Books + Bars + Libraries?

Photo from the Skokie Public Library, http://bit.ly/1aLKPwG

One of the sessions I attended at the Indiana Library Federation Conference last week was a presentation on “the modern book discussion,” in which the speaker discussed her implementation of two successful book clubs that meet in bars at two different Illinois libraries.  I LOVED this presentation; Leah White is incredibly passionate about her work, and provided a detailed plan of attack for implementing a similar program at your own library.  (You can view her slides from the presentation here.)

These book clubs are not your grandmother’s book club, but that’s the whole point of their existence.  They target adults in their twenties and thirties, a population that is frequently under-served in public library programs.  As the main coordinator of adult programs at my library, where even events that I think will draw this audience see only older patrons, I’m especially interested in ways to attract what Leah refers to as “the 15%” of adults who don’t go to the library.

Let me be clear: these programs are not about getting drunk on library time.  They are about meeting a portion of the community that is interested in topics related to the library’s mission (literacy, community engagement, open discussions) but is not interested in going to the physical library.  Librarians do outreach at all sorts of venues, from schools to senior centers to prisons.  So why not add local restaurants to the agenda?

Why these programs are good for the library:

1. They bring the library to an under-served population.  If that’s not convincing enough, this demographic is pretty active at the polls.  Someone who remembers discussing David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas over a cocktail with his local librarian is more likely to approve additional funding for the library.  (Also, notice that I said “his”?  These nontraditional book clubs tend to attract slightly more males than females — the opposite of most library book clubs.)
2. They partner with a local business.  The nature of the partnership will vary from place to place, but ideally you’ll bring in more customers on their slow night, and they’ll provide another place to advertise your program.  What better way to reach someone who would hang out at a bar than at the bar itself?
3. The coolness factor.  So many people, particularly Millennials, see libraries as repositories for books, places for storytimes, and/or senior hangouts.  Nontraditional book clubs can help re-brand the library as an organization that offers something for everyone in their community.

What do you think of book clubs in bars?  Have you tried any other programs that had high Millennial attendance?  If so, please share in the comments!

How being a librarian has improved my writing career

I am fortunate to have two careers that overlap and complement each other quite a bit.  As a public librarian, keeping up-to-date on the latest trends in literature is part of my day job.  To do this, I read professional publications like Library Journal and  Publisher’s Weekly, which not only discuss new trends in librarianship but also contain news about the publishing industry and reviews of upcoming books, audiobooks, and movies.  I also read blogs like the Young Adult Library Services Association’s The Hub, which contains reviews of teen books, recommended reading lists, author interviews, and more.  And if I still can’t come up with something good to read, I have a group of professional reader’s advisors in my co-workers.

I try to read a variety of genres so that I can make informed recommendations to patrons, which means that I get exposed to a lot of great books (and great writing) that I probably wouldn’t have chosen otherwise.  For example, my “currently reading” shelf on Goodreads last week included an existential adult mystery (Eric Lundgren’s The Facades), a history of fourteenth century England (Ian Mortimer’s The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England), and a young adult fantasy audiobook (Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys, read by Will Patton).  I encourage all writers to read widely — I’ve learned a lot about setting from Mortimer’s book, and a few mysteries (a genre I don’t typically read) have taught me a good deal about structure and pacing.

In addition to all this great reading (and therefore exposure to great writing), I have an “in” with the local libraries, as I interact professionally with librarians at other branches in the area.  I’ve helped out with and even organized author talks and author signings as part of my day job.  This means that I know the ropes from an organizational standpoint, so I’ll know how to approach local libraries when I’m ready to start giving talks of my own.  True, libraries may not be the best venues to sell books (especially when I’d donate at least one copy of my book to any library where I spoke), but library talks are great for generating interest in an author and her work.  Of course, I’d love for everyone who attends a talk or a signing to buy a copy of my book, plus copies for all of their friends; but I’m more interested in generating readers than generating sales.  And if you think library visits are a waste of time, just check out Mike Mullin’s blog post on his own library-generated success.

