The Libri Foundation

Are you looking for ways to increase the amount of children's books in your collection? Children can definitely be rough on books causing them to wear down quick. The Libri Foundation, a nationwide non-profit organization will donate children's books to rural public libraries throughout the United States. Check out their site for more information on their BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program.

If your library qualifies to receive free books from this foundation why not start a non-circulating storytime collection. This will help your collection stay in good condition longer, plus you don't have to worry about a book being checked out when you want to use it for a story time!

Adult Reading Programs on a Shoestring Budget

Adult reading programs are a great way of reaching out to a diverse group of patrons. Colleen Knight has put together a guide on how to plan and implement a reading program for adults on a shoestring budget. Take a look at it here.

Adult Programming: Mug 'Ems Books

Recently Kanawha County Public Library (KCPL) had a program called "Get Mugged." This program was for adults and the idea for the program came from a series of books called Mug 'Ems

There are currently four books in the Mug 'Ems series and there are many great, cheap programming ideas in them. When gathering supplies for this program ask staff to donate mugs and/or pick some up at yard sales. Mugs should be easy to get ahold of for free or next to nothing. Bows and ribbons can be purchased for fairly cheap and tags can be made on a printer or handwritten. The cost will come in purchasing the edible ingredients. If you have a good relationship with you community try asking your grocer for a donation or gift card to purchse supplies. I've had luck in the past at KCPL with asking grocery stores for donations.

This time of year would be a great time to do this program. These mugs make perfect gifts and will give your patrons the chance to learn at the program how these are made, then they can check out the books and make more on their own. Food programs are always a success, at least in my experience.

During the program at KCPL all the ingredients were layed out on a table and patrons were to go through the line adding each of the ingredients to a bag, pick out a mug, decorate with ribbons and tag. The process took less than a half hour; a great idea for the busy schedules we all have these days!

Blog: The Gaming Zone

The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County in North Carolina is one of the leading libraries in teen services that I know of. I've had the privilege of visiting their Imagine On Center, which is a library dedicated to children's and teen services. They also offer a blog- The Gaming Zone, which discusses all of their gaming programs held at the library. Video gaming may seem like an expensive program at first, but take into consideration purchasing gaming equipment through grant money, donations or book sale and once you have your core equipment and a couple of games you are ready to start having gaming events at your library. Think of gaming as an investment, whether it's a board game, card game, video game, etc. they can be reused again and again as long as they're well taken care of. I recommend taking a look at The Gaming Zone to get an idea on types of gaming events to hold at your library. Keep in mind that all ages enjoy gaming, so talk to your community and find out what type of gaming they are interested in.

Book Suggestion: Programming for Adults

For those looking for programming ideas for adults try Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries By Raymond Ranier.

Adults are a difficult crowd to work with and this book shares ideas and resources for planning and presenting programs to your adult patrons. If you would like to see a review on this book you can view one here:

Dawson, Jennifer "Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Libraries." Booklist 102.18 (2006): 86. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. EBSCO. Web.