Sandbox:LIBR 505 Project - Public Library Programs for Adults

This is an administrative/organizational page for a group project by students in LIBR 505 (Heidi, Carly & Jocelyn). It will include a citation list, summaries of resources, plans for our research design, and meeting notes.

Sections Required

An appropriate and descriptive title

Thoughts?

Statement of purpose / problem / question that is being investigated

DRAFT. Please edit/change at will.

When we think of public library programming for adults, we often think of basic computer skills classes, job-hunting and resume-building help, English conversation groups, or community book clubs. Many of these programs are aimed at seniors or at those with low levels of information literacy or English language skills. Book clubs have the potential to create strong communities within public library systems, but they are often run by participants rather than by librarians.

These programs are incredibly useful to some sectors of the public library community, but few libraries have established high-quality programming for young professionals from the ages of 20 to 40 – particularly those with medium-to-high income ***Should we maybe cut the income? I'm not sure that is really what we are getting at... and information literacy levels. It is not uncommon for adults in this demographic to visit the public library only when they have children of their own; they do not tend to seek out library programs for their own entertainment, education or social networking opportunities. Our research study will be designed to investigate the reasons for this, as well as to identify possibilities for creating and marketing programming for young professionals.

A research study into this area of public librarianship would fill a gap in the literature on the topic. Countless research articles have been published on programming for children, teens and seniors, as well as marginalized or under-represented groups, such as those for whom English is a second language, those with low information literacy, and newcomers to North America. A study such as ours could help public librarians develop programs that are relevant to adults between the ages of 20 and 40, particularly young professionals with disposable income ***again, not sure we want to emphasize income? and – in many cases – a strong familiarity with the use of various media and online environments. Are there any relevant educational programs that the public library could offer to these adults? How might the library offer itself as a space for their entertainment and information needs? Why aren’t young professionals using the library to socialize and create interpersonal connections? Our research study will be designed to answer these questions, among others.

Literature review

A dearth of programs and research

While scholarly research is almost non-existent in this area, several practitioners have noted the dearth of adult programming in public libraries. In a session at the Public Library Association’s 2010 annual conference, entitled “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” panellists suggested that adults in their twenties and thirties are the new “underserved population," (Order, 2010).

The panel representatives, which included public librarians from across United States, pointed to several statistics supporting this idea. For example, people are getting married later in life, the ages of mothers at the birth of their first child is rising, only 18 percent of 18-to 29-year-olds attend church services regularly, and membership in community groups has been on the decline since the 1970s (Order, 2010) They also mentioned anecdotal evidence suggesting that public librarians often serve and develop programs for kids, teens and seniors, but rarely for adults in their twenties and thirties (Order, 2010). Because of these reasons, public libraries might be able to be a new gathering place for this age group (Order, 2010).

In a September 2010 blog post on LISNews, Abigail Goben entreated public libraries to reach out to patrons in their twenties and thirties. As a librarian and a frequent patron at La Crosse Public Library in Wisconsin, Goben said (2010) that public libraries are almost exclusively focused on services to youth and older adults, but are “failing to engage people who are a huge portion of our tax base and potential advocates: adults between the age of 20 and 40.” She mentioned (2010), anecdotally, that her smart, educated and engaged friends in her age group do not use the library for several reasons – they do not feel welcome, the hours are inconvenient (no evenings or weekends), or they do not see a personal benefit in using the library.

Public libraries would be a good base of support for adults in their twenties and thirties who no longer have high school and college communities and libraries to serve as support systems and third places, according to Goben (2010). Public libraries have spent a great deal of time, effort and resources on creating welcoming environments for teens, but Goben argued (2010) that when those teens grow up they don’t have a similarly comfortable space devoted to them in the library as adults. She also said (Goben, 2010) that other community organizations are also having difficulty filling this gap, whereas businesses like Starbucks have been able to do well based on their ability to serve this need. Goben suggested (2010) that libraries are an ideal candidate to fill this need because they already exist as community spaces.

The lack of both programming for adults in public libraries and research on the topic has also been mentioned in guides to adult programming, such as Ranier’s Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Libraries.

Of the adult programs that exist in public libraries, Lear (2002) reported that the majority consist of book discussions, author readings, and lecture series, followed by musical and dramatic performances. A smaller percentage of adult programs involve incentive reading, film screenings and creative writing workshops (Lear, 2002, p. 50). A variety of other adult programs have been represented in the literature since, but these proportions seem to hold.

The fact is that this topic is being discussed in the field among practitioners, but has not yet shown up in scholarly publications. To us, this illustrates that there is certainly a need for research in this area.

Why adult programming is important

Lear (2002) suggested multiple reasons why librarians should continue (or begin) producing programs for adults. In addition to raising visibility for the library and bringing people into their doors, adult programming can also help promote collections, create strong partnerships between the library and other local agencies, and help develop the library into a cultural or community hub (Lear, 2002, p. xvii).

Stein (2009) also offered numerous benefits that adult programming can offer in the public library context, including increased awareness of the library, increased visits to the library, improved impression of the library by patrons and the community in general (even non-users, or those who do not attend events but hear of them), and lifted morale among library employees.

The panellists (Brewer, et al, 2010) from the above-mentioned Public Library Association program offered statistics relating to three concepts, which they called “the three ‘Vs,’” that illustrate the relevance of programming for this population: • Voting: While voting statistics are different in different areas, the U.S. Census reported that in the November 2008 U.S. general election, 46.7% of all 18- to-34-year-olds voted. The Census also reported that younger voters are turning out in greater numbers than ever before (Brewer, et al, 2010). • Viral: Social media is important to this age group, and is an effective publicity tool for public libraries. According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 72% of online 18- to-29-year-olds use social media sites, and 45% do so on a typical day (Brewer, et al, 2010). • Vital: This group is an engaged, vital part of communities. The 2008 Gen WE Greenberg Millennial Study reported that this age group currently feels especially interested in engaging with their communities. For example, the study found that 73% of this group feel that engaging in volunteer activities or community service is effective in solving social issues (Brewer, et al, 2010).

Planning for adult programs

Administrative Administrative preparation for adult programming, like any kind of library programming, is most definitely required. At the beginning of the process, getting buy-in from administrators is important and can be accomplished by pointing out that libraries are struggling, and while younger adults may not vote as much as older ones, they will (Order, 2010) One panellist from the PLA program said that libraries must convince administrators that it is important to show young adult patrons that “the library is relevant to their lives,” in order to secure future support of the library (Order, 2010).

Lear (2002) suggested methods for creating programming policies, budgets, checklists, and committees and offers case studies and sample forms and papers. Insurance, contracts and the maintenance of facilities and equipment are all covered in this section as well (Lear, 2002).

A SWOT analysis was also recommended (Stein, 2009) to assess barriers to putting on a program; staff availability to dedicate time to an event, venue availability and affordability, travel needs/expenses for guests, etc. All of these factors can hopefully be addressed by appealing to community partners and planning well in advance of the proposed program. Opportunities and Threats, the last part of the SWOT analysis, is intended to identify ways the library can improve its standing and services in the community, as well as to determine where in the community competitive or similar programs might exist, and work to create opportunities for collaboration of content and resources, rather than competing against other community members (Stein, 2009).

Engaging the Community A necessary step in the process is gauging interest from the community: asking what community members want from library programs, and why. Lear (2002) suggested looking to library staff and to state (or provincial) and national resources for ideas, and he specifically suggested developing a community profile based on demographics and conducting surveys of library users and community members to fill in that profile (Lear, 2002, p. 30-31). He offers several examples of patron surveys that librarians might use to gauge interest in and to collect ideas for library programs for adults.

Ranier (2005) offered an in-depth guide to the community research phase, advising that librarians investigate local demographics, commercial and business patterns in the library’s local area, and collection statistics, as well as conducting in-house surveys, working with focus groups, and creating cost-benefit analyses. Thorough research in advance of creating library programs for adults can both justify their existence and ensure their success.

Stein (2009) also noted the importance of establishing partnerships within the community to assist in funding, marketing, organizing, and producing events and programming. Community partners can supply necessary funds, or manpower, broaden the targeted audience, provide access to email lists and other communication opportunities, recommend, provide, or fund guest-speakers or other key individuals, perhaps at a reduced or no fee, if the individual is associated with the partner organization (Stein, 2009). Partners can also contribute refreshments, door prizes, a venue, additional volunteers, cross-marketing and promotional opportunities – the key idea being that it is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Marketing and outreach Several authors noted that part of any good adult programming plan is an effective marketing campaign. Ranier’s guide to adult library programming (2005) offered a chapter on marketing of adult library programs, discussing such media as flyers and posters, bookmarks, bag inserts, calendars, local newspapers, radio and television. The panellists from “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” emphasized the importance of using technology to attract this age group. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, flickr, blogs, podcasts, Youtube, and wifi (Brewer et al, 2010).

Goben (2010) recommended using direct, honest marketing for services. Slogans she suggested include, "Free Downloads for Your mp3 and E-book Reader at your Library. (your URL)," "Why Pay for Text Answers to Questions? Text the Library at 55555," "Save Money and Go Green: Use a Public Library," "Remember Reading that Wasn't Required? We have Fun Books too," and "Libraries = Stuff You've Already Paid For With Your Tax Dollars." (Goben, 2010).

Program Evaluation Once a program has been executed, evaluation is the next step. Lear (2002) discussed several techniques for audience evaluation, including questionnaires, informal discussions, and basic head counts (Lear, 2002, p. 93-4). He also suggested that library staff create program reports on each event, using them to measure how well target audiences were reached and the librarian’s overall impression of user reaction. In his guide, Lear (2002) offers examples of both audience and staff evaluation forms.

Types and considerations of adult programming

Different types of programs will be successful or not for different communities, but many authors in the field offer ideas. Ranier (2005) discussed programs in which invited speakers give seminars or presentations to library audiences, suggesting health care providers, members of historical societies or arts councils, federal and local government representatives, and even ethnic and religious groups. Informative sessions run by those in the private sector, such as banks, businesses and providers of other services, are also well-received in many libraries (Ranier, 2005). He also (2005) spoke to the potential draw of academic speakers – experts in fields that may be of strong public interest – and of course, book authors; however, he noted that many author visits in public libraries are poorly attended, and he cautioned against bringing in authors unless a library’s circulation statistics, or patrons themselves, suggest that such an event might be popular.

