How do you measure engagement? What we learned during Summer Reading 2017

Starting with this year, my role in summer reading is a specific one: I work at developing and implementing our measurement tools and strategies for capturing program outcomes and other evaluative data. To that end, the reading clubs committee's meeting that matters most to my work is the one where they confirm the program goals for the year. Not the theme, not the design of the program--the program goals. Once I've got a grasp of what the goals are, and why they've been chosen, I start thinking about how we can collect data to help us gauge our success.

For Summer Reading 2017, which here at Skokie was called Camp Imagine, our reading clubs committee identified two main goals of our program:

Goal 1: Increase the completion rate by 10%. This goal is a change in outputs--the proportion of registrants who went on to finish the program this summer as compared to the proportion from last summer. You need two data points to get your completion rate: the number of people who signed up for the program, and the number of people who completed the program. This is pretty standard data to collect for reading programs across the country.

Goal 2: Increase engagement. This goal is both a behavior in itself, which is an output, and a change in behavior, or an outcome. In other words, the reading clubs committee was designing a program that would hopefully result in more people participating across the whole summer as well as engaging with both the program and the library at greater rates than they might have otherwise.

(Also, a note here: we didn't attempt to measure engagement last summer, which means we didn't have a baseline to compare this summer's numbers to. As a result, we were actually measuring our success toward the goal of facilitating engagement, as opposed to increasing engagement year-over-year. We can track that next year, using our 2017 numbers as our baseline for comparison.)

Now, you may be thinking to yourself: but how do you measure engagement? That, my friends, is a really, really good question. And there's not necessarily a single best answer. You see, measuring engagement starts by first identifying what engagement means to you with regard to your specific program or service.

So pretty much immediately after I got word that these were the goals selected by the reading clubs committee, I went to them with some questions. Specifically, what did they have in mind when they envisioned patron engagement? That's when I learned that they envisioned Camp Imagine participants sticking with the program throughout the summer; doing the program with some specific participatory behaviors; using the library in new ways; and interacting with one another and the community around books and reading. That may still seem somewhat amorphous and abstract, but this definition gave me plenty to work with--especially since the committee was designing the program so that participants could choose specific activities and challenges that tied into the engagement goal.

That length-of-participation type of engagement--sticking with the program throughout the summer--was measurable by seeing how many days, on average, Camp Imagine participants were active in the program. We tallied the number of days between registration and final visit to the Camp Imagine desk for 20% of our participants (a solid sample, considering we had over 3700 participants). This was a straight output numbers analysis.

Because of the way we implement our summer reading program and the volume of participants involved, we knew we'd stick to a participant survey to capture most of the rest of the data to get at whether we were actually facilitating engagement. With the goals and definitions in mind, I got down to creating our survey questions to measure engagement.

The reading clubs committee was defining engagement as participating in a few direct ways with the program. That's not the same as just participating in the program. Rather, a specific engagement activity option was available at every level of Camp Imagine: to submit something to the Camp Mailbox. It might be a book review; a picture or drawing of a friend; a favorite recipe; a map of places traveled, or hoped to travel; and more sharing prompts like these. We had a physical Camp Mailbox just next to our Camp Imagine desk, where all registration and badge completion interactions took place. The program was designed to give participants the option of engaging directly with the program and program themes by submitting to the Camp Mailbox, and this type of participation was incentivized when we featured Camp Mailbox submissions on a display next to the camp desk and on our Facebook page. And so, when it came time to think about quantifying this type of engagement, we asked two specific questions on the summer reading survey:

1) While participating in Camp Imagine, I submitted an item to the Camp Mailbox. (Options: Yes / No / Not Sure)

2) While participating in Camp Imagine, I looked at items submitted to the Camp Mailbox on display in the library or on the library's Facebook page. (Options: Yes / No / Not Sure)

The next definition of engagement was using the library in new ways. Once again, this type of engagement was built into the design of the program as an option. At every level of the program, participants were invited to find relevant information in a library database or resource; try reading in a new genre; set up an account with and try a downloadable resource like Hoopla or RBDigital; and more. To get at whether participants were in fact using the library in new ways, we asked one specific question on the summer reading survey:

3) While participating in Camp Imagine, I tried a library resource I'd never used before. (Options: Yes / No / Not Sure)

Finally, the last definition of engagement was that participants would ideally interact with one another and the larger community around books and/or reading. Again, this type of behavior was incentivized, with many levels of the program including the activity of sharing a book or other media recommendation with another person--be it friend, family member, librarian, or anyone else. This type of engagement is also where my initial research into measuring engagement--specifically during summer reading--paid off. I had explored write-ups and descriptions of how California libraries have been tracking summer reading outcomes since 2011, and that's where we landed on this concept of engagement with reading programs as resulting in participants considering their communities as places valuing reading. With the combination of our program-incentivized sharing and the concepts learned from California's outcomes iterations, we asked two specific questions on the summer reading survey:

4) While participating in Camp Imagine, I shared a book recommendation with a family member, friend, or other community member. (Options: Yes / No / Not Sure)

5) As a result of participating in Camp Imagine, I feel that Skokie is a community of readers. (Options: Strongly Agree / Agree / Neither Agree nor Disagree / Disagree / Strongly Disagree)

The survey was rounded out by questions from the PLA Project Outcomes summer reading surveys--we feel it's important that we contribute to the project, which provides its aggregate data for library advocacy across the country, whenever it fits into our own strategies and plans for capturing program outcomes.

Our final survey was one half-sheet of paper, front and back, and we got a response rate that allowed us a pretty high degree of confidence in the data we collected.

Curious what we found?

Our graphic designer Vanessa Rosenbaum created a gorgeous 4-page final report for Camp Imagine. Here's the page about engagement. I put together the data analysis and narrative, and the sidebar includes items from the Camp Mailbox and anecdotes.

From analyzing the length of time that Camp Imagine registrants engaged in the program (which was 73 days long in total), we found that:

• Youth who earned at least one badge (i.e., didn't just register and never return) participated on average 34 days, or about five weeks.
• Teens who earned at least one badge participated on average 29 days, or about four weeks.

When we looked at the top 50th and 25th percentiles of youth and teen participants, these numbers were even higher. This type of sustained engagement has implications for combatting the summer slide.

