THRIFTY IDEAS FOR ADULT PROGRAMMING

How to Start or Grow Your Adult Library Programs Without Breaking the Bank

Katrina Evans, Assistant DirectorColumbia County Public Library

Who Am I?

By day, I’m Katrina Evans, Assistant Director at Columbia County Public Library for 15+ years

By night, I’m KatrinaEvans, Chef, Laundress, Homework Checker, Bedtime Story Reader, Word Game Player, Netflix Viewer, Leisure Reader, and Would-Be Napper

Columbia County Public Library, with 2 locations in Lake City and 1 location in the Town of Fort White, has

been serving Columbia County for over 50 years.

What About My Library?

The Perfect Storm

Once Upon a Time…

Then: Now:

Local Authors

Start with your most local authors: friends, neighbors, Library patrons from your own community and from the communities right next door

Find them by looking in your own collection, talking to Library staff, asking around your community (writers’ groups, historical societies, local book stores, community colleges), and searching the Internet

When you really start looking, you’ll be amazed by the pool of local talent that you have available

Benefits of Local Authors

Local authors are local talent. Support them.

Local authors draw a local crowd. Often, local authors will come to you. Local authors are eager to get

exposure for their work. Local authors are very often willing to

come for free.

Regional Authors

Next, look at authors in your region, those that are close enough to come to your Library and go home in the same day

Find them by looking in your own collection, talking to Library staff, asking around your region (writers’ groups, historical societies, local book stores, colleges and universities, other libraries), and searching the Internet

Regional authors are often very affordable or even free.

Beyond Local and Regional Authors

Authors from farther afield are sometimes willing to come, also. Ask. The worst they can do is say no, but they might surprise you and say yes.

Skype! Your patrons can hear and see authors from anywhere in the world, and the author never has to leave his or her home. All you need is a laptop, a webcam, a projector, a Skype account, and a willing author. If you can make this work, you’re no longer bound by geography.

Finding Authors

Look everywhere! Florida (or Georgia or Alabama) book festivals Florida Book Award winners Other Libraries’ program calendars University Press of Florida, Pineapple Press, and other

publisher catalogs McNaughton monthly list Books that you happen across Newspaper and magazine articles Ask the authors that come

Keep a list or a folder with names

Beyond Author Programs

Author programs aren’t the only game in town. Branch out:

Educational Programs

How-To/Demonstration Programs

Music Programs

Dramatic Programs

Film Screenings

No Budget? No Problem!

Start with local authors Try local organizations Ask college/university faculty in your town Look into state and local government programs

and organizations Skype programs

Tiny Budget, BIG Schedule

Start by scheduling free programs Use your budget to supplement free programs Add paid programs as your budget allows Save it for special occasions or use it to fill in your

schedule as neededOR

Start by spending your budget to book the programs that are most appealing or the most important

Then fill in the rest of your schedule with free programs

The Sky’s the Limit Schedule whatever programs your larger

budget allows More programs Pricier programs Special programs Bigger names

Be a good steward Continue to fill in with free programs Don’t blow your whole budget on one program Pay more for programs that will draw a bigger crowd

Add extras to make things nicer Refreshments Decorations

Parting Thoughts

Keep your expectations realistic Know in advance that this is something that you’re

going to have to grow Attendance depends on a lot of different things: interest

in the author/topic, publicity, what else is going on in town at the same time, the weather, etc.

The state average for adult program attendance is lower than you might think, about 15.5 (1,235,650 people in attendance at 79,639 programs per FY2010 Public Library Statistics, Table 11)

Don’t expect a winning program without putting something into it, and don’t be crushed if, after putting a lot into it, you don’t have as many people as you hoped