He also discussed educational, cultural, book club, and craft-based programming, (Ranier, 2005) and offered tips in each case for matching events to the local community. He broke each category down into numerous subcategories and offered an abundance of ideas for both series and one-off programs, in addition to considering specialized programs for both men and women. While Ranier (2005) does not offer suggestions for program breakdowns based on age, he does suggest that too wide an age range for a given program might be off-putting for some participants and that individual libraries might benefit from targeting specific programs to adults of different ages (Ranier, 2005, p. 196-97).

The representatives from the “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” panel (Order, 2010) also offered tips on how to make adult programs successful. One suggestion was to not be shy of serving alcohol at events, which was seen as a good way to draw adults in their twenties and thirties and also to raise money at events. Sometimes, bars and other non-library spaces can be more successful venues to host events as the library itself may not be considered “cool” (Order, 2010).

On a more abstract note, Goben (2010) offered suggestions for ways libraries can reach out to adults in their twenties and thirties. For example, “appeal on a funky intellectual level,” was Goben’s advice to satisfy young adults’ desires to learn about unique and interesting subjects they explored in college but are lacking in many of their lives spent in office cubicles (Goben, 2010). An example would be to invite a professor to speak from a nearby university on an interesting topic. Adjusting library hours or program times to work well with young adult work-week schedules is also important, she said (Goben, 2010). She also recommended providing opportunities for adults in their twenties and thirties to meet new people, which would satisfy the role that university or high school classes and activities once did. Many adults relocate to new cities and have a hard time making friends and library programs could help in this endeavour, she said (Goben, 2010). This could include programs as well as volunteer opportunities specifically for adults in their twenties and thirties.

Examples and case studies

Adult summer reading clubs In an account of the Bartow County Library’s first adult book club effort, MacKinney (2004) said that adults are not any less worthy of the planning and execution that go into youth book clubs at public libraries. She noted that while planning the event, the librarians found little in the way of literature and guides for such an endeavor. The book club was modeled on traditional youth summer reading clubs, with participants required to read four books during two summer months and attend any one of the weekly programs. Books were selected from a different genre each week, including romance, science fiction, classics, mystery/detective, historical, and adventure. Upon completion of the program, participants would be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by local businesses, including day spas, department stores, theaters, gourmet food shops, grocery stores, gyms, hotels, restaurants and cafes, and the grand prize – a golf getaway (MacKinney, 2004, p. 10).

The program was successful enough that the library has continued offering adult reading programs throughout the year, and has seen participation steadily increase. MacKinney said that one of the most frequent responses to the programming has been “appreciation that adults are no longer being ‘left out’ during the summer excitement” (p. 11). MacKinney offered the following as best practices for planning an adult reading program: • Start planning for a program as soon as the current one has been planned. • Make sure the program’s theme and logo is catchy, but not childish, and make sure marketing material is eye-catching. • Make participation guidelines specific. • Give kudos to prize donors so they will be more likely to participate in future programs (MacKinney, 2004, p. 11).

Food Ries-Taggart (2010a) outlined a Baltimore Public Library program, supported by a federal grant, which allows community members at two branches of the library to order healthy, high-quality groceries on library computers and to pick them up and pay on-site that same week. The program was piloted in areas in which no major grocers operate due to their distance from commercial centres. Small convenience stores in these areas offer mostly high-fat snacks, and this service was intended to increase the community’s access to regular groceries and fresh foods. At the same time, the program could increase the public library’s visibility and encourage those taking advantage of the service to take advantage of the library’s resources as well (Ries-Taggart, 2010a).

While Ries-Taggart (2010a) focused on meeting a need in the community, this type of activity could also be used to attract young professionals to public libraries in communities where farmers’ markets and artisan production are valued by those with disposable incomes and a desire to support local and sustainable products. We see this as an area of possible growth in reaching out to young professionals in urban communities. Public libraries could partner with markets to draw adults into the library space and encourage sustainable consumption of both food and library resources.

Music Ries-Taggart (2010b) also reported on an initiative at the Liverpool Public Library in New York to increase usage of its streaming and CD music collections. Two staff members at the library selected and uploaded songs from new music acquisitions to the Live365 server, creating a three-hour streaming playlist for library users that changed periodically. The lists were streamed more than 4,000 times in one year, and library users were able to place holds on the titles featured on the playlists. Ries-Taggart (2010b) did not specifically frame this short piece as outreach to adults in their twenties and thirties, but this is another area in which public libraries could experiment. If adults were interested in creating and sharing playlists, perhaps libraries could also create programs for this kind of interaction, increasing both adults’ time in the library (physically or virtually) and their use of library materials.

Programs outside the library Bringing young professionals into the library does not always have to be initiated by librarians. In some cases, as Ries-Taggart (2010c) reported, groups of young professionals in the community actively seek opportunities to support libraries and to raise awareness of their services. Through the Friends of the Library, a group of young professionals at the St. Paul Public Library in Minnesota organized an after-hours event complete with catered meal, cash bar, live DJ, and activities such as an adult spelling bee and a cell phone scavenger hunt (Ries-Taggart, 2010c, p.9). The event was intended to raise both awareness and funds for the library. Local libraries in Vancouver have held similar events; the North Vancouver City Library has recently launched an annual Librations Gala, and the University of British Columbia Library will be hosting an adult spelling bee in the coming year. Librarians at public libraries might consider adding after-hours events for young professionals to their program rosters. There is no research literature on the effects of these events as yet; nor is Ries-Taggart’s (2010c) piece a research study. However, if public libraries were to experiment with this type of programming, hopefully some librarians would conduct research on the turnout and effects on young professionals’ subsequent library use.

Adult storytimes Wright (2010) created an adult noon-hour storytime at the Seattle Public Library, intended for working professionals, parents with children, and tourists alike. In his article, he explains that adults have just as much need for stories as children do; stories are what bring people together and form the backbone of culture and cultural production. When the Seattle Public Library moved into a new space with a large auditorium, Wright (2010) began experimenting with a storytime program, in which he reads short stories to his audience for about 45 minutes twice per month. In his article, he outlines how he got the program started and offers ideas for themed readings and for mixing up and marketing the service to adults. He recommended promoting the service to groups such as ESL learners and deaf and blind patrons, and he encouraged promoting the storytimes as a space where audience members can eat lunch, drink tea, quilt, knit, or otherwise multitask in non-distracting ways. He also suggested turning the storytimes into podcasts if copyright permits and offering them to users on the library website.

Wright (2010) offered tips on how to set up the require technology for the storytimes, how to market them with almost no funds, when to use actors for the reading instead of librarians (and how to hire them), and how to actually go about reading a story for maximum effect. Wright (2010) encourages experimentation and sharing of ideas and techniques for making the storytimes work through the professional literature. We see this initiative as a strong example for increasing programming to young professionals, particularly at library branches in districts with many office buildings and other commercial businesses where adults in their twenties and thirties might work. Wright (2010) reported between 40 and 80 participants per storytime, with only scant marketing, and we suspect that the program could be even more popular with funding or a dedicated marketing initiative.

Marketing Murphy (2010) detailed a print ad campaign undertaken by Queens Library to reach out to and draw in non-users of the system, featuring different takes on “ ___ @ Queens Library.” The campaign was to run in local print subscription and free newspapers (still popular and highly-circulating, the author stressed, in that community), with complementary materials (posters, stand-up ads, etc.) on-site at the library to reinforce the message and recognition of the campaign once new users actually came to see (Murphy, 2010).

Ad slogans included: • Love@Queens Library, featuring a successfully attention-grabbing visual of a female vampire taking a bite out of the neck of a half-dressed, well-built romance novel cover male model. This ad was also timed to coincide with the release of the Twilight: New Moon movie, capitalizing on the vampire-romance enthusiasm already running high in certain segments of the community (Murphy, 2010). • Eat@QL, featuring a picture of fresh produce, text reminding the public that the collection holds an enormous number (46,000? can that be right?) of cookbooks and food-themed memoirs, all free to check out. This campaign was timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving/holiday season in States. The ad capitalized on an existing trend (amateur-home-gourmet, local eating, etc.) (Murphy, 2010). • Surf@QL, using images of surfboards and gorgeous oceans, then text to promote internet access and other tech capabilities through the library (Murphy, 2010). • Catwalk@QL, highlighting the JOb Information Centers with a focus on careers in fashion and how to get there with resources from QL, particularly focusing on the local (i.e. New York City) fashion industry, citing all types of career paths (photography, fashion journalism and editorial work, modeling, designing) to appeal to many users (Murphy, 2010). • Bolly@QL, drawing attention to the 17,000 Bollywood DVDS in the QL collection, drawing in fans of the genre, community members, and inviting regular users to try a new collection (Murphy, 2010). Unfortunately, Murphy provided no statistics about the outcome or effectiveness of the campaign, and no plan laid out detailing methods to collect data from it.

Social Media Porter and King (2010) offered suggestions to public librarians for reaching out to the active, involved smartphone users in their communities through the Foursquare mobile application. While they did not specifically mention providing this outreach to adults between 25 and 40, they did indicate that the service would not be accessible to everyone in the community; it would be targeted toward those who are already engaged in social media and have invested in a smartphone – an iPhone, a BlackBerry, or a Droid. This makes the use of Foursquare in public libraries a prime activity for young professionals.

The authors (2010) described the game, which involves “checking in” to various locations using the smartphone, as well as earning points and badges for completing tasks at those locations. A library could draw young professionals in by tagging its profile page with various terms for services offered – wi-fi, book club, or DVDs, for example – which people could search using Foursquare, and it could also create to-do lists for patrons to tackle in exchange for points. For example, patrons could earn merits for getting a library card, reading magazines for free in the library’s databases, or checking out a video game. Porter and King’s (2010) suggestions could inform a public library’s online programming for adults as well as its marketing strategies.

Graphic Novels Rice (2008) offered a review of a programming effort at an Ada, Idaho public library branch. The author organized a series of book discussions to highlight the graphic novels in the collection, which she was concerned were not reaching all the readers they could because of the alternative format. Books selected for discussion in the series revolved around the theme of Jewish identity and portrayal in graphic novels. Attendance at the series included adults ages 25-80, with a high incidence of repeat attendance. To begin the book discussion series, a one-time event titled "Drawing Comics - Tools of the Trade" was put on, with a local comic artist as a guest speaker. Attendance at this event was high; 39 individuals, and very diverse, with about half the attendees being children/teens, and half being seniors/adults. This multi-generational approach was actively encouraged by the librarian in charge, to facilitate an introduction of the new format (graphic narrative) to older people who may not be familiar with it, while helping younger readers to benefit from an increased sense of history and perspective by having older readers share their own responses and knowledge about the context provided in the narrative. Information about why children/teens did not attend the subsequent book discussion events was not given, and so it was unclear whether younger participants had self-selected out, or if the subsequent discussions had been advertised exclusively to an adult audience.