From our survey questions, here's what we learned about program engagement:

• 84% of participants submitted something to the Camp Mailbox.
• 61% of participants viewed the Camp Mail.
• 65% of participants tried a library resource they'd never used before.
• 75% of participants recommended a book to a family member, friend, or other community member.
• 94% of participants feel Skokie is a community of readers.

Now, considering participants had the option, at every single level of the program, to complete each level in the traditional summer reading way--by reading alone--we think these numbers are pretty remarkable. In every metric, over half of program participants opted to participate in our engagement activities alongside the traditional reading activities. And the fact the 94% of participants feel our community is one of readers? Well, that makes a librarian's heart happy. And these data all provide solid baselines for continuing to measure engagement over the course of subsequent reading clubs.

So that's how we did it: that's how we measured engagement during Summer Reading 2017.

Wrapping up Summer Reading with a Field Day

We wrapped up summer reading at my library 10 days ago after an eleven-week program. Our reading clubs committee, which comprises folks from youth, adult, programming, and marketing, created our own theme: Camp Curiosity. We had all things camp- and outdoors-related this summer, so it only seemed fitting that we'd match our summer reading finale with an outdoorsy-flavored event: an all-ages Field Day.

On a sunny, not-too-hot Sunday afternoon, we spilled out onto the Village Green adjacent to the library for our Field Day festivities. Almost 200 people, mostly families, participated in the range of activities available over a two-hour span. Here's what we offered.

Self-Paced Field Day Activities

The majority of our activities at Field Day were self-paced, with each activity set out at a station that families could approach as they pleased:

Compass and orienteering mini-workshops from L.L.Bean - The L.L.Bean store at the mall in Skokie was hugely supportive of our summer reading club this summer, and the manager brought one final activity to the Field Day. He set up a table with maps and compasses and gave at least a dozen mini-workshops on orienteering for folks who were interested. This activity spanned all ages quite easily.

A community mural - Our staff artist, who works in the youth department, created two large-scale line-drawing murals on white foam core: one showed a daytime outdoor image, the other a nighttime one. The tone aligned with our summer reading Camp Curiosity theme perfectly, and Field Day attendees were invited to grab some markers and help to color in the murals. This activity had lots of sustained engagement from kids and adults who wanted to get their large-scale coloring on.

Chalk art - We blocked off the driveway between the library and the Village Green, giving the event a bit of a block party feel. Kids got creative in adding chalk art on the drive. It was great to be able to redirect young kids to the chalk art--if they were too young for the community mural (i.e., would scribble rather than color), they could do as they pleased with chalk on the ground.

Jumbo lawn games - We brought out our sets of giant Jenga and giant dominoes for families to play with. Bonus: kids too young for Jenga are pleased as punch to use those Jenga blocks for stacking and building, too.

Read-outs - One of the features of Camp Curiosity this summer was the Tuesday afternoon read-out, when teen volunteers took out camp chairs and a selection of books to the Village Green to encourage people on their way into, out of, or near the library to stay a few minutes to read and chat with neighbors. We brought out the chairs for a final read-out at the Field Day.

Inflatable obstacle course - This is the component for which we hired folks for the Field Day: we rented a giant kids inflatable obstacle course and two attendants to staff it. Kids of every age were happy to kick off their shoes and try the obstacle course, with nearly everyone going through many, many times. We will be bringing these folks back for future events--such a huge hit.

Group Field Day Activities

A few of the Field Day activities were scheduled so that all interested folks could participate together:

Group photo - It's tradition that anyone who completes the summer reading program gets a t-shirt. This is longstanding tradition--we see patrons of every age wearing their summer reading shirts from years past pretty much on a daily basis. Our staff photographer snapped a photo of the folks at the Field Day who wore their shirts (including a few family members who forgot theirs at home).

Balloon toss - Field Day participants paired up with partners for this event on the patio of the Village Green. All pairs stood the same distance apart, and each pair got a water balloon. Then, one by one, each pair tried to toss their balloon from one partner to the next. If the balloon popped, the team was out. Teams remaining after each round took giant steps back and repeated the process until a single pair was left victorious. We did three rounds of the balloon toss.

Ice pops - Even though it wasn't an extremely hot day, it was still warm, and the sharing of ice pops was quite welcome by attendees and staff alike. We brought out a cooler with the ice pops and folks could come select the flavor of their choosing from one of our staff.

Water balloon fight - We hadn't advertised that there would be a water balloon fight--we weren't sure how many folks would show up, so we modestly stuck with the balloon toss as the main event. After three rounds of the balloon toss and we still had about 120 balloons left, however, we gathered interested folks for a water balloon fight. We had two rules: 1) no throwing at faces, and 2) if you throw a balloon, you help pick up the pieces when the fight is over. Each participant got two balloons, and on the count of three, we had a quick, damp little battle.

~~*~~

So that was our Summer Reading Finale Field Day. In comparing notes after the event, several of my colleagues and I reflected that we had a particularly high number of positive comments from families about this event. They were singing the praises of the Camp Curiosity program, but they were also massively appreciative that they could attend the Field Day. It seems that, in an age where almost every public event involves the temptation to spend money (that cotton candy booth at the fair is there whether you want to spend money or not), families really appreciate getting to attend something fun and totally free.

We are happy to oblige.

Librarianship on YouTube: All the Summer Reading Hype!

It's early July, which means we're in the trenches of summer reading. The people! The reading recommendations! The sign-up questions! THE HOARDS OF PEOPLE!

It's a glorious time for public libraries, but it can also be overwhelming. Which is why I think S. Bryce Kozla over at Bryce Don't Play is mix of fairy godmother and evil genius for coming up with the idea of asking libraryland folks to make summer reading hype videos for her staff. And she's a benevolent fairy godmother/evil genius for encouraging those of us who made videos (even poorly-shot and frighteningly-edited like mine) to share them with all the people. The goal: assert that, even if it feels like you're drowning under mountains of summer reading swag, 1) YOU ARE NOT ALONE and 2) YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

So here's my entry in the summer reading hype video category. The full title, which YouTube seemed not to like because of a pesky thing called a "character limit," is 5 Things Leslie Knope Taught Us That Can Help to Power Through an Amazing Summer Reading Club (or any other big program, initiative, presentation, unity concert, or binder project on your to-do list).


