October 29, 2011

It is October and I am up to my ears in the Summer Library Program! Yesterday for work I attended the annual workshop put on by the state library to support local libraries and their summer efforts. After all the reading I have done for my 2 assignments, I am looking at the program a little differently. I don't feel the need to pull rabbits out of hats to get people to programs, but I do want to draw more people into the building to use our services. My goal for next summer is to somehow measure what we do and accomplish. I want hard numbers to support what works and what doesn't, so I am not just going through the motions and doing things how they have always been done. The research does not come down clearly against extrinsic incentives, but suggests that they harm long term motivation.

Again, my question is, what is the library's purpose for the summer program? Is it to make life-long readers, to promote reading for the summer, or free fun activities for the community. The answer to that question will affect what our program looks like. One article mentioned that we could do "summer reading" all year long. And, I think that is where I am leaning. Why pull out all the stops for only 6 weeks ? Encouraging reading and providing access to books is a year long goal and I want my department to reflect that.