Writers who aren’t librarians needn’t despair; you too can reap these benefits.  You don’t need to be a librarian to read Library Journal or any of the American Library Association’s blogs.  And you can get the same “in” at your own library by developing a relationship with the librarians there now.  Stop by sometime and ask for help with your research (if you’re doing any right now) or a book recommendation.  If you’ve published a book, feel free to mention that, but please don’t try to sell it on the spot.  Instead, ask about the library’s policies for adding something to the collection.  Many libraries order materials from one or two major companies that deliver shelf-ready books (books already barcoded and complete with catalog records), so it’s highly unlikely that a library worker will buy your book directly from you the same day you walk in the door.  Donations have their own set of policies, not because we don’t like donations, but because we need to be consistent.  We have to treat you and your steampunk thriller (or whatever) the same way we would treat someone who wants to give us his self-published three-volume family history or the woman with a set of encyclopedias from 1960 that has been gathering dust in her basement.

If you’re polite and respectful, you could develop a valuable relationship with your local librarians.  We’ll remember you when we’re looking for someone to speak on a topic you write about, or when we’re organizing an author visit.  And who knows, we may just recommend your book the next time someone asks for a steampunk thriller.

Big Library Read

OverDrive recently announced the title for the second Big Library Read, to be held September 16-30, 2013. For those of you unfamiliar with Big Library Read, the program provides unlimited simultaneous access to the chosen eBook for a two-week period to all participating libraries. The first program, from May 15 to June 1, 2013, featured Michael Malone’s Four Corners of the Sky. This time OverDrive is highlighting a children’s book — Jane O’Connor’s Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth.

Why do a Big Library Read? According to OverDrive CEO Steve Potash (in a May Library Journal article), “We want to demonstrate once and for all the enormous influence of the library demographic, and that when libraries put an eBook in their catalog it serves a valuable role in increasing exposure and engagement with an author’s work.”

I think this program is a great way for libraries to highlight their digital collections without having to worry about patrons encountering a waiting list. Participating in Big Library Read could lead to conversations about other electronic materials the library offers, and could potentially lend itself to a library book discussion program. I hope the program also helps improve the relationship between libraries and publishers by providing data on the impact that library promotion of a book has on that book’s sales. For instance, I participated in the first Big Library Read, and when I wasn’t able to finish the book within the two-week check-out period, I looked for another copy of it. (True, I ended up borrowing the print copy from my local library — all the electronic copies were checked out, and there was a waiting list! — but I know many others who would choose to buy a book rather than wait for it to become available at the library.)

I’m curious to see how many checkouts Nancy Clancy gets, and how sales of the title (both electronic and in print) are affected by the program. It’ll also be interesting to compare the second Big Read’s statistics to the first one. Will a children’s book get more or fewer readers than Malone’s novel did in May? Will the changes in sales be similar? (For those interested, The Digital Shift published a nice review of checkout statistics for the last Big Library Read.)

What are your thoughts on Big Library Read? What do you think of OverDrive’s choice of a children’s book?

Death of the Desktop Computer

As we discussed ideas for our library’s future at a department meeting last week, someone brought up the decline of desktop computers as tablets and smartphones take their place. While I’d come up with ways to incorporate mobile devices into more of our services and programs, I hadn’t considered actually getting rid of the desktop computers we have now. They are our biggest draw — most people who come to the library come not for the books, DVDs, or audiobooks, but for the computers. I have trouble picturing anything else in that space.

However, swapping stationary desks and computers for mobile tablets could allow for increased flexibility. Not only would it open up that space for other uses, but patrons could take the devices to other parts of the library. Students working on group projects could take tablets to a study room so they could collaborate without disturbing other patrons. Parents with young children could bring a mobile device up to the Children’s Department to apply for jobs or complete school assignments while their kids look at picture books. And the once-inflexible lab space could be carved into smaller meeting rooms for individuals or study groups — something we always seem to need more of at our library.

Of course, we’re not dumping our desktops tomorrow. But a few years from now, as technology continues to become more mobile, our spaces and services need to change to reflect this mobility. Do you think I’m getting ahead of myself? Do you want to make a case for the desktop computer?

Is a separate teen library going too far?

I recently read an article in Focus on Indiana Libraries that discussed The Third Place, a teen library that is part of the Eckhart Public Library.  The building, which is down the road from the main library, was refurbished and donated to EPL with the stipulation that it be used solely for teen services.