I highly recommend looking through Bryce's original post to see all the glorious videos from across libraryland, with new entries being shared weekly. And if you feel inspired to make your own, DO IT! It's strangely cathartic.

9 Weeks of Pop-Up Programming for Summer

This summer, we offered weekly pop-up programs in the main entryway to the youth services department at my library. We changed up the activities each week and harnessed the power of summer teen volunteers to keep the pop-ups running smoothly. Full details ahead!

What activities did we offer?
Over the course of our 9-week summer reading program, we offered the following activities:

• Monster page-corner bookmarks
• Materials: colored paper printed with a bookmark form template I created, scissors, glue sticks, and markers
• How-to: page corner bookmarks from Tally's Treasury
• Catapults
• Materials: popsicle sticks, rubber bands, plastic spoons, and pom pons for ammo
• How-to: Marshmallow Catapults from Mommy Poppins
• Card Making
• Materials: assorted colors paper and card stock, assorted die cuts, markers, glue sticks, and joke books
• How-to: Invite kids to make cards for time-appropriate occasions; for us, that was Father's Day and/or graduations. We also had plenty of joke books on hand for kids who wanted to just make "anytime cards."
• Fingerprint Art
• Materials: white paper and washable ink pads
• How-to: I've documented my prior forays into this activity at my previous job
• Origami Dinosaurs
• Materials: origami paper and origami how-to instructions and books
• How-to: Origami Dinosaur from Origami Voor Kinderen
• Balloon Rockets
• Materials: twine, drinking straw, scissors, tape, party balloons
• How-to: Under Pressure: Launch a Balloon Rocket from Scientific American
• Postcard to an Author/Book Character
• Materials: postcard-sized paper and markers
• How-to: Encourage kids to write a postcard to their favorite author or book character. If you're able to, take photos of the kids' cards and tweet them at the authors and/or publishing houses.
• Planet Buttons
• Materials: button maker with appropriate button-making tools and materials as well as images of the planets sized to fit the button maker
• How-to: Encourage kids to choose their favorite planet (we did this activity to celebrate New Horizons and the first clear photos of Pluto) and then make a button to share it proudly.
• Optical Illustions
• Materials: paper, scissors, drinking straws, tape, and coloring pencils
• How-to: Thaumatrope Illusion from Teachers Try Science

When did pop-ups take place?
Based on the calendar of scheduled programs and a rough guess at general patterns of foot traffic in the summer, we opted to offer pop-up programs on Thursday afternoons for approximately 90 minutes. After a few weeks of running the pop-ups from 4-5:30, with seriously dwindling numbers for the last half hour, we adjusted the time to 3:30-5 p.m.

Who ran the pop-up programs?
While I (or another staff member, the week I was out of town) was present in the youth department for the duration of the pop-up programs, a team of teen volunteers actually facilitated the pop-up activities from start to finish. I had a team of 5 teens who took turns rotating roles: one would be designated in-charge; one would make sure to take count of participants; one would move about the department to alert kids and families that an activity was taking place; and everyone would assist kids in completing the activity.

Who was the target audience for the pop-ups?
We wanted to offer activities that were accessible to children ranging in age from preschool through early junior high. Recognizing that that is a really huge range in age and ability, the litmus test for a program activity was whether a first grader might be able to complete the activity on their own/with little mediation. The volunteers were more than happy to assist kids who needed it, but we didn't want activities to be frustratingly complicated.

How were the pop-up activities received?
Really well! While there were some fluctuations in the number of attendees from week to week, we had a solid number of participants for every activity, and always a handful of kids at minimum who expressed really enjoying the activities.

Would we offer summer pop-ups again?
You bet! For next summer, I'll be considering not only what activities might be well suited to pop-up times, but also the best possible strategies for staffing them (volunteers? or part-time programming staff who can spend some work time making activities as well as leading them?) and when we offer them (scheduled? or truly pop-up, when we see lots of bodies in the department but no program on the calendar?). Lots to think about, including potential implications for school-year pop-ups.

~~*~~

What have been your most successful pop-up programs and activities for kids?

Heroes! A Workshop

"Greetings from Wisconsin" by flickr user
Boston Public Library (CC)

Today I am in Madison, Wisconsin, for the South Central Library System's Summer Library Program Workshop. When it comes to their summer library programs (SLPs), Wisconsin libraries use the CSLP theme--which in 2015 is "Every hero has a story." So, yes. An entire hero-themed presentation!

The workshop organizers contacted me to talk about programming through the lenses of Unprogramming and STEAM/maker philosophies, which I did with examples and time for participants to brainstorm with their peers. We wrapped up the morning workshop by exploring a range of SLP alternative options. That's right; SLP doesn't have to be just about reading for prizes any more.

I'm including here the range of resources I shared on the workshop handouts I created--there are so many great programs and SLP variants, and having time to peruse them before summer planning begins full force could be helpful. So, for your reading pleasure...

On Unprogramming:

• "Unprogramming at the Library," a Pinterest board curated by Marge Loch-Wouters and myself
• A blog series on unprogramming by Marge and myself: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8

On STEAM & Making:

• "STEAM," a Pinterest board I curate for School Library Journal
• "All Things STEAM," a page with program and resource links right here on this very blog
• "Library Maker Spaces," a Pinterest board I curated with Michelle Cooper and Justin Hoenke
• "We Make Everyday," a Pinterest board I curated with Claire Moore

On SLPs:

• "Summer Reading Booklets" by Hafuboti
• "Summer LIBRARY Club: Where prizes and cheating go to die" by Kelsey at Library Bonanza
• "Those Summer Reading Club Prizes" by Abby at Abby the Librarian
• "Summer Prizes - Good-Bye!!" by Marge at Tiny Tips for Library Fun

And, last but not least, the slides from the workshop. Based on the plethora of excellent superhero-themed, Creative Commons-licensed images out there, this is probably one of my favorite slide decks. Most definitely my favorite title slide. Enjoy!

It's a program. It's an SLP. It's... Heroes! from Amy Koester

The Second Annual Summer Reading/Picture Book Walk Kickoff Event

Summer reading is in the air here in St. Charles County; despite my local school district still being in school until Friday (thanks, snow days!), we're off and running with our annual summer reading program.

