presence We are experimenting with this. We have many ebook people who we probably have never seen face-to-face. We would like to draw them in . . . for the fun of it. This is also where the good cheap fun night out comes into play. ********** Benefits KEY: The Big Question: Why do we do this?

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Family literacy: We realize that by selling this to parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we are working with the most influential people in a young persons eyes. The people who kids look up to the most. Kids model the adults around them. We believe kids will read when they see the adults they are closest to reading. This is all about the importance of Reading and making a spectacle of it. After all, reading is a big deal. Community Connections with partnering businesses. You become the face of the library. You have personalized the institution. A connection is made. The business person becomes invested in your library. The business will continue to support you with word of mouth, at the polls come millage time or at the very least, during next years summer reading program. Reading for Pleasure is good for you! Some adults only need permission to take the time away from their busy day to read for pleasure. Summer Reading gives permission. And finally, Summer Reading turns the solo experience into a group experience. There comes a time when we crave the social. Why not with the library? ********** Weve come full circle. It truly is all about the experience! Before I take Questions, Id like to thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedule to spend with us. Thank you Library of Michigan for offering the opportunity to share what we do. Thank you to my bosses for allowing me to share. If you want a copy of the slides, go to my sandbox. There you will find the slideshow in jpeg. Ill post my notes, too. Otherwise, feel free to contact me for any questions. Always glad to help. Questions?
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********** Good luck! Donna Olson, Librarian Howell Carnegie District Library 314 W Grand River, Howell, MI 48843 517-546-0720 x131 www.howelllibrary.org olson@howelllibrary.org http://howelllibrarybusiness.weebly.com/

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