Oh No, THAT Didn't Work!

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

We all have program fails. While it can be discouraging, it's also a great way to figure out the why's and to forgive yourself and know - it happens to us all.

Recently Chelsey Roos shared some of her fails and how she recovered from each type. Her descriptions and solutions will resonate with anyone who does programming. She writes: "Almost everyone has a program completely fail at least once in their career. In library school, I learned how to build a good program, how to market a program, and how to incorporate elements of diversity into programs, but I didn’t learn how to recover when a program does an absolute belly-flop. Let’s look at three common ways a program might crash and burn (they’ve all happened to me!) and some ways you can salvage your time, supplies, or spirit in the face of program disaster." 

Please stop here to read the whole post. [Recovering from Program Failure. Roos, Chelsey. ALSC blog. February 19, 2024]

Adapting a Winter Program for Everyone

Image by Sabine Kroschel from Pixabay

As the year rolls to an end, it's good to reflect on where we are and what we've done in our programming - especially what we have offered around the December holidays. Taking that pause helps us think about what works and what doesn't - and how it serves all our community. That reflective evaluation and clear-eyed look at long-time projects and programs can be eye-opening.

In a recent ALSC blog post, Betsy Raczkowski, a member of ALSC's Managing Children's Services Committee, shares how their library took a long hard look at a popular holiday program and how they adapted it to make it more meaningful and inclusive for all their community.

Betsy writes: “ "It’s never too early to plan for next year!"  It’s a phrase often said in libraries, and while some of us cringe at the thought of “next year,” the holiday season is a great time to reflect. For nine years, we held a blow-out Christmas event. It drew 1,500 patrons to the library on a chilly night in December for trolley rides, letters to Santa, and even Santa himself. It was an event that families looked forward to every year; something that became a holiday tradition alongside cookie making and caroling. So we kept it going, right? An annual event for 1,500 people! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But the problem was, it was broken."

To read about their process and decisions, please click here. [Winter Fun for All. Raczkowski,, Betsy. ALSC blog. December 21, 2023.]

Program Evaluation Tips

Jamie Eastman has been sharing blog posts recently on the ALSC blog that focus on ways to consider your programs with an eye to celebrating success, recalibrating less than successful efforts and keeping track of exactly what you are doing. In her most recent post (with links to her earlier articles), she takes a look how to evaluate and innovate.

Jamie writes "Things change in libraries: staff, spaces, resources, capacity, community needs, and more. Past successes are important, but always doing what we’ve always done risks stagnation. The longevity of our Family Place initiatives gave us experience and perspective. Program growth and community connections brought new opportunities. Program evaluation highlights your wins, while innovation builds on them."

To read all her great suggestions, please stop here. [Program Evaluation: From Feedback to Flourish. Eastman, Jamie. ASLC blog. October 30, 2023.]