While I am a big proponent of having separate teen spaces in libraries, parts of The Third Place’s setup concern me.  EPL Teen Services Supervisor Jamie Long says that “anyone, regardless of age, is permitted to come in [to the teen library] and check out materials” (Long 8).  However, “If patrons are not of grades 6-12 and are not accompanying a teen, they are asked to limit their stay to 15 minutes” (Long 8).  This policy seems discriminatory against adult patrons who are looking for young adult books, who may feel rushed when browsing, or who may avoid the teen library altogether because they are “too old.”  By creating a separate building exclusively for teens, is EPL limiting access to the collections that building houses?

The library is supposed to be a safe, welcoming place for all members of the community.  It was this sentiment that led to the creation of separate teen spaces in hundreds of libraries.  However, in our efforts to provide spaces for everybody, we must make sure we do not go too far in the opposite direction, limiting access to certain spaces or services based on age or other factors.  I’m not saying adults should be allowed to use the teen computer lab when there’s a separate adult lab, or that adults should be encouraged to lounge in teen seating areas; but when it comes to accessing library collections, patrons should not be given a limited amount of time to browse or encouraged to make their selections quickly (unless the library is closing).

Maybe I’m overreacting, but as an adult reader of teen books, I would feel off-put and unwelcome if someone told me to limit my stay in the teen library because I’m not a teen.  And what about teachers who are trying to select books for reading lists, or aunts or uncles looking for recommendations for their nieces or nephews?  I definitely think it’s important for teens to feel welcome and have their own space; but I think we need to make sure that everyone feels welcome to access all of the library’s collections.

Long, Jamie. “The Third Place: A Teen Library.” Focus on Indiana Libraries 7.7 (July 2013): 8-9. Web. Accessed 9 July 2013. http://www.ilfonline.org/clientuploads/July%202013%20Focus.pdf.

Job description: What’s your mission statement?

We’re conducting a classification and compensation study at the library where I work, and the study has forced me to think a lot about my job description.  Since I started here, I’ve kept a list of the projects and programs I’ve worked on for my own reference.  But the job description questionnaire we had to fill out for the study really made me think about the day-to-day work.  One of the reasons I love my job is that every day is different — one day I may spend an hour and a half teaching someone to use her new Kindle Fire, another day I may spend two hours weeding the biography section to make room for new materials, and another day I may spend an hour leading a discussion for our adult book club.  Unfortunately, the inconsistent nature of my day-to-day work makes it hard to define on the form.

Though I’ve been assured that the study’s findings will not recommend that any positions be eliminated or salaries reduced, I found myself looking at the questionnaire as a defense of my job.  It feels like this is a chance to prove my worth, to show that what I do makes a difference for both the library and the people and communities we serve.  Maybe that’s because I’ve read so many articles lately about positions getting eliminated and funding getting cut at other libraries, and about libraries’ needs to prove their worth in order to keep doing what they’re doing.

Rather than tackle the questionnaire head-on, I first consulted my list of “APL Accomplishments.”  I then worked backwards, determining which of these things I considered “essential functions” and which fell under “other duties.”  Finally, I spent a good half hour contemplating the first real question on the survey: “The purpose of this position is…”

What is a public librarian’s purpose?  The librarians in my department all have vastly different projects and assignments that we work on off-desk, but when we’re on the desk (which is roughly 90% of the time for most of us, myself included), we all do very similar work.  Two of my “essential functions” came from what I do on-desk.  But the more I thought about it, the more I found myself connecting my off-desk work back to the same primary goals.  When I eliminated the details and looked at the big picture, I came up with a mission statement that I’m pretty happy with:

The purpose of this position is to connect customers with the information they desire or require through library resources, media, and programs.

All of my duties, projects, and assignments in some way work towards supporting that mission.  Of course, I go into a lot more detail in other parts of the survey, but if I had to define my job in one sentence, this is it.

Have any of you had a similar cause for reflection lately?  Even if your employer doesn’t require it, I recommend taking a few minutes to think about what you do and why it matters to the organization or institution you work for.  What’s your mission statement, and how does your work reflect that?  You never know when you’ll need an elevator pitch, and coming up with one ahead of time could prevent a brain freeze at a crucial moment.