A varied marketing approach was used, targeting both youth-oriented media, such as Facebook and MySpace, as well as more traditional posters and pamphlets in brick and mortar institutions such a history museum, local university, religious institutions, and other libraries. Additionally, a word-of-mouth campaign was created by enlisting a local Rabbi to promote the series to his congregation. This resulted in a mix of participants; some arrived already knowing other people there, while some came alone. Initially, the librarian in charge provided light refreshments, but after the first meeting the group decided to share the responsibility and coordinated bringing food to the events, contributing to the strong sense of community the librarian reported developing. A local researcher with relevant expertise was invited to attend and contribute to the discussion. Increased circulation of the adult graphic novel collection was reported as a direct result of the book discussion series, though no data was collected to determine, what, if any, percentage of the event participants were new to the library or to its programming.

Examples from “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” Successful programs shared by panellists at this forum included: • “Zinesters Talking,” a speaking series of Zine creators. • A library block party that featured a fortune teller with a crystal ball offering “Free Reading Advice.” • Film festivals featuring movies appealing to adults. • A food festival hosted by the Beaufort Public Library in which local restaurants prepared food samples for tasters. Held at a waterfront park near the library, the festival drew 250 people in the span of half an hour. The BPL representative stated that, “If you feed them, they will come.” • Military issues programs, like one in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, that hosted representatives from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. • “Meet the Past,” a program at Kansas City Public Library that featured interviews with actors portraying prominent historical figures. • A Book Swap at Brooklyn Public Library’s Greenpoint branch, which started after the library had to cancel its book sales. • An art show of donated works, also at the Greenpoint branch, that benefitted the library by raising approximately $1,500. • Literary Speed Dating, at the Omaha Public Library, which inspired a new section in the city’s weekly newspaper called “Urban Nerd.” (Order, 2010)

Conclusion

Includes issues or populations not covered, consistencies and inconsistencies in findings, whether studies need updating, what common concepts / variables have been used across studies, etc.

This part should also include a consideration of how the research question has changed. We are required to transform the broad research interest into a set of questions that can be usefully answered in a single research study.

Reference list

This shouldn't be too hard. What citation style should we use. APA? This needs to guide the formatting of our document as well, obviously.

List of Possible Resources

General Programming

Brewer, A.; Gooch, M; Kemper III, Crosby; Latalladi, Portia; and May, J. (n.d.). If You Didn't Work Here Would You Come Here? If You Didn't Work Here, Would You Come Here? Retrieved September 24, 2010, from http://sites.google.com/site/plaportland2010/. HEIDI

Corbin, J. Cultural activities for adults in public libraries. In: Public librarianship: a critical nexus. Ancora Press, 1995. (?)CARLY

Goben, A. (2010, February 15). Don't Forget About Us | LISNews: LISNews: The LIbrarian's Huge Cache. Retrieved September 24, 2010, from http://www.lisnews.org/don039t_forget_about_us. HEIDI

Lear, B. W. (2002). Adult Programs in the Library. ALA programming guides;. Chicago: American Library Association. 134 p. (BOOK) JOCELYN

Oder, N. (2010, March 29). PLA 2010 Conference: Reaching 'Quarter-Life'; Adults and Young Professionals. Library Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2010, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6724444.html HEIDI

Ranier, R. (2005). Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Libraries. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. (BOOK) JOCELYN

Stein, M. H. Working Together with Community Groups to Provide Big-Time Programming for Adults: The Big Read: One Book/One Community and Other Opportunities for Your Public, Academic, School or Even Special Library. Louisiana Libraries v. 72 no. 1 (Summer 2009) p. 13-19. CARLY

Walvoord, C. (2008). Go Local When Planning Adult and Family Programming. Texas Library Journal, 84(2), p.60-62. CARLY

Specific Programs / Ideas

Kupfer, D. C. (2008). Should the American canon be discussed in a public library? The selection of classic American authors in one book reading projects. Library Philosophy and Practice, April 2008. Retrieved from http://http:www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/lpp.htm HEIDI

MacKinney, L. B. (2004). Not just for kids: Finding success with adult reading programs. Georgia Library Quarterly, 41(2), 10-11. Retrieved from www.csa.com HEIDI

Murphy, D. O. Baiting the Hook: Grabbing the Elusive Non-User with Arresting Ads. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 3 (May/June 2010) p. 45-7. CARLY

Oder, N. (2004). Ambitious meets audacious. Library Journal, 129(2), 42-45. Retrieved from www.csa.com. CARLY

Porter, M., et. al., Foursquare for Libraries. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 2 (March/April 2010) p. 22-4. JOCELYN

Radio LPL @ Liverpool Public Library. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 4 (July/August 2010) p. 8 JOCELYN

Rice, D. B. (2009). Getting graphic at the library. Idaho Librarian, Vol.59, no.1, Retrieved from http://www.idaholibraries.org/ CARLY

Ries-Taggart, J. T. Baltimore's Virtual Supermarket @ your library. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 4 (July/August 2010) p. 7-8 JOCELYN

Ries-Taggart, J. T. Saint Paul PL Launches After–Hours Events Geared Toward Young Professionals. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 4 (July/August 2010) p. 8-9 JOCELYN

Wright, D. Thrilling Tales: How to Do an Adult Storytime at Your Library, and Why. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 3 (May/June 2010) p. 29-35 JOCELYN

Summaries of Resources

Jocelyn

Lear, B. W. (2002). Adult Programs in the Library. ALA programming guides. Chicago: American Library Association. 134 p.

In a practical guide to adult programming in libraries, Lear (2002) provides guidance to public librarians in creating program policies and procedures; taking care of administrative requirements; matching programs to the library’s mission and to the community’s interests; acquiring funding; selecting topics and presenters; marketing and delivering the programs; and evaluating them once they are complete.

After offering a short history of public library programming, Lear (2002) suggested multiple reasons why librarians should continue (or begin) producing programs for adults. In addition to raising visibility for the library and bringing people into the doors, adult programming can also help promote collections, create strong partnerships between the library and other local agencies, and help develop the library into a cultural or community hub (Lear, 2002, p. xvii). However, administrative preparation is required; Lear (2002) suggested methods for creating programming policies, budgets, checklists, and committees and offers case studies and sample forms and papers. Insurance, contracts and the maintenance of facilities and equipment are all covered in this section as well.

A necessary step in the process is gauging interest from the community: asking what community members want from library programs, and why. Lear (2002) suggested looking to library staff and to state (or provincial) and national resources for ideas, and he specifically suggested developing a community profile based on demographics and conducting surveys of library users and community members to fill in that profile (Lear, 2002, p. 30-31). He offers several examples of patron surveys that librarians might use to gauge interest in and to collect ideas for library programs for adults.

Lear (2002) reported that the majority of adult library programming consists of book discussions, author readings, and lecture series, followed by musical and dramatic performances. A smaller percentage of adult programs involve incentive reading, film screenings and creative writing workshops (Lear, 2002, p. 50). A variety of other adult programs have been represented in the literature since, but these proportions seem to hold. Lear (2002) offered a variety of tips and ideas for expanding programming in these areas, as well as sourcing presenters from the community, generating publicity, and developing contingency plans as backup. The end of the book features a selection of case studies from public libraries across the United States, reporting the content and structure of various programs, their numbers, and how communities responded to them.

One of the most useful sections of this book deals with evaluating library programming. Lear (2002) discussed several techniques for audience evaluation, including questionnaires, informal discussions, and basic head counts (Lear, 2002, p. 93-4). He also suggested that library staff create program reports on each event, using them to measure how well target audiences were reached and the librarian’s overall impression of user reaction. Samples are given for both audience and staff evaluation forms.

While this book is now slightly out of date and does not focus specifically on our target group, it provides useful background to adult programming in public libraries. It also contains a bibliography that would be useful to librarians beginning to consider adult programming. Lear (2002) emphasized the importance of tailoring programs to the demographics and interests of the community, as well as the importance of policy development and program evaluation. These recommendations will inform our design for the research project.

Ranier, R. (2005). Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Libraries. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.

Ranier’s (2005) guide to programming for adults is much more detailed and current than Lear’s (2002). Although it is only three years newer, it takes much greater stock of the role of the internet for both the content and marketing of adult library programs. In its opening chapters, Ranier (2005) acknowledges a lack of both programming for adults in public libraries and research on the topic, and he offers a range of statistics for public library programs in various states. He also pays close attention to the design phase of programming. In addition to recommending that librarians create programming policies and spend time working on budget and presenter issues, Ranier (2005) offered an in-depth guide to the community research phase, advising that librarians investigate local demographics, commercial and business patterns in the library’s local area, and collection statistics, as well as conducting in-house surveys, working with focus groups, and creating cost-benefit analyses. Thorough research in advance of creating library programs for adults can both justify their existence and ensure their success.

The remainder of Ranier’s (2005) book is divided into chapters focusing on different types of programming. He discusses programs in which invited speakers give seminars or presentations to library audiences, suggesting health care providers, members of historical societies or arts councils, federal and local government representatives, and even ethnic and religious groups. Informative sessions run by those in the private sector, such as banks, businesses and providers of other services, are also well-received in many libraries. Finally, Ranier (2005) speaks to the potential draw of academic speakers – experts in fields that may be of strong public interest – and of course, book authors; however, he also notes that many author visits in public libraries are poorly attended, and he cautions against bringing in authors unless a library’s circulation statistics, or patrons themselves, suggest that such an event might be popular.

Additional chapters discuss educational, cultural, book club, and craft-based programming, and Ranier (2005) offers tips in each case for matching events to the local community. He breaks each category down into numerous subcategories and offers an abundance of ideas for both series and one-off programs, in addition to considering specialized programs for both men and women. While Ranier (2005) does not offer suggestions for program breakdowns based on age, he does suggest that too wide an age range for a given program might be off-putting for some participants and that individual libraries might benefit from targeting specific programs to adults of different ages (Ranier, 2005, p. 196-97).

The book concludes with a slim chapter on marketing of adult library programs, discussing such media as flyers and posters, bookmarks, bag inserts, calendars, local newspapers, radio and television. Ranier (2005) does not delve too deeply into the topic, because there are other works being published on library marketing. His work is really intended to fill the gap in library literature in information and ideas for programming – this book is one of the most detailed and useful to practitioners that we have seen.

Porter, M. & King, D.L. (2010). Foursquare for Libraries. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 2 (March/April 2010) p. 22-24.