For the second year in a row, my branch helped kicked things off through our partnership with St. Charles Parks & Recreation. This summer marks Year Two of our Picture Book Walk at Quail Ridge Park, a local county park with a number of paved trails, one of which boasts 17 beautiful, handmade signs displaying the entirety of a picture book, spread by spread. For details on the "hows" of the project, check out my post on the topic from last summer.

This year, the book around the lake trail at Quail Ridge Park is the immaculately illustrated Berlioz the Bear, by Jan Brett. The introductory sign encourages wandering readers to pay special attention to what's going on in the illustrations around the edges; Brett is known for fitting intricate visual storytelling in every space of the page. While this book doesn't have as explicit a connection to nature as last year's choice (The Curious Garden by Peter Brown), I chose it for the walk because it invites leisurely reading. The buildup of the story, the visual interest, the climax of the story--they all lend to a relaxing stroll along the trail while enjoying a great book.

The library and parks department team up to put on a festive kickoff event in the lodge adjacent to the Picture Book Walk trail. After some introductory remarks at sign #1, as well as the option of "guided walks" (in which a library staffer or volunteer leads a group and reads from the pages), children and families are invited into the lodge for a range of activities. This year, we offered the following slate:

• light refreshments of a cake (donated by Sam's Club) and cookies, along with plenty of water (all outdoor activities require continued hydration!)
• summer reading signups for children, teens, and adults
• a memory game involving matching overturned pictures of instruments (many corresponding to those played by Berlioz and his friends in the book)
• summer reading tattoos
• shaker instrument craft station (decorate and attach a colorful strip of paper to an empty plastic water bottle, use a funnel to add ½ cup rice, top the contents off with a pretty bead, and duct tape the whole thing shut; voila, recycled shaker!)
• tree cookie necklace craft from the Parks Department (using wood from invasive cedar that has to be removed from the parks)
• Parks Department information
• St. Louis Lions soccer team information and ball drills with real players

These eight activity stations were ongoing throughout the two-hour event, with a special performance halfway through the kickoff by one of the park rangers. He shared and passed around a huge range of animal pelts of creatures indigenous to Missouri. Kids had a great time feeling the different furs and seeing the range of sizes of these animals. Most recognizable by far: the skunk.

I had teen library volunteers to help staff the library's activity stations, as well as some assistance from my colleague Miss Melanie at the summer reading signup station. The library could not have offered so many activities at the kickoff without their help.

In the course of the two-hour kickoff event, we shared reading and recreation with just over 200 people, mostly children and their families. We got tons of folks signed up for summer reading, and we generated a ton of excitement about returning to the park to experience the Picture Book Walk again. The Berlioz the Bear installation will be up for several months, hopefully giving every interested family a chance to experience it.

If you happen to be in the Wentzville, Missouri area this summer, I do hope you'll stop by!

2013 Summer Reading Wrap-Up

We made it through another bustling summer reading program here at my library. To say I'm proud of my colleagues and volunteers and all the hard work they did to make this summer a success would be an understatement. My medium-sized branch couldn't see these sorts of participation numbers without them.

In addition to the formal reading program, my library was busy holding lots of other programs this summer. In case you're the sort of person who likes to do some preliminary planning for next summer while this one is still fresh in your mind, here are some programs with links to descriptions:

A kick-butt summer reading kick-off event, complete with the unveiling of our Picture Book Walk

We offered some great school-age programs, including two special events that only take place in the summer*:

• Picnic Lunches at the Library*
• Mario Kart Tournaments*
• An Egg Drop Science event
• Playground Adventures STEAM program

Summer means new crowds at preschool-age programs as teachers and other seasonal professionals are able to bring their kids:

• Milk & Cookies Story Mornings in June & July
• An "I Spy" toddler program while my colleague took her vacation

And great outreach opportunities:

• to day cares visiting the library
• to homeschooling caregivers in our community

~~*~~

I hope you, too, had a successful summer. And I hope you are enjoying a bit of a break before fall programming kicks into full swing!

If you promote it, will they come?

Many a public librarian has struggled with the topic of how to get kids from the local schools to participate in summer reading. We visit for summer reading rallies, hoping that our enthusiastic encouragements will inspire them to show up during the summer. Sometimes, however, that's not enough. Once kids are out of school, with no teacher or librarian to remind them to visit the public library, the whole premise of the public library's summer reading program can fall through the cracks.

To try to get more local students involved in summer reading, a few of the local schools are working with us this year on some new promotional strategies:

• Principals are emphasizing to caregivers that student participation in the public library's summer reading program is strongly encouraged. A few local elementary schools sent home letters with this message, and they were signed by the principal. Several schools have planned rewards for students who bring their public library SRP logs back to school in the fall. And at least one local school is using their robo-calling service (typically used for delays and snow days) to remind all families to visit the public library. In return, we collect names and schools of all children who finish our program. We report these successful students' names to their schools in the fall.
• Reminders about the public library SRP will be handed out at open school library days this summer. A handful of elementary schools in our district are open to students one day each in June and July. One of the school librarians specifically asked me to create a simple flyer (pictured above) that she can give to attendees to remind them about our program. I included the addresses for the two nearest branch libraries, as many of these families haven't visited the public library before.
• School librarians have arranged to meet their students in our public library meeting room. This promotional strategy had a few hiccups in its initial occurence; we had booked the meeting room for the school librarians, but we didn't know ahead of time to arrange to have a staff member in the room with them to help with SRP sign-ups. After a bit of shuffling, our staff set up a makeshift SRP sign-up station in the meeting room to help the 75+ families that stopped in. The school librarians had advertised that students who met them at the public library and signed up for our SRP would get bonus incentives at their school.

Those are the three new strategies we're trying this summer with our local school district to encourage their students' participation in our SRP. I'm hoping both our sign-up and completion statistics see a jump because of these efforts. At any rate, if we can bring in even just a handful of new families to the library's SRP this summer, I'll count us successful.

Do you take any intentional steps to get more students involved in your summer reading program?

Come One, Come All: Making a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party a Family Affair

The beginning of summer reading is a pretty big deal. We emphasize the start date when we visit schools, and all the library signage and promotional materials clearly display the date on which families can start getting involved. As a result, we tend to get a TON of people who visit our branches on Summer Reading Day 1 because they're excited to start at the very first chance.

