Library Program Ideas

Young children love just about anything that will get them moving or someone who tells a great story.

Story times where they get to wear their jammies and bring along a treasured "stuffie" or blanket will make the library seem like home.

Other ideas:
* Puppet shows

* Music programs (local musicians are the best because they are usually not too expensive, or even sometimes free if they are looking to try out new material) Also look for ethic musicians that use music to tell stories (double-whammy - especially if the instruments are unique and the kids are allowed to touch them!)

* Travel topics (Disney with kids - ask for a volunteer who has "learned the ropes" at untangling the mystery of maximizing their time at Disney or other theme parks) Hiking, Airplane rides, Train trips, Cruises, RV adventures

* Special interest - Letterboxing, geocaching, Scouting (careful about the rules about promoting a business if your Friends group is non-profit. Also, allowing the presenter to sell their wares because many times that is not allowed). Other topics - trains, construction, photography, anime, princesses, bugs, gardening, and the list goes on and on.... A good resource would be the librarian to see what families are checking out. Also, it is fun to tie programs in to community events.

* Craft projects - this list can be enormous! Hopefully folks will chime in with ideas they've used, but here are a few we've done at the library:

+ Terrariums - this required a variety of glass containers, soil, charcoal, colored sand, rocks and plants. We used cups and funnels for getting the "ingredients" in and a chart to explain that the charcoal had to go in first. It was a great project and was done right before Mother's Day which encouraged male participation in preparation for Mom's big day. Another important item of note - this project required sign-up prior to the event. You need to consider the size of your space and the number of supplies you are willing to purchase. We got the soil and some of the sand and beautiful rocks for free, and utilized the local thrift stores to find all kinds of funky glass containers (they have to be open enough to fit the plant in - think fish bowl)

+ Family art - we purchased 8x10 hard canvases in bulk, along with pastel crayons, watercolors and acrylic paints. We borrowed paint brushes and took reservations. Each family received a canvas and was to create their project together. You are only limited by the amount of space and time you want to dedicate to the project. The canvases were very inexpensive and families left with projects they loved. Some people wanted extras to make for Grandma etc. and we made sure to have a few extras on hand for potential walk-ins and mess-ups.

+ Decoupaged Collage Rocks - the project you see above was one done by a volunteer. She brought all kinds of cut out peices of fabric, wall paper and decorative paper. The Friends collected rocks and bought decoupage glue. We had a rock painting party ahead of time, so that when patrons came in, all they had to do was select a rock, what they wanted to put on it, and start decoupaging. We also had paint and markers on hand to add writing if people wanted it. We polished off the peices with clear lacquer spray paint to make them weather resistant. This project was done right before Father's Day and the race car rock above, still resides in my Dad's garden, three years later.

* Animal programs - wether it is just pelts, live animals or just pictures - kids love animals!

* Magic and/or illusions

Getting this group into the library can be a challenge. If you are blessed with a meeting room, there is a lot you can do. But! even if you're not - the teens can still be engaged. In our library we dedicated a space to them with comfy chairs and some neon lights. We also bought a bunch of games that they could take from the desk to use in the library.

* Dance Dance Revolution or whatever system you have like it
* Sandwich making parties
* Book discussion
* Wii tournaments (or PS or whatever system you have) - some Friends groups purchase these for the teens to use at certain times
* Board game tournaments - chess, Magic etc.
* Creative writing workshops
* Amime drawing discussion, teaching techniques
* Jewelry making
* Give them space to garden - plant bulbs in the High school logo or a flag or whatever works for your area
* Sidewalk art contest
* Poetry discussions, teaching techniques, readings
* Playing music - intro to different instruments
* Photography
* Desk top Publishing
* Grants, scholarships and navigating college applications and entrance exams
* Resume writing & job application skills

One of the best things we did for teens was for the girls. It cost us to do it, but the girls LOVED it! We were limited on numbers because of the artist, but we had a henna artist come and do a presentation on the art and history of the henna tattoo, then do some for the girls. We planned this program right before prom and it was a huge hit!

Retirees are quickly becoming a huge demographic. Folks are living longer and fuller lives post retirement and there is so much that the library can do to support these patrons and keep them coming to the library. In our town we had a small retirement community and they had a bus that could bring people in for presentations. You may not think that this is possible in your area, but check - you might be surprised!

A few topics of interest to the 55+ gang:

* Health and long term care
* Gardening
* Art
* Photography
* Book club discussions
* The Historical Society
* Ethnic food & cultural presentations
* How to use the library
* How to use the internet (this was a well received program and was done by a library staffer)
* Author presentations and readings
* Antique assessment
* Travelouges

I've mentioned many topics already, but here are a few more ideas:

* Community speakers - we invited community members, specifically business owners to present topics that were special to them. Of course, they couldn't sell anything, but were able to say who they were and where they were from. We had:

+ the pet store owner did a presentation on pet health and pet nutrition
+ the investment broker did a presentation on financial planning for teenagers
+ the dentist did a presentation on oral health
+ the chiropractor did a presentation on whole health and the art of destressing
+ the auto shop did a presentation on car maintenance and took questions about when things should be done (the driver's ed teacher caught wind of the presentation and offered extra credit to students who came)
+ the tax accountant came to discuss new tax laws

I've already mentioned photography in the other areas. A great basics class is a good idea, then go outside to take some shots. Or, stay inside to take a few artistic shots.

Travel is a great topic - you can do an around the world series with presenters and food - it always helps to draw a crowd if you feed them!