In a short “Internet Spotlight” article in Public Libraries, Porter and King (2010) offered suggestions to public librarians for reaching out to the active, involved smartphone users in their communities through the Foursquare mobile application. While they did not specifically mention providing this outreach to adults between 25 and 40, they did indicate that the service would not be accessible to everyone in the community; it would be targeted toward those who are already engaged in social media and have invested in a smartphone – an iPhone, a BlackBerry, or a Droid. This makes the use of Foursquare in public libraries a prime activity for young professionals. Porter and King (2010) described the game, which involves “checking in” to various locations using the smartphone, as well as earning points and badges for completing tasks at those locations. A library could draw young professionals in by tagging its profile page with various terms for services offered – wi-fi, book club, or DVDs, for example – which people could search using Foursquare, and it could also create to-do lists for patrons to tackle in exchange for points. For example, patrons could earn merits for getting a library card, reading magazines for free in the library’s databases, or checking out a video game. Porter and King’s (2010) suggestions could inform a public library’s online programming for adults as well as its marketing strategies.

Ries-Taggart, J.T. (2010a). Baltimore's Virtual Supermarket @ your library. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 4 (July/August 2010) p. 7-8.

Ries-Taggart, J.T. (2010b). Radio LPL @ Liverpool Public Library. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 4 (July/August 2010) p. 8.

Ries-Taggart, J. T. (2010b). Saint Paul PL Launches After–Hours Events Geared Toward Young Professionals. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 4 (July/August 2010) p. 8-9

Ries-Taggart (2010a) outlined a Baltimore Public Library program, supported by a federal grant, which allows community members at two branches of the library to order healthy, high-quality groceries on library computers and to pick them up and pay on-site that same week. The program was piloted in areas in which no major grocers operate due to their distance from commercial centres. Small convenience stores in these areas offer mostly high-fat snacks, and this service was intended to increase the community’s access to regular groceries and fresh foods. At the same time, the program could increase the public library’s visibility and encourage those taking advantage of the service to take advantage of the library’s resources as well. While Ries-Taggart (2010a) focused on meeting a need in the community, this type of activity could also be used to attract young professionals to public libraries in communities where farmers’ markets and artisan production are valued by those with disposable incomes and a desire to support local and sustainable products. We see this as an area of possible growth in reaching out to young professionals in urban communities. Public libraries could partner with markets to draw adults into the library space and encourage sustainable consumption of both food and library resources. This was not a research article, but rather a short editorial; if a public library were to test out a project like this, it could provide much-needed insight whether young professionals would be attracted to the library by markets like these.

Ries-Taggart (2010b) also reported on an initiative at the Liverpool Public Library in New York to increase usage of its streaming and CD music collections. Two staff members at the library selected and uploaded songs from new music acquisitions to the Live365 server, creating a three-hour streaming playlist for library users that changed periodically. The lists were streamed more than 4,000 times in one year, and library users were able to place holds on the titles featured on the playlists. Ries-Taggart (2010b) did not specifically frame this short piece as outreach to adults between 25 and 40, but this is another area in which public libraries could experiment. If adults were interested in creating and sharing playlists, perhaps libraries could also create programs for this kind of interaction, increasing both adults’ time in the library (physically or virtually) and their use of library materials.

Bringing young professionals into the library does not always have to be initiated by librarians. In some cases, as Ries-Taggart (2010c) reported, groups of young professionals in the community actively seek opportunities to support libraries and to raise awareness of their services. Through the Friends of the Library, a group of young professionals at the St. Paul Public Library in Minnesota organized an after-hours event complete with catered meal, cash bar, live DJ, and activities such as an adult spelling bee and a cell phone scavenger hunt (Ries-Taggart, 2010c, p.9). The event was intended to raise both awareness and funds for the library. Local libraries in Vancouver have held similar events; the North Vancouver City Library has recently launched an annual Librations Gala, and the University of British Columbia Library will be hosting an adult spelling bee in the coming year. Librarians at public libraries might consider adding after-hours events for young professionals to their program rosters. There is no research literature on the effects of these events as yet; nor is Ries-Taggart’s (2010c) piece a research study. However, if public libraries were to experiment with this type of programming, hopefully some librarians would conduct research on the turnout and effects on young professionals’ subsequent library use.

Wright, D. Thrilling Tales: How to Do an Adult Storytime at Your Library, and Why. Public Libraries v. 49 no. 3 (May/June 2010) p. 29-35.

Wright (2010) created an adult noon-hour storytime at the Seattle Public Library, intended for working professionals, parents with children, and tourists alike. In his article, he explains that adults have just as much need for stories as children do; stories are what bring people together and form the backbone of culture and cultural production. When the Seattle Public Library moved into a new space with a large auditorium, Wright (2010) began experimenting with a storytime program, in which he reads short stories to his audience for about 45 minutes twice per month. In his article, he outlines how he got the program started and offers ideas for themed readings and for mixing up and marketing the service to adults. He recommends promoting the service to groups such as ESL learners and deaf and blind patrons, and he encourages promoting the storytimes as a space where audience members can eat lunch, drink tea, quilt, knit, or otherwise multitask in non-distracting ways. Wright (2010) also suggests turning the storytimes into podcasts if copyright permits and offering them to users on the library website. The article offers tips on how to set up the require technology for the storytimes, how to market them with almost no funds, when to use actors for the reading instead of librarians (and how to hire them), and how to actually go about reading a story for maximum effect. While the article is more a how-to than it is a research study, Wright (2010) encourages experimentation and sharing of ideas and techniques for making the storytimes work through the professional literature. We see this initiative as a strong example for increasing programming to young professionals, particularly at library branches in districts with many office buildings and other commercial businesses where adults aged 25 to 40 might work. Wright (2010) reports between 40 and 80 participants per storytime with only scant marketing, and we suspect that the program could be even more popular with funding or a dedicated marketing initiative.

Carly

Murphy, D.O. (2010). Baiting the Hook. This is an article detailing the print ad campaign undertaken by Queens Library to reach out to and draw in non-users of the system. Featuring different takes on ___ @ Queens Library. The campaign was to run in local print subscription and free newspapers (still popular and highly-circulating, the author stressed, in that community), with complementary materials (posters, stand-up ads, etc.) on-site at the library to reinforce the message and recognition of the campaign once new users actually came to see.

Ad slogans from the article:

Love@Queens Library, featuring a successfully attention-grabbing visual of a female vampire taking a bite out of the neck of a half-dressed, well-built romance novel cover male model. This ad was also intelligently timed to coincide with the release of the Twilight: New Moon movie, capitalizing on the vampire-romance enthusiasm already running high in certain segments of the community. Of all the examples, this seemed the most arresting and likely to actually snag new users.

Eat@QL, featuring a picture of fresh produce, text reminding the public that the collection holds an enormous number (46,000? can that be right?) of cookbooks and food-themed memoirs, all free to check out. This campaign was timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving/holiday season in States. By capitalizing on an existing trend (amateur-home-gourmet, local eating, etc.), this campaign seemed like it could be very successful.

Surf@QL, using images of surfboards and gorgeous oceans, then text to promote internet access and other tech capabilities through the library. No visual example was given for this ad, yet the description seemed a little too vague to really draw in users who were heavily inspired by technical innovations - first because the library is unlikely to be on the actual cutting edge, simply for budget purposes, and second because no specific group, game, or tool was being promoted; the net felt cast too wide.

Hip-Hop Headquarters, highlighting the contemporary music collection. This ad could draw attention to a collection many might assume the library would not collect.

Catwalk@QL, highlighting the JOb Information Centers with a focus on careers in fashion and how to get there with resources from QL, particularly focusing on the local (i.e. New York City) fashion industry, citing all types of career paths (photography, fashion journalism and editorial work, modeling, designing) to appeal to many users. A solid, example-driven ad which highlights a service many users may not be aware the library offers.

Bolly@QL, drawing attention to the 17,000 Bollywood DVDS in the QL collection, drawing in fans of the genre, community members, and inviting regular users to try a new collection.

The ads were fairly well-done - the graphic value on the examples shown was reasonable, though not fantastic (some cheesy fonts), and certainly not enough to look like a corporate ad vs. a community service. But there were zero statistics provided about outcome, and no plan laid out detailing methods to collect data from this ad campaign. Were they going to collect stats on new library cards registered within the ad time-frame (each ad was scheduled to run 4-6 weeks)? Excellent info but not a lot of measurable data or focus on measuring outcome. Though this article is targeting precisely what our research question is interested in (how to target adult non-users and get them to become library users), there is literally no discussion of how effective this campaign was - and why would another library commit budgetary resources to recreating such a campaign without knowing whether or not it was successful.

Oder, N. (2004). Ambitious Meets Audacious. This article offered a discussion of Singapore's updated and still-growing library system after a 600 million (US) cash injection from the Singapore government to improve library facilities and services. Pertinent to our research is the interesting choice to construct many of the branches without any children's sections at all, even though children's materials account for approximately half of the circulation system-wide. The entire Singapore library system is highly centralized, run by the National Library Board. This allows decisions, programming, collection allocation, etc. to be focused on the entire city-state (roughly 3.4 million people), rather than on geographic neighborhoods - though branch specializations, such as a performing arts library, are situated geographically in the city where other similar institutions create a performing arts district, for example. Almost no programming is mentioned; the focus here is clearly on the physical materials, and on increasing access and circulation. The statistics certainly have risen, from 5.2 annual visits system-wide in 1995 to 31 million in 2002, and loans from 10 million in 1995 to 32 million in 2002 (p. 42). As part of the National Library Board's plan to improve and increase library access and service across Singapore, several branches have been designated to target the 18-35 year old demographic; they are located in popular shopping malls, include cafes within the library, and highlight non-book materials, such as streaming audio stations, and graphic novels, as well as programming such as musical performances, lectures, and literature and poetry discussions. Unfortunately, this article did not elaborate on statistic specific to these "adult-only" branches; circulation and access statistics across the system were up, so we can infer that these "adult-only" branches saw good circulation and visits, but no comparison was made between such targeted, adult-centric branches without spaces for children and teens, and the branches which specialized in children or teen services (two existed, at the time of publication, with entire floors dedicated to teen and children collections).