What better reason to have a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party? Lots of libraries do it. The people are going to be there--why not make it as much fun and as big a deal as possible?

That's precisely what we did earlier this week. Our big Summer Reading Kick-Off Party took place at a local county park--the same site as another fun program we've got going on this summer--on Monday afternoon. We had lots for kids and families to do during their visits. Starting at 3 p.m., we had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open our library/parks partnership installation. That ribbon-cutting was complete with crazy-large scissors and a young frequent library program-goer doing the honors of snipping the ribbon. Lots of families took that opportunity to make the walk around the lake trail and read Peter Brown's The Curious Garden. I love the comparison photo (below) that shows just how lush this park has become compared to when our partnership was in its earliest stages.

Many more festivities took place in the adjacent park lodge (we wanted shelter in case of inclement weather, of which there was none). Our local Sam's Club donated a cake for the event, and families enjoyed light refreshments and water. We also had an army of teen volunteers helping out at the 6 activity stations spread out in the lodge:

1. Flower Craft -- Kids made flowers out of cupcake liners and pipe cleaners.
2. Tree Cookie Necklace Craft -- Kids could decorate "tree cookies" made from slices of cedar trees and string them into necklaces. Cedar is invasive in this region, and while the park department needs to remove it from the parks, they save every bit they cut down and use it somehow.
3. Summer Reading Tattoos and Stickers -- Kids love to wear reading tattoos and stickers. We don't mind the free promotion.
4. The Curious Garden Memory Game -- The members of my library's Kids Advisory Board helped put together this big game of Memory (you may have grown up calling it Concentration). Kids had fun playing against one another and themselves.
5. Dig into Science -- A dozen specimens from the lake trail--leaves, flowers, grasses--were available for closer inspection with the help of our magnifying glasses.
6. Meet a St. Louis Lion -- This local soccer team is a summer reading prize sponsor--children and teen readers can earn free tickets to the games--so we were happy when they asked if they could be part of the Kick-Off Party. They talked to very excited kids and signed pictures.

We also had two informational booths: one from the library, where kids, teens, and adults could all sign up for their respective summer reading programs as well as pick up summer event guides; and one from the parks department, where folks could get more information about goings-on at other county parks. We saw very brisk business at the summer reading signup table, with lots of families eager to get started reading together. Everyone couldn't help but smile when we reminded them that reading the book around the lake trail would count toward their reading goals!

Jamming with WildHeart

The last formal event we had at our Kick-Off Party was a concert from children's educators and entertainers WildHeart. This Emmy-winning duo shared 45 minutes of fun, silly, informational, and interactive songs for the families in the lodge. I saw lots of kids getting into dancing like amphibians and other creatures.

After the concert, families finished up visiting the activity stations and the summer reading sign-up table. The crowd started to dissipate as we neared dinnertime, which provided a perfect opportunity for volunteers to get themselves signed up for summer reading.

The final count of attendees at the Kick-Off Party was 493--a truly incredible success considering we've never offered an off-site event like this before. Our parks department partners were really thrilled with the event as well.

The weather was gorgeous--a sunny 68 degrees, occasional clouds. The mood was bright and cheery. And the customers (all ages!) were enthusiastically enjoying themselves. I heard from many, many patrons who were very pleased with the event and expressed a hope that we'll do something similar in future years.

I'm having a hard time thinking why we wouldn't.

Thinking Outside the Book: Partnering to offer a Picture Book Walk

Picture Book Walk at Quail Ridge Park

With all the hullabaloo that is summer reading, it can be easy for youth librarians to forget about anything else that happens in the summer months. The sun is shining! The weather is warm! It's a perfect time to wander about outside!

Translation: It's a perfect time for a Picture Book Walk.

Around this time last year, Angela Reynolds shared her Nova Scotia library's StoryWalk™ on the ALSC Blog. The whole idea, I later learned, actually traces back to Anne Ferguson from Montpelier, VT, who came up with the first StoryWalk® in 2007. Since then, Anne has created a slew of resources for libraries with all sorts of funding situations to offer similar installations. The basic premise of a StoryWalk® immediately struck me as wonderfully boundary-breaking: a library/parks joint effort to give the community an opportunity to move and read outside. Brilliant! And so I started getting things in order to be able to offer a similar program in my community.

Today, June 3, is the official start date of our Picture Book Walk at Quail Ridge Park. We have opted to call our installation a Picture Book Walk because we are focusing specifically on the picture book as a visual and literary art form; we want people to engage with the entire book. All summer long, we're featuring Peter Brown's The Curious Garden--a book that seemed perfect to be read and enjoyed in a natural setting--on rustic handmade cedar signs at a county park near my branch. Brown's beautiful story and illustrations are featured in 17 signs, enough for an introductory sign in addition to the 16 full-page spreads of the book. The signs are spread along a 0.75-mile long paved trail; it's fully accessible to wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers of every age. A person who walks the trail will be able to read the entire book surrounded by bright green foliage. The whole experience, minus any extra time for contemplating the beauty of nature, takes about 20 minutes. A reasonable and restful interlude for a summer's day.

There are many reasons I love this project. Let me name a few:

A particularly picturesque view

1. It promotes literacy and wellness for families in the community. Sharing a story and a stroll can feel luxurious, but it is simply healthful for mind and body.
2. It allows the library to engage with a larger community than just those folks who already visit our branch. By offering a fun, family-friendly, and aesthetically lovely activity outside of the library, we're demonstrating that the library is truly a community treasure. We value the people we serve, whether we serve them directly or have yet to see them in a branch. We want their lives to be rich and interesting.
3. We now have a partnership with our county parks department. This Picture Book Walk has truly been a joint effort, with the library and the parks department sharing ideas and tasks. The library procured permission from Little, Brown and Peter Brown to use the book; secured funding for the purchase of the sign post materials; and prepared the book pages for mounting. The parks department provided the location for the 3-month-long event; built the sign posts; and got the word out to media outlets across the metro St. Louis area. We both put in time and resources for a big ribboncutting and kick-off event (more details on that in a future post). As a result, we now have a working partnership. We know how to work together to get things done. The potential in this new relationship is vast.
4. Summer reading has a new dimension. When reluctant readers complain about not knowing what they should read for summer reading, we can tell them about the Picture Book Walk at Quail Ridge Park. Enjoying the walk once counts as one step closer to meeting the summer reading goal for any age child. When the library is particularly busy and crammed full of people, we can offer the walk as an alternative for spending some time engaged in reading. It's an ultimate passive program.
5. It's just beautiful. Really, isn't that sometimes sufficient?

