Writing With Patrons

Braelyn Dempsey, Algoma Public Library, Algoma, WI is a member of our Wisconsin Teen Librarian Services Group. She shares her experiences with running a Creative Writing program in her library.

Programming can be hard, though the task sounds simple on paper: “Make a fun and engaging program for your age group.” As many Librarian’s know, there is a lot to compete with in patron’s calendars:

• Football Games
• Dentist Appointments
• Night Shifts
• Lack of a Babysitter
• Last Minute Homework Crunch
• Volunteering
• and more…

That being said, there is one program that I have had personal success with: Creative Writing.

The program only happens once a month for two hours.

The first hour is dedicated to writing. I usually put on some instrumental music (my personal favorite is ukulele or piano playlists) to help everyone focus. On the table, I’ll have blank sheets of paper, a container of pencils, a container of pens, and a variety of writing prompts (for those that need a little inspiration).

The second hour of the program is for sharing. Anyone taking part can share the piece that they wrote during the previous hour (though a lot of patrons choose not to because they want to refine it more) or they can bring a piece/story they are working on and share that.

For newcomers, I always have a few key rules: -This is a safe space for individuals to be creative. Please respect other writer’s privacy and do not discuss what has been shared with other people that are not in the group.

• This is a place of respect. Please come into this experience knowing that someone in the group might not have the same ideas, beliefs, or experiences as you. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.
• This is not a class. No matter how comfortable or familiar you are with writing, you are not doing any of this for a grade. We are a community of writers that are here to write, share, and support one another.

These rules, so far, have worked wonderfully. Anyone taking part knows immediately that I value and care for every voice that is willing to share with us and that I will protect the “vibe” of the program at all costs. I have absolutely no issue asking anyone wanting to be rude or condescending to vacate the program and never come back. Thankfully, I haven’t had to do that yet.

The “scary” part (but the part that I love the most), is that I, as the facilitator, will also write and share during these programs. (As a rule, I always share last and am the one we can skip if the sharing portion of the program goes too long.) I know that not everyone might be comfortable with the idea of that: “I don’t like to mix my personal and professional life”, “I don’t feel like I have anything worth sharing”, “I am not a strong writer, myself.” It’s okay if you identify with any of those statements, however, I think the connections that our patrons make with each other, and with us as librarians, is well worth it.

Additionally, there is nothing say you HAVE to share a supremely revealing or traumatic piece during this session. If anything, it’s nice to just have a couple hours a month that are set aside to write and bond with patrons instead of the hustle/prep/cleanup involved with more complex programming.

That being said: I have done two different variations of this program: one for teens, and one for adults.

Despite the fact that I struggled to get the teens to come (a well-known librarian struggle), the one teen that previous attended consistently has continued to use the library and has stayed connected with me (personally) even though they aren’t a “teen” anymore.

The adult version of this program has been the most requested program of mine to come back since the March 2020 shutdowns. The adults that took part have said that they loved having a time and date where they knew they could set some time aside for writing, and the connections they made with other members of the community have lasted (despite not being able to take part in the program) because of the pieces they shared together.

As a group, we have laughed, cried, winced, and sighed together. We have shared pun-filled retellings of classic fairytales, early drafts of screenplays, and heart-wrenching recaps of real near-death experiences. Every story they bring to the group, every piece of themselves that they open up, makes our library and our community stronger. They are able to see each other as individuals with complex backgrounds and experiences, instead of a passing face on the way to the Circulation Desk. And, for the librarian that is willing to participate and share, it allows our patrons to see a different side of us that isn’t tied to a reading recommendation or library service. Thankfully, more often than not, my main role as the Librarian is to keep track of the time so that everyone gets to share, since conversation often happens so warmly around pieces that it’s easy to not want to watch the clock.

I’ll be the first to admit: on paper, this is not my most successful program. Like I mentioned before, I only had one teen regularly coming. For the adult version, it averaged out at about six patrons coming every month. For a Library that services 3,100 people in a county with only two libraries, those aren’t numbers to write home about. When it comes to the quality of the program, however, they have been the best.

So, I guess if you were to ask me what my main point of writing this is, I would have to say: Write with each other.

The writing doesn’t have to be great (it doesn’t even have to be good), but the effort of sharing a piece of your life/your story/your heart won’t be forgotten. I mean, we’re librarians… We, more than anyone, know the value of some solid character development.

We're always looking to connect with other young adult services librarians in WI! If you, or someone you know, wants to join our monthly meetings, please contact Taylor Wilcox at twilcox@waupacalibrary.org.