Rice, D.B. (2009). Getting Graphic at the Library A review of a programming effort at an Ada, Idaho public library branch. The author organized a series of book discussions to highlight the graphic novels in the collection, which she was concerned were not reaching all the readers they could because of the alternative format. Books selected for discussion in the series revolved around the theme of Jewish identity and portrayal in graphic novels. Attendance at the series included adults ages 25-80, with a high incidence of repeat attendance. To begin the book discussion series, a one-time event titled "Drawing Comics - Tools of the Trade" was put on, with a local comic artist as a guest speaker. Attendance at this event was high; 39 individuals, and very diverse, with about half the attendees being children/teens, and half being seniors/adults. This multi-generational approach was actively encouraged by the librarian in charge, to facilitate an introduction of the new format (graphic narrative) to older people who may not be familiar with it, while helping younger readers to benefit from an increased sense of history and perspective by having older readers share their own responses and knowledge about the context provided in the narrative. Information about why children/teens did not attend the subsequent book discussion events was not given, and so it was unclear whether younger participants had self-selected out, or if the subsequent discussions had been advertised exclusively to an adult audience. A varied marketing approach was used, targeting both youth-oriented media, such as Facebook and MySpace, as well as more traditional posters and pamphlets in brick and mortar institutions such a history museum, local university, religious institutions, and other libraries. Additionally, a word-of-mouth campaign was created by enlisting a local Rabbi to promote the series to his congregation. This resulted in a mix of participants; some arrived already knowing other people there, while some came alone. Initially, the librarian in charge provided light refreshments, but after the first meeting the group decided to share the responsibility and coordinated bringing food to the events, contributing to the strong sense of community the librarian reported developing. A local researcher with relevant expertise was invited to attend and contribute to the discussion. Increased circulation of the adult graphic novel collection was reported as a direct result of the book discussion series, though no data was collected to determine, what, if any, percentage of the event participants were new to the library or to it's programming.

Stein, M.H. (2009). Working Together With Community Groups to Provide Big-Time Programming for Adults. Stein begins by listing the numerous benefits programming can offer in the public library context: increased awareness of the library, increased visits to the library, improved impression of the library by patrons and the community in general (even non-users, or those who do not attend events but hear of them), lifted morale among library employees.

Stein then notes the importance of establishing partnerships within the community to assist in funding, marketing, organizing, and producing events and programming. Community partners can supply necessary funds, or manpower, broaden the targeted audience, provide access to email lists and other communication opportunities, recommend, provide, or fund guest-speakers or other key individuals, perhaps at a reduced or no fee, if the individual is associated with the partner organization. Partners can also contribute refreshments, door prizes, a venue, additional volunteers, cross-marketing and promotional opportunities...the list goes on and on of potential benefits to both the library and the community partner, the key idea here being that it is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library listed the following as partners in 2008's Big Read: One Book, One Community, featuring Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451: other parish library systems, colleges and universities, public, private, and parochial schools, churches, community businesses and organizations, the local chamber of commerce, and even multi-national corporations such as Coca-Cola. The level of involvement of each partner organization varied, with some donating marketing opportunities, some offering media coverage of events, some putting up and coordinating guest speakers, some simply providing volunteers, and others generating discussion questions or creating curriculum activities centered around the book for schools and community groups. Given the content of this particular title, even the Fire Dept was enlisted, giving fire safety demonstrations at which Big Read promotional materials were available. The author urges librarians to take advantage of thematic content for chosen events to reach out to audiences not previously connected to or necessarily associated with the library.

The rest of the article reads as a how-to for establishing strong partnerships and maximizing the benefits available from them. Librarians are urged to take stock of the relationships the organization, staff, and board already possess, as well as groups who regularly use the library's meeting rooms and other spaces. A SWOT analysis is recommended to assess barriers to putting on a program; staff availability to dedicate time to an event, venue availability and affordability, travel needs/expenses for guests, etc. All of these factors can hopefully be addressed by appealing to community partners and planning well in advance of the proposed program. Opportunities and Threats, the last part of the SWOT analysis, is intended to identify ways the library can improve its standing and services in the community, as well as to determine where in the community competitive or similar programs might exist, and work to create opportunities for collaboration of content and resources, rather than competing against other community members.

Heidi

Oder, N. (2010, March 29). PLA 2010 Conference: Reaching 'Quarter-Life'; Adults and Young Professionals. Library Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2010, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6724444.html

A March 2010 Library Journal blog post reported on a panel discussion at the 2010 Public Library Association Conference, entitled “If you didn’t work here, would you visit? Outreach and programming to patrons in their 20s and 30s.”

The panel representatives included public librarians from all over the United States. The panelists suggested that adults in their twenties and thirties are the new “underserved population," using statistics that show people are getting married later in life and the rising ages of mothers when they have their first child. They also mentioned that only 18 percent of 18-to 29-year-olds attend church services regularly, that membership in community groups has been on the decline since the 1970s, and that anecdotal evidence suggests that public libraries often see kids, teens and seniors, but not adults in their twenties and thirties. They suggested that because of those reasons, public libraries might be able to be a new gathering place for this age group.

The panelists shared examples of programs and offered tips and advice for successfully drawing in this population. Successful programs included, “Zinesters Talking,” a speaking series of Zine creators; a library block party that featured a fortune teller with a crystal ball offering “Free Reading Advice;” and film festivals featuring movies appealing to adults. The Beaufort Public Library hosted a food festival in which local restaurants prepared food samples for tasters. Held at a waterfront park near the library, the festival drew 250 people in the span of half an hour. The BPL representative stated that, “If you feed them, they will come.”

Other successful programs mentioned included: • Military issues programs, like one in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, that hosted representatives from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. • “Meet the Past,” a program at Kansas City Public Library that featured interviews with actors portraying prominent historical figures. • A Book Swap at Brooklyn Public Library’s Greenpoint branch, which started after the library had to cancel its book sales. • An art show of donated works, also at the Greenpoint branch, that benefitted the library by raising approximately $1,500. • Literary Speed Dating, at the Omaha Public Library, which inspired a new section in the city’s weekly newspaper called “Urban Nerd.”

The representatives offered tips on how to make these events successful. One suggestion was to not be shy of serving alcohol at events, which is a good way to draw adults in their twenties and thirtiess and also a good way to make money on events. Sometimes, bars and other non-library spaces can be more successful venues to host events as the library itself may not be considered “cool.” Getting buy-in from administrators is important and can be accomplished by pointing out that libraries are struggling, and while younger adults may not vote as much as older ones, they will. One panelist said that libraries must convince administrators that it is important to show young adult patrons that “the library is relevant to their lives,” in order to secure future support of the library. Another suggestion was to be sure you have a clear budget and to not be afraid to use grant writing as a way to fund events.

Brewer, A.; Gooch, M; Kemper III, Crosby; Latalladi, Portia; and May, J. (n.d.). If You Didn't Work Here Would You Come Here? If You Didn't Work Here, Would You Come Here? Retrieved September 24, 2010, from http://sites.google.com/site/plaportland2010/.

The website, "If You Didn’t Work Here, Would You Come Here," is the result of a panel discussion of the same title given at the Public Library Association’s 2010 conference in Portland, Oregon. The website includes an audio file of the panel discussion, which was reported on by Order and summarized above. It also includes statistics pertinent to their discussion, which one of the panelists termed “the three ‘Vs.’” These included:

• Voting. While voting statistics are different in different areas, the U.S. Census reported that in the November 2008 U.S. general election, 46.7% of all 18- to-34-year-olds voted. The Census also reported that younger voters are turning out in greater numbers than ever before.

• Viral. Social media is important to this age group, and is an effective publicity tool for public libraries. According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 72% of online 18- to-29-year-olds use social media sites, and 45% do so on a typical day.

• Vital. This group is an engaged, vital part of communities. The 2008 Gen WE Greenberg Millennial Study reported that this age group currently feels especially interested in engaging with their communities. For example, the study found that 73% of this group feel that engaging in volunteer activities or community service is effective in solving social issues.

The website also offered further tips and advice not mentioned in the panel discussion. For programming, the panelists suggest asking adults what they want from their library, and involving that population in the planning process. They also suggest utilizing a staff person who is “embedded” in some way, or an existing community network, in the population you are trying to reach, in order to gain help planning and marketing programs.

As for outreach, the panelists suggested going to where the population is. For example, attending conferences, festivals and book fairs, neighborhood association meetings, are all effective ways of connecting with potential adult patrons. Having a collection that is attractive to this population is also important. Zines, graphic novels, DVDs, downloadable resources are examples of items appealing to this age group.

The panelists also emphasize the importance of using technology to attract this age group. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, flickr, blogs, podcasts, Youtube, and wifi.

Managing goals and outcomes is also important, the panelists reported. They suggested connecting your library’s mission to your goals and evaluating projects based on those connections and soliciting feedback from adults that helped plan programs.

Goben, A. (2010, February 15). Don't Forget About Us | LISNews: LISNews: The LIbrarian's Huge Cache. Retrieved September 24, 2010, from http://www.lisnews.org/don039t_forget_about_us

In a September 2010 blog post on LISNews, Abigail Goben entreated public libraries to reach out to patrons in their twenties and thirties. As a librarian and a frequent patron at La Crosse Public Library in Wisconsin, Goben said public libraries are almost exclusively focused on services to youth and older adults, but are “failing to engage people who are a huge portion of our tax base and potential advocates: adults between the age of 20 and 40.” She mentioned, anecdotally, that her smart, educated and engaged friends in her age group do not use the library because of several reasons – they do not feel welcome, the hours are inconvenient (no evenings or weekends), or they do not see a personal benefit in using the library.

Public libraries would be a good base of support for adults in their twenties and thirties who no longer have high school and college communities and libraries to serve as support systems and third places. Public libraries have spent a great deal of time, effort and resources on creating welcoming environments for teens, but Goben argues that when those teens grow up they don’t have a similarly comfortable space devoted to them in the library as adults. She also said that other communities organizations are also having difficulty filling this gap, whereas businesses like Starbucks have been able to do well based on their ability to serve this need. Goben suggested that libraries are an ideal candidate to fill this need because they already exist as community spaces.

She offered further suggestions for ways libraries can reach out to adults in their twenties and thirties. For example, “appeal on a funky intellectual level,” is Goben’s advice to satisfy the unique and interesting subjects adults explored in college and that are lacking in many of their lives spent in office cubicles. An example would be inviting a professor to speak from a nearby university. Adjusting library hours or program times to work well with young adult work-week schedules is also important, she said.

Provide opportunities for adults in their twenties and thirties to meet new people, she said. This satisfies the role that university or high school classes and activities once did. Many adults relocate to new cities and have a hard time making friends and library programs could help in this endeavor. This could include programs as well as volunteer opportunities specifically for adults in their twenties and thirties. Programs that include serving alcohol are often a good way to attract people.

