Summer Reading Is for Grown Ups, Too! Caitlin Fralick & Elizabeth Goldman OLA Super Conference, February 3, 2011

Overview Why offer summer reading for adults? Selling it to your library Setting up the program Web 2.0 your summer reading program Examples Lesson & tips Questions

Why do summer reading? Summer reading programs for kids are well-established, and teen programs are growing in popularity A program for adults has several benefits: o Draw in parents of kids who are participating o Draw in seniors and younger adults without children o Take advantage of time of year when people do more reading o Keep library users active and engaged over the summer o Develop a suite of programs around a theme o Everyone has a lot of fun

Selling it to your library Libraries are increasingly focused on serving adult populations, especially seniors and younger adults Summer reading programs for adults are popular in the US, so chance for Canadians to get in on the ground level The program promotes reading, which is important at all ages, as well as general library use It helps people think of the library as a fun place and recreates the old-fashioned image many people have

Setting up the program Planning: o Budget o Source of funding (library, Friends, grant) o Relationship, if any, to existing summer reading program o Theme + structure o Qualifying tasks: required reading list; patrons choice; credit for non-book library uses o Logging: based on pages? Time? Completed works read? Non-book materials? o Prizes, opening and closing events o Additional programming o Online components

Web 2.0 your summer reading Its easy to use social media to support summer reading Your followers on Twitter and Facebook are mostly adults o On a library Facebook page, people can discuss books, you can highlight events, and you can provide supplementary material If catalogue allows for rating, reviews, tagging, use it Evanced has an interactive online summer reading program Other possibilities: collections on Shelfari or Delicious, video book reviews, user-submitted material on website or Youtube

Programming tips Movies are great in the summer. If you don't have a performance license, look for public performance options Whatever the theme, there's probably a store, nonprofit organization, or community group in your area that covers related ground. Often locals will speak for free. Look for anyone local who has written a book on the topic as a way to tie it back in to reading Contact local colleges and universities to see if anyone on staff does research that might relate to your theme.

Example 1: Small library, 2008 Kids theme was insects, so picked gardening for adults Launched at senior expo – lots of signups right there Modeled after kids program: goal was 15 stamps. One stamp for movie, magazine, library program, reference question; three for a book Small prizes at 5 and 10 stamps; mass market paperback for completing program + entry into grand prize drawing Prizes bought locally and for cost in many cases; some donated Associated programming: movie series, lectures Recommended booklists and bibliographies Drawings done at end-of-summer ice cream social ~300 participants (library serves 14,000); budget ~ $500

Example 2: medium library, 2010 Borrowed US theme, Water Your Mind Modeled after kids program (TD): credit for each book read + movies, attendance at library program Logging done entirely online through Evanced Summer Reader – users not required to write reviews but most chose to and reviews were linked to library catalogue records Prizes donated by Friends: $1 booksale coupon for first 100 registrants; 4 $50 grand prize gift certificates for local stores Screened two documentaries about water and organized panel discussion on local water issues ~100 participants (library serves 100,000); budget ~ $300 (donated)

Lessons & tips It can take a while to build this kind of program – dont expect runaway success the first year Over time, probably 1/3 the participants in kids program Staff buy-in is key – every staff member needs to be signing people up at service points every day Website and online tools (Facebook, Twitter) should be used to promote program and add to interactive elements Great to launch at a local event and/or market at summer festivals, parades, etc.

Lessons & tips Friends groups are a great source of donations as well as participants Prizes can be cheap: extra paperbacks hanging around; homemade bookmarks laminated at the library; coupons for discounts on fines Where you are buying prizes, shop locally Key with adults is make the program simple and fun: they dont want extra work in the summer Take advantage of cottagers if you have them – they are probably reading a lot

Lesson & tips Good opportunity for partnerships – with businesses or organizations that fit the theme, with senior centres, with summer events and festivals Opportunity to market online resources: Novelist, NextReads, What Do I Read Next, Overdrive, etc. Summer not successful? Try a winter reading program

Resources Collaborative Summer Reading Program (US) o (some material for members only) Tips from California Library Association o Marketing ideas o

Questions? Contact us: Caitlin Fralick, Elizabeth Goldman,