I am thrilled to be able to offer the people in our community the chance to engage in reading and nature with the first ever Picture Book Walk in Quail Ridge Park. If you find yourself anywhere near the St. Louis area between now and the end of August, please stop by.

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Curious for more details on how we got the walk up and running in the logistical sense? Here are some tidbits on what we did. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more specifics.

Laminating the picture book spreads

• I contacted Peter Brown and Little, Brown before Christmas to get initial approval to use The Curious Garden. Technically, if the library owns the book and the picture book walk is free, formal permission isn't necessary. I think it's always better to have it, though.
• The picture book pages that are mounted in the signs are physical pages from print copies of The Curious Garden. To get them walk-ready, I first took apart the binding and individual pages with the help of a colleague. Next I matched up the appropriate pages to maintain the order of the book; I attached them using book tape. I affixed the pages to matting with a walk footer on it (designed by my library district's graphic designer); this strip at the bottom of each spread includes logos for the library district, parks department, and library foundation, who funded the signs. Finally, I laminated the spreads to keep them weatherproof.
• The cedar sign posts are sturdily fixed in the ground. The display portion is painted plywood with a plexiglass cover. Weather stripping seals the top and sides of the display portion, leaving the bottom open so moisture can escape.
• The first and last signs, with the title page and final wordless two-page spread respectively, also feature some text from us, the organizers. An introductory statement explains the walk, and a closing paragraph encourages continued enjoyment of books and nature.

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Has your library offered a similar event? What stories have been most successful?

Getting Ready for the Summer Reading Rush

Our annual Summer Reading Program starts on Monday, June 3, which means this past week has been a flurry of getting everything in order. Volunteers have been trained and scheduled. Early Literacy Calendars have been updated and printed. Summer Seek and Find characters have been assembled for their passive program duties. Materials have been organized. The last thing remaining for me to do is to really beef up our ready reference book lists for kids.

As is the case at many libraries, I work a shared reference desk. As a result, about 50% of the time the children's staffers are assisting with adult questions and adult staffers are assisting with children's questions. Not all staff read children's books, so I like to have ready-to-go resource lists to make sure kids get great reading suggestions regardless of when they visit.

This summer, my clipboard of resources includes a few key lists:

• ALSC's Summer Reading Lists for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8
• A great YA "If you liked..." visual list from Kelly at Stacked Books
• Leveled reading book lists in the Fountas & Pinnell system (created by a local organization)
• A readalike map for "If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid" as shown here

We also have state award nominee bookmarks at the reference desk, and we have Caldecott and Newbery lists within easy reach. My teen services staffer has also put together a binder with all our local schools' summer reading lists. All of these combined resources mean that reference staff have lists of great kid-friendly reads--and the books teens will be searching out for school--at their fingertips. Everything can be photocopied, and everyone can leave the library happy and with something to read. That's one of the best ways I can think of to promote a successful summer reading program.

What sorts of resources and book lists do you have ready to go at your reference desk?

Summer Reading Rallies: A Very Specific Type of School Visit

Summer reading is afoot, which means I've spent some time over the last few weeks visiting local elementary schools to whip up excitement for our annual summer reading program. This is my second year making these specialized school visits, and I've learned a few things along the way.

There are a handful of core things I always make sure to include in these summer reading rallies, which usually include a simple slideshow:

• An image of my library -- Many kids don't know the name of the library they go to, but they recognize the building when they see it. Including a picture of my branch at the beginning of the rally helps kids make a personal connection with what I'm talking about.
• A verbal listing of all the potential prizes for signing up and reading -- It can be hard for elementary-aged children to remember specifics about what prizes they could earn, but when I rattle off a rather impressive (if I do say so) list of lots of prizes, they are left with the impression that summer reading is very, very rewarding. My library district has a lot of local sports teams and restaurants that partner to provide vouchers and coupons, so lots of those prizes I get to tout don't cost the library anything but printing.
• A slide with the next school year's age-appropriate book award nominees -- Schools in my area are really big on state book awards, and teachers regularly motivate their kids to read as many nominees as they can during the school year. That means more and more kids get ambitious and want to start reading award books "early." I've found that sharing some covers and very brief book talks of nominees is a surefire way to ignite interest in reading over the summer.
• A reminder that audiobooks count for summer reading -- Lots of kids spend lots of time in the car over the summer; I like to remind them that they can listen to audiobooks from the library whenever they're in the car, and that time counts toward their final reading goal. Knowing that they can get some reading done via audiobook makes the program seem much more manageable to many kids.
• Names of the kids who did the summer reading program last year -- My library district keeps track of the names and schools of kids who finish the program, and we report this info to the schools at the end of the summer. I hold onto the list to add a slide with the kids' names to my rallies, and I make sure to acknowledge their achievement and ask for their classmates' help in applauding them. Nothing like a bit of positive peer pressure and motivation through recognition.

I've found that these rally elements can do the most to drum up excitement and keep kids' attention.

Also, in the course of visiting schools for these summer reading rallies, I have noticed that the time I am formally alloted to speak and the time I actually have can be very different. There are two common scenarios for timing issues: 1) I'm told I'll have x amount of time, but then I end up speaking after the kids get seated, the principal talks, and the school librarian talks, which has essentially cut my time in half; and 2) I'm told I'll have x amount of time but then five (or even ten) more minutes get tacked on to better fit schedules.

When my time is suddenly shorter than I'd anticipated, I work really hard to just hit the basics. What's going to get the kids to pester their parents into driving them to the library? I only include that info, and I leave the details for when they come to the library to sign up.

When my time has unexpectedly expanded, I tell a story. Yes, I've become one of those librarians who always has a couple of stories in her back pocket, ready for any of those 3-10 minute lulls in the planned action. This past week, when teachers insisted they needed to stay in the assembly for another 5 minutes (reason still unknown to me), I told "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle." What could have been a chaotic 5 minutes with kindergarteners at the end of their ropes was instead a quiet room of kindergarteners rapt with attention. Crisis averted, literacy and stories affirmed.