Goben also recommended using direct, honest marketing for services. Slogans she listed include, "Free Downloads for Your mp3 and E-book Reader at your Library. (your URL)," "Why Pay for Text Answers to Questions? Text the Library at 55555," "Save Money and Go Green: Use a Public Library," "Remember Reading that Wasn't Required? We have Fun Books too," and "Libraries = Stuff You've Already Paid For With Your Tax Dollars."

Kupfer, D. C. (2008). Should the American canon be discussed in a public library? The selection of classic American authors in one book reading projects. Library Philosophy and Practice, April 2008. Retrieved from http://http:www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/lpp.htm

(Upon further reading, I realized this article really doesn’t have any relevance to our project. I’m going to scrap it. Let me know if either of you disagree.)

MacKinney, L. B. (2004). Not just for kids: Finding success with adult reading programs. Georgia Library Quarterly, 41(2), 10-11. Retrieved from www.csa.com

In an account of the Bartow County Library’s first adult book club effort, MacKinney said that adults are not any less worthy of the planning and execution that go into youth book clubs at public libraries. She noted that while planning the event, the librarians found little in the way of literature and guides for such an endeavor. The book club was modeled on traditional youth summer reading clubs, with participants required to read four books during two summer months and attend any one of the weekly programs. Books were selected from a different genre each week, including romance, science fiction, classics, mystery/detective, historical, and adventure. Upon completion of the program, participants would be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by local businesses, including day spas, department stores, theaters, gourmet food shops, grocery stores, gyms, hotels, restaurants and cafes, and the grand prize – a golf getaway (p. 10).

The program was successful enough that the library has continued offering adult reading programs throughout the year, and has seen participation steadily increase. MacKinney said that one of the most frequent responses to the programming has been “appreciation that adults are no longer being ‘left out’ during the summer excitement” (p. 11).

MacKinney offered the following as best practices for planning an adult reading program: • Start planning for a program as soon as the current one has been planned. • Make sure the program’s theme and logo is catchy, but not childish, and make sure marketing material is eye-catching. • Make participation guidelines specific. • Give kudos to prize donors so they will be more likely to participate in future programs (p. 11).

Final Version of Lit Review

Statement of Purpose: What are the information needs and interests of young professionals (ages 20-40) currently living in North America? What is their relationship to the public library, and how can it be improved? When we think of public library programming for adults, we often think of basic computer skills classes, job-hunting and resume-building help, English conversation groups, or community book clubs. Many of these programs are aimed at seniors or at those with low levels of information literacy or English language skills. Book clubs have the potential to create strong communities within public library systems, but they are often run by participants rather than by librarians, and they focus exclusively on a single form of media which may not interest all users. These programs are incredibly useful to some sectors of the public library community, but few libraries have established high-quality programming for young professionals from the ages of 20 to 40 who are likely to have a comfortable income level (i.e. not rely on the library for resources and services they cannot afford to seek elsewhere) and strong information literacy skills. It is not uncommon for adults in this demographic to visit the public library only when they have children of their own; they do not tend to seek out library programs for their own entertainment, education or social networking opportunities, but it is currently unclear whether this is due to lack of interest or lack of opportunity. Our research study will be designed to investigate the reasons for this, as well as to identify possibilities for creating and marketing programming for young professionals. Our purpose is to determine what the expectations are of this demographic, concerning the public library, and to seek information on ways to improve their perception of the library’s relevancy to them, as well as to increase their use of and connection to the library, through attendance at programming designed specifically for them. To this end, we have examined literature which relates experiences of planning and programming for adults at public libraries. A research study into this area of public librarianship would fill a gap in the literature on the topic. Countless research articles have been published on programming for children, teens and seniors, as well as marginalized or under-represented groups, such as those for whom English is a second language, those with low information literacy, and newcomers to North America. A study such as ours could help public librarians develop programs that are relevant and appealing to adults between the ages of 20 and 40, who in many cases have a strong familiarity with the use of various media and online environments. Are there any relevant educational programs that the public library could offer to these adults? How might the library offer itself as a space for their entertainment and information needs? Why aren’t young professionals using the library to socialize and create interpersonal connections? Our research study will be designed to answer these questions, among others.

A dearth of programs and research

Traditional scholarly research is almost non-existent in this area of public librarianship, and several practitioners have noted the dearth of adult programming in public libraries. In a session at the Public Library Association’s 2010 annual conference, entitled “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” panellists suggested that adults in their twenties and thirties are the new “underserved population," (Oder, 2010). The panel representatives, which included public librarians from across United States, pointed to several statistics supporting this idea. For example, people are getting married later in life, the ages of mothers at the birth of their first child is rising, only 18 percent of 18-to 29-year-olds attend church services regularly, and membership in community groups has been on the decline since the 1970s (Oder, 2010). They also mentioned anecdotal evidence suggesting that public librarians often serve and develop programs for kids, teens and seniors, but rarely for adults in their twenties and thirties (Oder, 2010). This information suggests that public libraries could be a viable new gathering place for this age group, providing an institution around which to create a sense of community independent of users’ political or religious affiliations, focusing specifically on adults (Oder, 2010). In a September 2010 blog post on LISNews, Abigail Goben entreated public libraries to reach out to patrons in their twenties and thirties. As a librarian and a frequent patron at La Crosse Public Library in Wisconsin, Goben said (2010) that public libraries are almost exclusively focused on services to youth and older adults, but are “failing to engage people who are a huge portion of our tax base and potential advocates: adults between the age of 20 and 40.” She mentioned (2010), anecdotally, that her smart, educated and engaged friends in her age group do not use the library for several reasons; they do not feel welcome, the hours are inconvenient (no evenings or weekends), or they do not see a personal benefit in using the library. Public libraries would be a good place to create a base of support for adults in their twenties and thirties who no longer have high school and college communities and libraries to serve as support systems and third places, according to Goben (2010). Public libraries have spent a great deal of time, effort and resources on creating welcoming environments for teens, but Goben argued (2010) that when those teens grow up they don’t have a similarly comfortable space devoted to them in the library as adults. She also said (Goben, 2010) that other community organizations are also having difficulty filling this gap, whereas businesses like Starbucks have been able to do well based on their ability to serve the needs of this adult demographic. Goben suggested (2010) that libraries are an ideal candidate to fill this need because they already exist as community spaces. The lack of both programming for adults in public libraries and research on the topic has also been mentioned in guides to adult programming, such as Ranier’s Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Libraries. This lack of both examples and critical evaluation of previous work on the subject can make developing and implementing programming for adults a daunting task for practicing librarians, who must then justify the content, design, and delivery of their programs without the benefit of documented discussion of best-practice, and without evidence to support taking new directions or unprecedented steps in marketing or programming strategies. Of the adult programs that exist in public libraries, Lear (2002) reported that the majority consist of book discussions, author readings, and lecture series, followed by musical and dramatic performances. A smaller percentage of adult programs involve incentive reading, film screenings and creative writing workshops (Lear, 2002, p. 50). A variety of other adult programs have been represented in the literature since, but these proportions seem to hold. Though this is valuable information about the general content of programming for adults which currently exists, a better understanding of the popularity of these events would be extremely useful in determining how best to allocate funds, time and other resources towards programs. The topic of programming for adults is currently being discussed in the field among practitioners, but research comprising comprehensive reviews of the current state of such programming across public libraries, or even across a small sample of public libraries has not yet shown up in scholarly publications. The literature is currently restricted to branch or system level reviews of past, present, and proposed programming, leaving conclusions about generalities across regions and across the demographic as a whole unsubstantiated. As libraries seek to address the needs of this specific demographic, it is clear to us that there is certainly a need for research in this area if librarians are to effectively serve this population.

Why adult programming is important

Lear (2002) suggested multiple reasons why librarians should continue (or begin) producing programs for adults. In addition to raising visibility for the library and bringing people through their doors, adult programming can also help promote collections, create strong partnerships between the library and other local agencies, and help develop the library into a cultural or community hub (Lear, 2002, p. xvii). Stein (2009) also offered numerous benefits that adult programming can offer in the public library context, including increased awareness of the library, increased visits to the library, improved impression of the library by patrons and the community in general (even non-users, or those who do not attend events but nonetheless hear of them), and lifted morale among library employees and regular users. The panelists (Brewer, et al, 2010) from the above-mentioned Public Library Association program offered statistics relating to three concepts, which they called “the three ‘Vs,’” that illustrate the relevance of programming for this population: • Voting: While voting statistics are different in different areas, the U.S. Census reported that in the November 2008 U.S. general election, 46.7% of all 18- to-34-year-olds voted. The Census also reported that younger voters are turning out in greater numbers than ever before (Brewer, et al, 2010). • Viral: Social media is important to this age group, and is an effective publicity tool for public libraries. According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 72% of online 18- to-29-year-olds use social media sites, and 45% do so on a typical day (Brewer, et al, 2010). • Vital: This group is an engaged, vital part of communities. The 2008 Gen WE Greenberg Millennial Study reported that this age group currently feels especially interested in engaging with their communities. For example, the study found that 73% of this group feel that engaging in volunteer activities or community service is effective in solving social issues (Brewer, et al, 2010). It is clear that general (that is, non-library-specific) statistical information about young professionals is available, and could be an important and useful factor in making decisions related to content and marketing of programs. Gathering such data which can be applied in a library-context is necessary for librarians wishing to make well-informed choices about the services and resources they should offer to this user-group, and more presentations and publications focused specifically on this demographic, like the Public Library Association’s above-mentioned program, are necessary to ensure the relevance and applicability of library programs and materials to adults in this group.

Planning for adult programs

Administrative

Administrative preparation for adult programming, like any kind of library programming, is universally acknowledged to be absolutely imperative.

At the beginning of the planning process, getting administrators to “buy-in” is important and can be accomplished by pointing out that libraries are struggling, and while younger adults may not vote as much as older ones, they will (Oder, 2010). One panelist from the Public Library Association program said that libraries must convince administrators that it is important to show young adult patrons that “the library is relevant to their lives,” in order to secure future support (and use) of the library (Oder, 2010). Lear (2002) suggested methods for creating programming policies, budgets, checklists, and committees and offers case studies and sample forms and papers. Insurance, contracts and the maintenance of facilities and equipment are all covered in this section as well (Lear, 2002). Though the details will of course vary by institution, such broad methods of universally necessary considerations can offer libraries a clear starting point, as well as recommend standards and minimums. A SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of programming options and challenges was also recommended (Stein, 2009) to assess possible barriers to putting on a program; staff availability to dedicate time to an event, venue availability and affordability, travel needs and expenses for guests, etc. All of these factors can hopefully be addressed by appealing to the library board and administrators, community partners and allowing ample time for negotiations and planning of a proposed program. The “opportunities and threats” piece of the SWOT analysis is intended to identify ways the library can improve its standing, reputation, and services in the community, as well as to determine where in the community competitive or similar programs might exist; such an analysis is meant to alert librarians to overlapping roles and services, and afford them the time and motivation to work to create opportunities for collaboration of content and resources, rather than competing against other community organizations and institutions (Stein, 2009).

