Summer Programming for Library Staff

(An Infopeople Online Learning Course)
September 9 – October 6, 2008

Summer programs are not just for kids anymore! Although they can be a lot of work, summer reading programs and other summer programming will motivate children, adults, and teens to use your library to enjoy book discussion groups, entertainment and cultural programs, and to read, read, read! Summer programming is a proven method to prevent children from losing reading skills over vacation, as well as increasing library circulation and attendance. This course will:

• cover the nuts and bolts of reading games, literature discussions, and other programs,
• examine the use of both "live" and virtual environments to enhance the importance of your library as the "third place" in the lives of your community members.

With the current downturn in the economy, residents are seeking out free programs more than ever, and the library is a natural community resource for this.

Workshop Description: This four-week online learning course will enable participants to run summer reading incentive programs, plan book discussion groups, host entertainment programs, and expand current summer programming to attract readers of all ages, including adults, and to reach "online" library customers. Through individual exercises you will gain the tools to start planning next summer's programming. You will complete an outline for the summer of 2009. The instructor will provide sample plans, templates, cheat sheets and a webliography, as well as practical, useful tips that can be applied immediately.

During the course, you will be doing written exercises and participating in a discussion board so fellow students can share programming ideas from their home libraries. We can share both successes and things that did not work to identify trends in summer programs and to discover new, innovative ideas that have a proven track record.

Preliminary Course Outline: Using your web browser and your Internet connection, you will log in to the Infopeople online learning site and complete the following learning modules:

• Module One: Summer Reading Programs
  • o Overview of summer reading programs for various age groups, and California's participation in the Collaborative Summer Library Program
  • o Summer programs as a way to increase circulation and library attendance
• Module Two: Entertainment and Cultural Programs for all ages
  • An overview of paid and free speakers, author/illustrator appearances, Do It Yourself programs, and other programs that will attract a wide array of your residents
  • Movie programs – are you "legal?"
  • How to find, book, and host a variety of guest speakers/performers
• Module Three: Book Motivations: Storytime Ideas, Book Discussion Groups, Booktalks, and other ways to display, market, and promote books
  • Book Discussion groups and field trips for various ages, including adults
  • Display/Marketing of books including Booktalks
  • Storytime resources
• Module Four: Innovations in Summer Reading
  • Virtual summer reading and programming including online registration and participation
  • Community partners and funding sources
  • Online programming including author visits using Web 2.0 tools

Pre-workshop assignment: Gather examples of your local library's summer reading program materials (reading logs, calendar of activities, etc.) for any ages that are included.

Online Learning Details:
This four-week course will be taught online using the web. When you register, you will receive a registration confirmation that will include the URL to get to the course, as well as a username and password.

Every student proceeds through the online learning modules at his or her own pace. Students should expect to commit to spending a minimum of 3 to 4 hours per week on this course in order to be successful. You can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night. However, you will be expected to log in to the course each week to do that week's assignment. We ask that you log in sometime during the first week of the course to begin the course work.

Your instructor will be available for limited consultation support for two weeks after the official end date of a course, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that, to give those who have fallen behind time to work independently on the course. However, you will be expected to accomplish the majority of the course in synchronization with your peers during the first four weeks.

Who Should Take This Course: Anyone from the library community with an interest in summer programming, from reading programs to special events, will find this workshop useful. You will be able to take away resources and contacts that will enable you to plan a variety of programs that will attract preschoolers, school age children, teens, adults, Baby Boomers, and retired residents to your library. Whether you work at a small rural library, a city library, a branch library, or a large system, you will find this a useful workshop.

Prerequisites:
This course is taught over the web. You must:

• Be able to save Microsoft Word .doc or Adobe .pdf files to your computer and print them out. (For .doc files, a free Word Viewer is available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en. Search for "Word Viewer." For .pdf files, a free Adobe Acrobat Reader is available at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html).
• Be comfortable navigating on the web and navigating back and forward on a website that uses frames.
• To be most successful in this course you should be willing to share information with your colleagues and be willing to spend time reading and participating in the weekly discussion boards.

System Requirements: The online learning product that Infopeople uses is called Angel. The following are minimum system requirements for using Angel. You will need access to a computer that has at least these specifications to participate in an online course:

• Windows:
  • Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista
  • Internet Explorer 7.0 and above, Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and above
  • Phishing Filter disabled (IE 7)
• Macintosh:
  • OS X and above (OS 9 will NOT work with our online learning product)
  • Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and above, Safari 2.0 and above
• General
  • High speed Internet connection (dial up not recommended)
  • Java enabled
  • Pop-up blockers disabled

If you are not comfortable with any of the above, please consider taking this course with a colleague who does meet these requirements.

Fee: $75 for those in the California library community and $150 for those out-of-state.

Course Start: This 4-week-long online learning course starts on September 9, 2008.

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