I enjoy visiting elementary schools in the lead-up to summer reading. It helps me get all the details of our massive program straightened out, it's a way to introduce myself to tons of kids, and it promotes our program and the idea of leisure reading. It's a very specific type of outreach with very definite rewards.

Do you visit local schools to promote summer reading? How do you get the word out?

Summer Reading Volunteers: The 2012 Wrap-Up

Hey, you guys! It's time now to officially close out the summer reading volunteers experience for 2012 with some appreciation, some reflection, and the final stats.

Having ravaged the sandwich and chips spread,
the teens commenced with movie-watching.

As a thanks for all of our teen volunteers' hard work and hours spent at the library over the summer, the library hosts an informal appreciation party between the end of SRP and the beginning of school. The 2012 Teen Summer Reading Volunteer Appreciation Party was a lot of fun. Teens enjoyed a spread of sub sandwiches, chips, cookies, and drinks. After some brief mingling time, we drew names for prizes; winners chose from our stash of Own the Night swag and ARCs (really good ARCs, folks). Then we popped in a movie (The Goonies!!!) and relaxed for the evening. Groups of volunteers would chat for a bit before returning their attention to the movie, so the whole event had a chill, social feel. Teens enjoyed the throwback movie and the chance to just hang out before homework kicks in again. Consensus was that the evening really made them feel--guess--appreciated. (Don't they just have the best sense of humor?)

I spent my quiet time during the movie reflecting on the whole experience of mixing teen volunteers with the behemoth that is summer reading. What I learned:

• Training: I cannot emphasize enough how integral training is to empowering summer reading volunteers to perform well. (See earlier post.) Also, make cheat sheets with key program details and plaster them all over the summer reading desk. Staff also find these cheat sheets useful.
• Scheduling: Teens will enthusiastically show up for their first shift. After that, most of them will show up most of the time approximately when they are scheduled to volunteer. If they know they can't make a shift, they may or may not call you ahead of time to let you know. This is true regardless of how much you stress punctuality. Thus it is very important to have all library staff trained on the program so that anyone can effectively fill these sudden program table voids.
• More teens (and their parents) will ask to volunteer once they see other teens volunteering: This sort of contagious enthusiasm is great, but at a certain point the costs of training and scheduling a new volunteer outweigh what that volunteer can contribute during the summer reading program. My cutoff for new volunteers was two weeks into the program.
• Discipline: At some point, you'll encounter a behavioral issue. If you're lucky, it will be a teen playing on a phone instead of reading during downtime. If you're less lucky, it will be a teen loudly using language unbecoming of a library representative (use your imagination). Regardless of the issue, I do two things: 1) calmly acknowledge the issue and why it is problematic; 2) state that volunteers are expected to act professionally and that said issue will not be tolerated again. That's it. No yelling, no blaming, nada. Teens are smart, and they are usually far more embarrassed about their problem behavior than I am angry about it. One brief, serious warning and they are good at self-policing.

All of my volunteers worked hard to enthusiastically engage kids and teens in the 2012 Summer Reading Program. I'm glad I have plenty of notes and experience from this year, which was very successful, and I will use them to inform how I utilize volunteers in summer 2013.

Final Summer Reading Program 2012 stats:

• Total program registrations (children and teens): 3592
• Total program completions (children and teens): 1549 -- 43% of registrations
• Total volunteer hours worked: 454
• Number of volunteers helping with summer reading: 36

P.S. Did you catch my Goonies reference right at the beginning of the post? That's dedication to a theme.

Campfire Fun at the Library

As a former camper and camp counselor, one of my favorite things about summer is a campfire. Why, I asked myself last spring as I was planning summer programs, should kids whose summers take place at the library not get the great experience of a campfire the same way that camp kids do? I decided a campfire program was indeed in order, and after making some modifications for library limitations (primarily the flammability of absolutely everything), I offered the following campfire program for school-age kids last week. It was a hit!

Campfire Fun

Craft: Campfire Craft from Wonderopolis
     A real campfire in the library = bad news. Thus I opened this program with a campfire craft, at which we all created individual campfires with the intention of using them to "light" our campfire circle for the rest of the program. I printed out on flame-colored paper the Campfire Craft Kit from Wonderopolis's Camp What-a-Wonder (love those guys!), and I assembled the necessary crafting materials on our work tables. The plan was to color the fires; cut out the pieces; glue necessary pieces together; then assemble the campfires. A good plan! We were momentarily derailed by a kiddo's exclamation that it would be so cool if this could glow in the dark! "Indeed," I thought, "that would be awesome," and then I scampered off to get our glow in the dark paint. A great idea with one problem: glow in the dark paint, like all paint, needs time to dry. Whoops. Our campfires were a bit messier and took a bit longer than I had planned. As everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves, however, I broke out the wet wipes, amended the program plan, and went with it.

Snack: Walking S'mores

     One of the best things about campfires: s'mores! Sticky, sticky s'mores! In an effort to avoid too much mess (see above paint incident for evidence of hilarious failure), I opted to offer walking s'mores to the kiddos when we moved from the craft to our campfire circle. Walking s'mores are a trail mix-like mixture of Teddy Grahams (or other graham cracker cookie bit), chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows. I was anticipating at least a few grumbles about not getting "real" s'mores, but in reality all the kiddos were super excited about this twist on a favorite. It was easy to adapt for a participant who can't have chocolate, too, as I just poured her a cup of Teddy Grahams and marshmallows. Lots of happy munching going on as I moved to the next part of the program...

Campfire Story: "The Chicken in the Library"
     Because this program was advertised for all school-age kids, I decided to avoid any stories that were even remotely scary (save the eerie for the older kids in October!). Instead I chose a great, punny favorite that just happens to involve a librarian. Read it aloud to get the full effect of the joke!