Engaging the Community

A widely-noted, necessary step in the process is gauging interest from the community: asking what community members want from library programs, and why. Lear (2002) suggested looking to library staff and to state (or provincial) and national resources for ideas, and he specifically suggested developing a community profile based on demographics and conducting surveys of library users and community members to fill in that profile (Lear, 2002, p. 30-31). He offers several examples of patron surveys that librarians might use to gauge interest in and to collect ideas for library programs for adults. Ranier (2005) offered an in-depth guide to the community research phase, advising that librarians investigate local demographics, commercial and business patterns in the library’s local area, and collection statistics, as well as conducting in-house surveys, working with focus groups, and creating cost-benefit analyses. Thorough research in advance of creating library programs for adults can both justify their existence and ensure their success. Stein (2009) also noted the importance of establishing partnerships within the community to assist in funding, marketing, organizing, and producing events and programming. Community partners can supply necessary funds, or manpower, broaden – or in some cases, provide - the targeted audience, provide access to email lists and other communication opportunities, recommend, provide, or fund guest-speakers or other key individuals, perhaps even at a reduced or waived fee, if the individual is associated with the partner organization (Stein, 2009). Partners can also contribute refreshments, door prizes, a venue, additional volunteers, cross-marketing and promotional opportunities – partnerships for programming in the public library offer critical opportunities for libraries to engage in a mutually beneficial arrangement that can create or strengthen the library’s connection to local businesses and their employees and resources. Community organizations seeking to serve a similar demographic may also have valuable insights and existing data for librarians hoping to provide programming with evidence of public interest or need.

Marketing and outreach

Several authors noted that part of any good adult programming plan is an effective marketing campaign. Ranier’s guide to adult library programming (2005) offered a chapter on marketing of adult library programs, discussing such media as flyers and posters, bookmarks, bag inserts, calendars, local newspapers, radio and television. The panelists from the Public Library Association’s “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” emphasized the importance of using technology to attract this age group. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, flickr, blogs, podcasts, Youtube, and wifi (Brewer et al, 2010). Goben (2010) recommended using direct, honest marketing for services. Slogans she suggested include, "Free Downloads for Your mp3 and E-book Reader at your Library. (your URL)," "Why Pay for Text Answers to Questions? Text the Library at 55555," "Save Money and Go Green: Use a Public Library," "Remember Reading that Wasn't Required? We have Fun Books too," and "Libraries = Stuff You've Already Paid For With Your Tax Dollars." (Goben, 2010). In each of these resources, valuable information and suggestions for practice are available in the literature, while evidence or examples of the effectiveness of these campaigns remains informal at best; more research, and documentation of measurable outcomes from such marketing initiatives, is necessary to demonstrate the validity of such assertions and suggestions, and can help to create clear recommendations based on proven effectiveness. Such clarity and established validity could also go a long way towards helping libraries to procure funding for specific marketing and programming initiatives.

Program Evaluation

Once a program has been executed, evaluation is the next step. Lear (2002) discussed several techniques for audience evaluation, including questionnaires, informal discussions, and basic head counts (Lear, 2002, p. 93-4). He also suggested that library staff create program reports on each event, using them to measure how well target audiences were reached and the librarian’s overall impression of user reaction. Such reports would also be beneficial to librarians in other libraries attempting similar or related programs, and if compiled and published in a standardised way, could form the foundation of a broad data collection effort to help inform the creation of services for previously untargeted demographics. In his guide, Lear (2002) offers examples of both audience and staff evaluation forms. Though in manuals and how-to materials for programming, evaluation is consistently discussed and recommended, within the literature itself, evaluation is often offered as an informal reflection on the turn-out and atmosphere of a program.

Types and considerations of adult programming

Different types of programs will be successful, or not, for different communities, but many authors in the field offer ideas. Ranier (2005) discussed programs in which invited speakers give seminars or presentations to library audiences, suggesting health care providers, members of historical societies or arts councils, federal and local government representatives, and ethnic and religious groups as potential speakers with a high degree of relevance to the community. Informative sessions run by those in the private sector, such as banks, businesses and providers of other services, are also well-received in many libraries (Ranier, 2005). He also (2005) spoke to the potential draw of academic speakers – experts in fields that may be of strong public interest – and of course, book authors; however, he noted that many author visits in public libraries are poorly attended, and he cautioned against bringing in authors unless a library’s circulation statistics, or patrons themselves, suggest that such an event might be popular. He also discussed educational, cultural, book club, and craft-based programming, (Ranier, 2005) and offered tips in each case for matching events to the local community. He broke each category down into numerous subcategories and offered an abundance of ideas for both series and one-off programs, in addition to considering specialized programs for both men and women. While Ranier (2005) does not offer suggestions for program breakdowns based on age, he does suggest that too wide an age range for a given program might be off-putting for some participants and that individual libraries might benefit from targeting specific programs to adults of different ages (Ranier, 2005, p. 196-97). The representatives from the “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” panel (Oder, 2010) also offered tips on how to make adult programs successful. One suggestion was to serve alcohol at events, which was seen as a good way to draw adults in their twenties and thirties and also to raise money at events. Sometimes, bars and other non-library spaces can be more successful venues to host events as the library itself may not be considered “cool” (Oder, 2010). On a more abstract note, Goben (2010) offered suggestions for ways libraries can reach out to adults in their twenties and thirties. For example, “appeal on a funky intellectual level,” was Goben’s advice to satisfy young adults’ desires to learn about unique and interesting subjects they explored in college but are lacking now as many of their lives are spent in office cubicles (Goben, 2010). An example would be to invite a professor to speak from a nearby university on an interesting topic. Adjusting library hours or program times to work well with young adult work-week schedules is also important, she said (Goben, 2010). She also recommended providing opportunities for adults in their twenties and thirties to meet new people, which would satisfy the role that university or high school classes and activities once did. Many adults relocate to new cities and have a hard time making friends; library programs could help in this endeavour (Goben, 2010). This could include programs as well as volunteer opportunities specifically for adults in their twenties and thirties.

Examples and case studies

Adult summer reading clubs

In an account of the Bartow County Library’s first adult book club effort, MacKinney (2004) said that adults are not any less worthy of the planning and execution that go into youth book clubs at public libraries. She noted that while planning the event, the librarians found little in the way of literature and guides for such an endeavor. The book club was modeled on traditional youth summer reading clubs, with participants required to read four books during two summer months and attend any one of the weekly programs. Books were selected from a different genre each week, including romance, science fiction, classics, mystery/detective, historical, and adventure. Upon completion of the program, participants would be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by local businesses, including day spas, department stores, theaters, gourmet food shops, grocery stores, gyms, hotels, restaurants and cafes, and the grand prize – a golf getaway (MacKinney, 2004, p. 10).

The program was successful enough that the library has continued offering adult reading programs throughout the year, and has seen participation steadily increase. MacKinney said that one of the most frequent responses to the programming has been “appreciation that adults are no longer being ‘left out’ during the summer excitement” (p. 11). MacKinney offered the following as best practices for planning an adult reading program:

• Start planning for a new program as soon as the current one has been planned. • Make sure the program’s theme and logo is catchy, but not childish, and make sure marketing material is eye-catching. • Make participation guidelines specific. • Give kudos to prize donors so they will be more likely to participate in future programs (MacKinney, 2004, p. 11).

Food

Ries-Taggart (2010a) outlined a Baltimore Public Library program, supported by a federal grant, which allows community members at two branches of the library to order healthy, high-quality groceries on library computers and to pick them up and pay on-site that same week. The program was piloted in areas in which no major grocers operate due to their distance from commercial centres. Small convenience stores in these areas offer mostly high-fat snacks, and this service was intended to increase the community’s access to regular groceries and fresh foods. At the same time, the program could increase the public library’s visibility and encourage those taking advantage of the service to take advantage of the library’s resources as well (Ries-Taggart, 2010a). While Ries-Taggart (2010a) focused on meeting a need in the community, this type of activity could also be used to attract young professionals to public libraries in communities where farmers’ markets and artisanal production are valued by those with disposable incomes and a desire to support local and sustainable products. We see this as an area of possible growth in reaching out to young professionals in urban communities. Public libraries could partner with food and farmer’s markets to draw adults into the library space and encourage sustainable consumption of both food and library resources.

Music

Ries-Taggart (2010b) also reported on an initiative at the Liverpool Public Library in New York to increase usage of its streaming and CD music collections. Two staff members at the library selected and uploaded songs from new music acquisitions to the Live365 server, creating a three-hour streaming playlist for library users that changed periodically. The lists were streamed more than 4,000 times in one year, and library users were able to place holds on the titles featured on the playlists. Ries-Taggart (2010b) did not specifically frame this short piece as outreach to adults in their twenties and thirties, but this is another area in which public libraries could experiment. If adults were interested in creating and sharing playlists, perhaps libraries could also create programs for this kind of interaction, increasing both adults’ time in the library (physically or virtually) and their use of library materials.

Programs outside the library

Bringing young professionals into the library does not always have to be initiated by librarians. In some cases, as Ries-Taggart (2010c) reported, groups of young professionals in the community actively seek opportunities to support libraries and to raise awareness of their services. Through the Friends of the Library, a group of young professionals at the St. Paul Public Library in Minnesota organized an after-hours event complete with catered meal, cash bar, live DJ, and activities such as an adult spelling bee and a cell phone scavenger hunt (Ries-Taggart, 2010c, p.9). The event was intended to raise both awareness and funds for the library. Local libraries in Vancouver have held similar events; the North Vancouver City Library has recently launched an annual Librations Gala, and the University of British Columbia Library will be hosting an adult spelling bee in the coming year. Librarians at public libraries might consider adding after-hours events for young professionals to their program rosters. There is no research literature on the effects of these events as yet; nor is Ries-Taggart’s (2010c) piece a research study. However, if public libraries were to experiment with this type of programming, hopefully some librarians would conduct, document, and publish research on the turnout and effects on young professionals’ subsequent library use.

