It's a Great Day for a Program

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

In a recent blog post, middle school librarian Sherry Neal shared on behalf of ALSC's School Age Programs and Services Committee some fabulous quick program ideas for tweens and teens. She argues that while coming up with and planning programs can be daunting, short programs can be done quickly on the fly with great results. Her strategy? Take advantage of "national days" and you'll be amazed at what you can create to the delight of teens.

Sherry writes: "This year, I have been trying to boost library programming opportunities.  Planning a program can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be such a challenge.  If the goal is to get readers into the library and engaged with library resources, a program can be short, simple, and still fun!  In addition, planning time can be quick and dirty but still deliver a result that gets readers into the library. I’ve chosen to focus on lunch & learn opportunities.  I work in a middle school and want to catch kids while they are at school, and not outside school hours.  The best time to do this is during lunch, which is 30 minutes for each grade level.  Quick engagement sessions can be modified to work for a public library outside of school hours or for a school library at a different level with a different schedule as well."

Stop here to read her program ideas and examples. [Programming on the Fly. Neal, Sherry. ALSC blog. January 27, 2024.]