Program Description: Too often the best library programs never reach the kids most in need. We may be from Iowa, but we know that “if you build it, they will come” isn’t always true. So we found a way to go to them. Discover how the Cedar Rapids (IA) Public Library moved beyond its walls to reach children with barriers to traditional library access through strategic partnerships and volunteer support. Adapt this award-winning program to fit your community.
Jessica Link, Volunteer Coordinator , Cedar Rapids Public Library , Cedar Rapids , IA. Jessica coauthored an article in Public Libraries Magazine’s March/April 2016 issue about summer volunteer engagement.
Kevin Delecki, Programming Manager, Cedar Rapids Public Library, Cedar Rapids, IA
The equation goes something like this. Partners have access to the kids + volunteers have the legs that bring the program to the kids + the library has the resources.
- Created custom, personalized, tracking logs for each child and sheets were put into binders at the center. Extra logs in the binder if the center needed them.
- Provided on-site checkout. Had a mini library at each center on a book cart.
- Offered a weekly program.
- It was about meeting the kids where they are at
Many returned from year one to participate again. Also utilized the Summer VISTA program http://www.nationalservice.gov. It added a lot of diversity to the program.
Partner research (see handout 2):
- Are the right people at the right table?
- Where is your target audience congregating?
- Who is working with the kids you want to work with? For example, the food backpack program. Where do these kids go in summer?
- Community data
- Poverty mapping
- Food desert mapping
- School level – free & reduced lunch
- Registered Section 8 HUD housing. You can search your community within the spreadsheet. Many partners have already done this work for funding so ask first!
- Take a hard look at what your library is already doing well. Can you take what you do well and modify it for outreach? As they were modifying, they had to keep in mind that everything needed to fit in Rubbermaid containers!
- Who is your coordinator/champion that will run with it?
- Stuff-space, staff, supplies, books
- Flexibility and adaptability are key for all parties
- Determine how you feel about lost materials. Communicate early and often to internal and external parties. Decided they didn’t really care if the books didn’t come back. Circulated 1000 books and three books didn’t come back. Kids also took home books to keep as part of the summer library program.
- Meet with all levels of partners-from planning to training and everything in-between. Worked directly with summer staff at the YMCA at a granular day-to-day basis. Have conversations early on.
- Share the load of work.
- Streamline when possible – mail merge reading logs with kid’s names, duo-enrollment form (checkbox on YMCA summer camp form asking parents to enroll the child in summer library program). Also gave the data digitally for mail merge of personalized reading logs.
- Talk about what you are going to do, do it, and talk about what you did.
- Survey – had four questions and asked the kids one by one.
Advice for Librarians & Centers:
- Get involved. Great investment in the library, the community, and the kids.
- Steve Pemberton, PLA BIG IDEAS speaker, spoke about sneaking into the library. What if we sneak books to the kids? Make the library accessible to them. Bring the library to the kids.
- Did you clear out your library stash? Secured a grant to buy 350-400 books for this program. Developed a core collection. Didn’t have to make a decision between who got the books – kids at the library or the centers.
- Did you renew the books? Renewals depended on popularity. If they had a copy in the regular collection, they would bring that copy to the center so the child could finish reading the book.
- Did you bring tech to the centers? Brought Launchpads (20#) and Google Nexus (10#)
- How many centers did you partner with? The first year, they partnered with two different YMCAs. One camp was located at the YMCA and another was offered at the elementary school, but run by the YMCA.
- What about prizes? Stepped away from the traditional prize model. Received a prize when they registered and at 600 minutes (a journal and a coupon for the Friends of the Library sale). When the kids completed the program, teens and younger got to pick a new book. Or teens could pick a coupon for the Friends of the Library sale.
- Do the kids at the centers have to have a library card? Not necessarily. They would issue an express card which doesn’t require a parent signature and allows for e-resources and limited checkouts.
See Handout 1 for the PowerPoint used during this presentation.
Kevin Delecki and Jessica Link seemed very open to questions. Email addresses are linked above.