Why everyone should be an intern at some point

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune discussed the increase in high school students seeking internships rather than part-time jobs.  This trend has trickled down from developments that I’ve seen at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the last several years.  The economic downturn has led to an increased focus on career preparation, and an increased willingness to “settle” for less-glamorous positions or locations early in one’s career.

Anyone who has applied for a job in the last five years has come across the catch-22: “How do I get experience if no one will hire me if I don’t have experience?”  Enter the internship.

Internships are a way to break the “experience cycle.”  But more than that, they’re an experience that I would argue everyone should have at some point.  If you’re thinking about a certain career, an internship is a great way to determine whether that would be right for you before you invest the time and money necessary to enter that profession.  A summer internship at a law practice saved me two years and thousands of dollars on a JD by teaching me — along with many useful skills like how to work with angry customers and how to write a business letter — that I did not want to be a lawyer.  Years later, when I was completing my MLIS, my practicum at a local branch library taught me a lot of those on-the-job things that library school can’t really teach: how to politely excuse yourself when someone has spent the last ten minutes telling you her life story/medical history/criminal record and you have work you need to do; how to adjust a class or a storytime on the fly because your audience isn’t the one you’d prepared for; how to decide whether to call the police when a patron may pose a threat to himself or those around him.  Yes, my classes taught me how to conduct a reference interview and teach a class; but there’s no way to prepare for the intangibles we face on the job every day other than actually doing the job.

I think there’s also something to be said for spending some time at the bottom of the totem pole.  Anyone who has worked a cash register or answered the phones for a company is likely to be more sympathetic to the customer service representatives they interact with both personally and professionally.  Being an intern gives you greater appreciation for what your own future interns will do.

And if that doesn’t sell you on internships, consider the networking opportunities.  If a position opens up where you’re interning, you’ll have a leg up on other applicants who are strangers to that organization.  Your supervisor as an intern could know someone who’s looking to hire, or could provide the reference that lands you a full-time job.

So if your degree program or job search “forces” to take an internship, don’t think of it as settling.  And on the flip side, if you find yourself working with interns, don’t think them as “free labor”; think of them as developing professionals.  If you get to know them, you might be surprised by what you can learn from one another.

Get Caught Reading Program Ideas

In honor of Get Caught Reading Month, I’ve introduced a program this May in which the librarians in my department hand out raffle tickets to people we “catch” reading around the library.  It gives us another way to see what our patrons are interested in, and to show them a more human side to the library, even if that’s just a short conversation about what they’re reading or the raffle they’re entering.  Along with the raffle tickets, we’re also handing out bookmarks with information about Summer Reading, which starts on June 1.  So we’re encouraging reading, engaging patrons, and promoting other library programs.

The nice thing about this is that it’s relatively simple and inexpensive to implement.  I designed and printed the tickets and bookmarks myself, and we’re raffling off a gift certificate to the Friends of the Library book sale, so there were virtually no overhead costs.  (Side note: a huge thanks to the Friends for supporting my last-minute contest ideas!)

Since this is the first time we’re doing this, we’ve kept if fairly simple.  However, I’ve come up with a few ideas for more involved programs that could tie in with Get Caught Reading Month that I thought I’d share, in case any of you want to try a Get Caught Reading promotion at your library.

1. Have people submit pictures of themselves reading around town for a Get Caught Reading photo contest.  You could award prizes for the whackiest or most unique photo.  With the patrons’ permission, you could post some of the pictures on your library’s Facebook page or other social media site, and let people compare their favorite reading spots.

2. If your community is big on local history or has a lot of unique sites, you could have a Get Caught Reading scavenger hunt where people check in at various sites throughout town.  This could be as simple as snapping a photo with a book and the building/statue/monument in the background, or if you wanted (and if the necessary parties were receptive to the idea), you could partner with local businesses to have them stamp a scavenger’s “passport” proving they were reading there.  If you went the passport route, you could find yourself with a number of local partners grateful for your support (and who will hopefully return the favor if you ask them!).

Does your library do anything for Get Caught Reading Month?  Or have you tried anything similar to the ideas I’ve come up with?  If so, I’d love to hear how the program went!