Campfire Songs:
     No campfire is complete, in my mind, without great songs. I mentioned that I was a camp counselor, and as such I have a number of strange and goofy camp songs permanently etched in my brain. The thing about a library campfire is that, for the most part, kids have never heard the songs before--and as a result the song leader should choose simple repeat-after-me, repetitive, or cumulative songs to share with the group so everyone can get involved. I shared, to great enjoyment and loud giggles, the following three before it was time to go:

"Tarzan"

(this is a repeat-after-me song, so kids repeat the words and motions after each line)

Tarzan! (beat chest like Tarzan)

Swinging on a rubber band. (mime swinging on vines)

Tarzan! (beat chest)

Smashed into a frying pan. (clap hands loudly)

Ouch! That hurt! (rub neck)

Now Tarzan's got a tan. (rub arms)

And I hope it don't peel (shake hands for emphasis)

Like (clap hands above head)

A (bring hands down to shoulders)

Banana (shimmy and lower hands, like peeling a banana)

Jane. (twirl hair)

Flying in an airplane. (spread arms like wings)

Jane. (twirl hair)

Smashed into a traffic lane. (clap hands loudly)

Ouch! That hurt! (rub neck)

Now Jane's got a pain. (rub shoulder)

And Tarzan's got a tan. (rub arms)

And I hope it don't peel (shake hands for emphasis)

Like (clap hands above head)

A (bring hands down to shoulders)

Banana (shimmy and lower hands, like peeling a banana)

A cheetah! (mime claws)

A-boppin' to the beat-a. (snap fingers)

A cheetah! (mime claws)

Got eaten by an amoeba. (clap hands loudly)

Ouch! That hurt! (rub neck)

Now Cheetah's dead a-meat-a. (rub stomach)

And Jane's got a pain. (rub shoulder)

And Tarzan's got a tan. (rub arms)

And I hope it don't peel (shake hands for emphasis)

Like (clap hands above head)

A (bring hands down to shoulders)

Banana (shimmy and lower hands, like peeling a banana)

Shamu! (mime a dive)

Swimming in the ocean blue. (make swimming motion)

Shamu! (mime a dive)

Smashed into a red canoe. (clap hands loudly)

Ouch! That hurt! (rub neck)

Now he's black and blue. (rub head)

And Cheetah's dead a-meat-a. (rub stomach)

And Jane's got a pain. (rub shoulder)

And Tarzan's got a tan. (rub arms)

And I hope it don't peel (shake hands for emphasis)

Like (clap hands above head)

A (bring hands down to shoulders)

Banana (shimmy and lower hands, like peeling a banana)

"Herman the Worm"

"The Princess Pat"

(another repeat-after-me song)

The Princess Pat (mime walking like an Egyptian)

Lived in a tree (raise arms like branches)

She sailed across (mime wave motion with your arm)

The seven seas. (hold up 7 fingers, then make a C with your hand)

She sailed across (mime wave motion with your arm)

The channel, too (hold up 2 fingers)

And she brought with her (mime throwing a bag over your shoulder)

A rickabamboo. (shimmy)

A rickabamboo (shimmy)

Now what is that? (raise arms in question)

It's something made (hammer fists together)

By the Princess Pat (walk like an Egyptian)

It's red and gold (jazz hands to the right)

And purple, too (jazz hands to the left)

That's what it's called (hands to mouth as if to shout)

A rickabamboo. (shimmy)

Now Captain Jack (make a hook on one hand)

Had a mighty fine crew.

They sailed across (mime wave motion)

The channel, too. (hold up 2 fingers)

But their ship sank (point downwards)

And yours will, too (point at audience)

If you don't bring (mime throwing a bag over your shoulder)

A rickabamboo. (shimmy)

A rickabamboo (shimmy)

Now what is that? (raise arms in question)

It's something made (hammer fists together)

By the Princess Pat (walk like an Egyptian)

It's red and gold (jazz hands to the right)

And purple, too (jazz hands to the left)

That's what it's called (hands to mouth as if to shout)

A rickabamboo. (shimmy)

Summer Reading is Over!

The 2012 Summer Reading Program IS OVER! Woo hoo! While all of the reading and excitement that goes on during the nine weeks of the summer reading program is fantastic, those nine weeks are also crazy hectic and time-consuming for all of the library staff. Everyone at the library is breathing a sigh of relief now that we know we've made it to the end of the summer. And while it will still be a few days before I tally the final statistics and recap the grand summer reading volunteers experiment, I want to join the trend and make a few basic reflections on the summer--before all my thoughts and suggestions are forgotten and thus don't factor into next year's planning.

1. I love the idea to not have staff-led programming during the first and last weeks of summer reading. Since these two bookend weeks see tons of kids at the summer reading table, we could use as much staff support to sign kids up and hand out prizes--even with an army of teen volunteers on hand. In theory this programming lull will also help ease staff into the SRP.
2. Series programming really seems to work well for a potential audience with the whole summer off. Both my picnic lunch and movie programs did consistently well this summer, and I will make sure to schedule both series into the Summer 2013 plan.
3. Special programs fill up fast, especially if they have the word "party" tacked on the end. If I opt to include a party program in future summers, I will absolutely offer at least two sessions to accommodate demand. However, I'm currently not sure that I want to offer these planning-intensive and demanding-of-staff programs during summer reading, when we already have lots of featured performers who can reach a much larger audience. I'll have to ponder that thought.
4. I need to rethink my summer craft programs. While the crafternoons were successful, I think there is significant room for improvement. This summer we offered two crafternoons--one in June, one in July--where supplies were available in the program room for a 90-minute period. A children's staff member was on hand the entire time to explain the craft, provide help when needed, and supervise. Despite the fact that our advertising said families could attend at any time in the 90-minute window, 95% of our participants showed up at the very beginning and were finished and gone fifteen minutes later. I want to figure out a way to meet the craft wants of my customers while utilizing staff and supplies more effectively. I'll be scouring blogs for ideas, but I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
5. While we had great summer reading displays out in the main library area, we didn't have one for use in the programming room. As a result, at some programs we remembered to talk up summer reading and at others we forgot. I want to make some sort of mobile, attractive summer reading display that we can take into programs to promote the summer reading program at all library events.

Those are my thoughts for now as I look back on my first summer in charge of summer reading at my branch. I'm sure more ideas and criticisms will present themselves before it's time to plan for Summer 2013, when I'll also sit on the district-wide committee to plan the whole reading program. Until then, I know I join my staff in breathing a sigh of relief at having crossed the finish line.