Adult storytimes

Wright (2010) created an adult noon-hour storytime at the Seattle Public Library, intended for working professionals, parents with children, and tourists alike. In his article, he explains that adults have just as much need for stories as children do; stories are what bring people together and form the backbone of culture and cultural production. When the Seattle Public Library moved into a new space with a large auditorium, Wright (2010) began experimenting with a storytime program, in which he reads short stories to his audience for about 45 minutes twice per month. In his article, he outlines how he got the program started and offers ideas for themed readings and for mixing up and marketing the service to adults. He recommended promoting the service to groups such as ESL learners and deaf and blind patrons, and he encouraged promoting the storytimes as a space where audience members can eat lunch, drink tea, quilt, knit, or otherwise multitask in non-distracting ways. He also suggested turning the storytimes into podcasts if copyright permits and offering them to users on the library website.

Wright (2010) offered tips on how to set up the require technology for the storytimes, how to market them with almost no funds, when to use actors for the reading instead of librarians (and how to hire them), and how to actually go about reading a story for maximum effect. Wright (2010) encourages experimentation and sharing of ideas and techniques for making the storytimes work through the professional literature. We see this initiative as a strong example for increasing programming to young professionals, particularly at library branches in districts with many office buildings and other commercial businesses where adults in their twenties and thirties might work. Wright (2010) reported between 40 and 80 participants per storytime, with only scant marketing, and we suspect that the program could be even more popular with funding or a dedicated marketing initiative.

Marketing

Murphy (2010) detailed a print ad campaign undertaken by Queens Library to reach out to and draw in non-users of the system, featuring different takes on “ _____ @ Queens Library.” The campaign was to run in local print subscription and free newspapers (still popular and highly-circulating, the author stressed, in that community), with complementary materials (posters, stand-up ads, etc.) on-site at the library to reinforce the message and recognition of the campaign once new users were actually drawn into the library (Murphy, 2010). Ad slogans included: • Love@ Queens Library, featuring a very attention-grabbing visual of a female vampire taking a bite out of the neck of a half-dressed, well-built romance novel cover male model. This ad was also timed to coincide with the release of the Twilight: New Moon movie, capitalizing on the vampire-romance enthusiasm already running high in certain segments of the community (Murphy, 2010). • Eat@ Queens Library, featuring a picture of fresh produce, with text reminding the public that the collection holds an enormous number of cookbooks (more than 46,000) and food-themed memoirs, all free to check out. This campaign was timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving/holiday season in the United States. The ad, like the Love @ Queens Library campaign scheduled to run immediately before it, capitalized on an existing trend (amateur-home-gourmet, local eating, etc.) and strove to connect that trend to the public library and its resources (Murphy, 2010). • Surf@ Queens Library, using images of surfboards and gorgeous oceans, coupled with text to promote internet access and other tech capabilities through the library (Murphy, 2010). • Catwalk@ Queens Library, highlighting the Job Information Centers offered at the library, with a focus on careers in fashion and how to get there with resources from Queens Library, particularly focusing on the enormous, local (i.e. New York City) fashion industry, citing all types of career paths (photography, fashion journalism and editorial work, modeling, designing) to appeal to many users and alert them to a service they may not be aware the library offered (Murphy, 2010). • Bolly@ Queens Library, drawing attention to the 17,000 Bollywood-genre DVDS in the Queens Library collection. This campaign was aimed at drawing in new library users by appealing to fans of a specific genre, alerting a segment of the community that the library collects with them in mind, and inviting regular users to try a part of the overall collection they may not be familiar with (Murphy, 2010). While this review offered a wealth of information about the way the campaign was laid and the rationale behind decisions made, there were unfortunately no statistics provided about the outcome or effectiveness of the campaign, and no plan was laid out detailing methods with which Queens Library intended to collect data and measure the success of the campaign.

Social Media

Porter and King (2010) offered suggestions to public librarians for reaching out to the active, involved smartphone users in their communities through the Foursquare mobile application. While they did not specifically mention providing this outreach to adults in their twenties and thirties, they did indicate that the service would not be accessible to everyone in the community; it would be targeted toward those who are already engaged in social media and have invested in a smartphone – an iPhone, a BlackBerry, or a Droid. This makes the use of Foursquare in public libraries a prime activity for young professionals. The authors (2010) described a game, which involved “checking in” to various locations using the smartphone, as well as earning points and badges for completing tasks at those locations. A library could draw young professionals in by tagging its profile page with various terms for services offered – wi-fi, book club, or DVDs, for example – which people could search using Foursquare, and it could also create to-do lists for patrons to tackle in exchange for points. For example, patrons could earn merits for getting a library card, reading magazines for free in the library’s databases, or checking out a video game. Porter and King’s (2010) suggestions could inform a public library’s online programming for adults as well as its marketing strategies.

Graphic Novels

Rice (2008) offered a review of a programming effort at an Ada, Idaho public library branch. The author organized a series of book discussions to highlight the graphic novels in the collection, which she was concerned were not reaching all the readers they could because of the alternative format. Books selected for discussion in the series revolved around the theme of Jewish identity and portrayal in graphic novels. Attendance at the series included adults aged 25-80, with a high incidence of repeat attendance. To begin the book discussion series, a one-time event titled "Drawing Comics - Tools of the Trade" was put on, with a local comic artist as a guest speaker. Attendance at this event was high – thirty-nine individuals - and very diverse, with about half the attendees of the one-time workshop being children/teens, and half being seniors/adults. This multi-generational approach was actively encouraged by the librarian in charge, to facilitate an introduction of the new format (graphic narrative) to older people who may not be familiar with it, while helping younger readers to benefit from an increased sense of history and perspective by having older readers share their own responses and knowledge about the context provided in the narrative. Information about why children/teens did not attend the subsequent book discussion events was not given, and so it was unclear whether younger participants had self-selected out, or if the subsequent discussions had been advertised exclusively to an adult audience. A varied marketing approach was used, targeting both youth-oriented media, such as Facebook and MySpace, as well as more traditional posters and pamphlets in brick and mortar institutions such a history museum, local university, religious institutions, and other libraries. Additionally, a word-of-mouth campaign was created by enlisting a local Rabbi to promote the series to his congregation. This resulted in a mix of participants; some arrived already knowing other people there, while some came alone. Initially, the librarian in charge provided light refreshments, but after the first meeting the group decided to share the responsibility and coordinated bringing food to the events, contributing to the strong sense of community the librarian reported developing. A local researcher with relevant expertise was invited to attend and contribute to the discussion. Increased circulation of the adult graphic novel collection was reported as a direct result of the book discussion series, though no data was collected to determine, what, if any, percentage of the event participants were new to the library or to its programming. This program was not targeted at adults within a specific or limited age-range, but there appears to be a high interest in alternative formats which could provide a popular platform for discussion, particularly with younger adults who are already familiar and fans of the genre.

Examples from “If you didn’t work here, would you visit?” Successful programs shared by panellists at this forum included: • “Zinesters Talking,” a speaking series of Zine creators. • A library block party that featured a fortune teller with a crystal ball offering “Free Reading Advice.” • Film festivals featuring movies appealing to adults. • A food festival hosted by the Beaufort Public Library in which local restaurants prepared food samples for tasters. Held at a waterfront park near the library, the festival drew 250 people in the span of half an hour. The BPL representative stated that, “If you feed them, they will come.” • Military issues programs, like one in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, that hosted representatives from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. • “Meet the Past,” a program at Kansas City Public Library that featured interviews with actors portraying prominent historical figures. • A Book Swap at Brooklyn Public Library’s Greenpoint branch, which started after the library had to cancel its book sales. • An art show of donated works, also at the Greenpoint branch, that benefitted the library by raising approximately $1,500. • Literary Speed Dating, at the Omaha Public Library, which inspired a new section in the city’s weekly newspaper called “Urban Nerd.” (Oder, 2010)

Conclusion:

Our research has yielded a solid, if moderate, body of literature offering strong examples and suggestions for public librarians interested in putting on programming aimed at adults in their twenties and thirties, many of which are backed by input from real experiences implementing and running the programs. It is clear from the literature that services to this demographic of people in their twenties and thirties is an emerging area of awareness and interest in public libraries. What has not been so forthcoming are scholarly collections of the observations made by those who have already implemented such services, organized and analyzed as measurable data, and the conclusions which could then be drawn, definitively identifying factors which contribute to attendance at programming, increased circulation of promoted materials, and other outcomes associated with putting on events in the public library. Also missing from the literature are comparisons of attendance and participant responses across public library programs; though most authors give anecdotal evidence of “successful” programming, such a term is never universally defined across the field, and factors which may contribute to or detract from the implementation of any given program tend to be addressed as local issues, making it challenging to apply findings and recommendations from published examples in a new setting, or to determine universally applicable best-practices. Though sensitivity to the unique needs of a public library’s specific local community is undoubtedly a fundamental and necessary component of serving that communities’ needs, it is our belief that the user-group of adults in their twenties and thirties constitute a group which exists across geographic communities in North America whose needs are not currently being met by the programming generally available from the public library. As the literature demonstrates, programming targeted at this demographic tends to rely on observations of small population samples, assumptions, and predictions about this user-group and their needs and interests within a given community.

It is clear to us that more data is needed to help define this demographic and determine their needs and interests. Studies which define and examine the effectiveness of marketing strategies, rather than simply describing previous undertakings, would be extremely beneficial in assisting public librarians to effectively reach broad audiences to promote new services. Comparison studies which seek to provide information on venue and program content could also offer valuable insight to those librarians attempting to design effective programming, and could address questions such as; are patrons in this demographic more likely to attend events hosted by a venue other than the library itself? Are patrons in this demographic more likely to attend an event which is advertised as having alcoholic beverages available? Are programs for adults better-attended on weeknights or evenings? It is entirely possible that the answers to these questions are answered in statistical information held by the public libraries who have put on the events and campaigns which are here described, but until more comprehensive work is done to collect this data and compare findings from multiple programs, it will remain necessary for librarians interested in developing programs for this demographic to rely on their own observations and anecdotal evidence from their colleagues. 

The literature has helped to shape our research questions by showing the need for both broad and narrow studies to develop a foundation of scholarly data which pertains specifically to programming for adults in their twenties and thirties. Many of the crucial questions are much too broad in scope for our proposal. We have arrived at the following questions as both appropriate in scope and necessary and useful for public libraries interested in targeting and welcoming this underserved demographic: What expectations/perceptions do users in this demographic have about the public library? In a given population sample, what percentage of adults in this demographic use the library, how frequently do they use the library, and what do they use the library for? What types of programming would entice them to attend an event at or sponsored by the public library? What barriers or obstacles impede their ability or desire to visit/use the public library?