The document outlines the outreach programs of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library. It discusses how the library provides outreach services to various groups in the community including children, teens, adults and seniors. Examples of outreach activities are a traveling storyteller program, visits to daycare facilities and schools, and book discussion programs. The document provides guidance on starting an outreach program, including identifying community needs, partners, programming ideas, and addressing potential issues.

1. Getting Out of
the Library
Morgan Sallee
Assistant Youth Services Manager
Crowley Ridge Regional Library System
Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
morgan@libraryinjonesboro.org

2. Open, shut them. Open, shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open, shut them. Open, shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap
Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Open up your little mouth,
but do not let them in
Opening

3. • Main branch of the Crowley’s
Ridge Regional Library system
• 7 smaller branches
• Craighead and Poinsett Co.
• Service Population: over 100k
CCJPL

4. • Children’s Summer Outreach
2012: 57 Programs
CCJPL
1,628 Attendance
2013: 474 Programs
7,787 Attendance
• Children’s School Year Outreach
2012: 61 Programs
3,610 Attendance
2013: 285 Programs
11,716 Attendance
• 2014/15 School Year School Year Outreach
48 Centers in Craighead and Poinsett
100+ Monthly Daycare Storytimes
800+ Programs/school year

5. • Adult Outreach Program:
2014 (January-August):
Center Visits: 1,080 Attendance
Other Outreach: 2,503 Attendance
CCJPL

6. • “Books and other library resources should be provided for
the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people
of the community the library serves…”
(ALA Library Bill of Rights)
• Services for infrequent or nonusers & the underserved
• Increase visibility in and engagement with the community
• Create new users/supporters
• Take the library to the patron
• Know YOUR reasons
Why Outreach?

7. CCJPL Children’s Outreach, 2012
• Library Card Sign-up Program
• School Visits (parent nights, author visits, SRC promotion)
• SRC- Traveling Storyteller (57 programs/summer)
• Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
• Back-to-School Fair
Where are you now?

8. Demographics and needs
• Small city surrounded by rural areas
• Economic drivers (education, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture)
• Lower than average unemployment rate
• Higher than average poverty rate
• Significant income and education gaps
• Lower than average rankings on NAEP
scores (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
• Lack of positive after-school activities
for K-12 students
Know your community

9. • Identify groups with the most pressing need.
Who can benefit most from our services?
• Take the library to our patrons
• Cultivate relationships with local nonprofits,
churches, schools, daycares, senior citizen
facilities and groups, and other organizations
• Early Literacy efforts
• School-Age Programs (during and after school)
• Programs for all ages in and out of the library
• STEAM-based community engagement (all ages)
What can we do?

10. • Potential Partners
• Have realistic goals
• Who, What, Where,
When and Why
• Make a plan
Start Planning

11. • Schools
• Childcare Facilities
• Summer Programs
• Senior Care Facilities
• Special Needs Facilities
• DHS
• Community Organizations
• Local Businesses
Identify Potential
Partners

12. •Choose Carefully
• Staff or Volunteers
• Provide Training
Who?
• Focus on Quality
• Evaluations &
Feedback

13. • Do your research
• “Know your stuff”
• Who, what ,where, when, & why
• Funding (how much, sources)
• Graphs & numbers
• Know your decision-makers,
what are their goals?
Convincing the
Decision-Makers

14. The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider
Went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
Went up the spout again
Song Break!

15. • Traveling Storyteller Program
• Monthly Storytime Visits
• Books in a Bag
• Year-Round
Reading Program
• Parent Nights
• Early Literacy training
Daycare Program

16. • SRC Promotion & Booktalks
• Parent Nights/ Family Fairs
• Library Card Sign-up
• School Visits
• Author/Illustrator Visits
• Supplemental Collections
School Outreach

17. • Card Sign-Up
• School Visits
• Author/Artist Visits
• SRC Promotion
& Booktalks
• Crafting @ Lunch
• Book Discussions @ Lunch
Teen Outreach

18. • Community Centers
• Special Interest Series
• Traveling Books Program
• Adults with special needs
• Senior Centers
• Assisted Living
• Shelters
Adult Outreach

19. All Ages
• Fairs/Festivals
• Mall/Parks
• Movie Theater
• Nature Center
• Special Programs

20. All Ages

21. • Programs
• Training
Branches

22. • Traveling Storyteller Program
• Childcare Facilities (including school-age)
• Branch Libraries
Summer
• Off-Site Programs:
Parker Park & Mall
• Significant Expansions

23. • Special Programs
• Field Trips/Tours
• Workshops
• Class Series
Invite Them

24. Costumes

25. •Everything you do
represents the library
•Be proud of your product
•Volunteers
•Evaluation
Quality Programming

26. • Volunteers or staff
• Full 30 min
storytime/program
• Stories, songs,
games, fingerplays,
movement, etc.
• Leave something
Traveling Storytellers

27. • DHS for Facility Directories (capacity, ages
served, contact info)
• Set parameters (#s, frequency of visits)
• Contact Centers (availability & limitations)
*Excel Spreadsheet
• Map out your centers
• Assign day/time
*Monthly Schedule (W1M, W1T, W1W…)
*Calendars
Starting the Program

28. Interest Postcards

29. • ECRR Information
• Services for you, brochures
• Books in a Bag list
• My business card
• Storyteller’s Background Check
• Welcome letter listing expectations
• Thank you letter and gift
Welcome Kit & Gifts

30. • Center curriculum ,topic, or interest
• Make your own themes
• Monthly (weekly in summer)
• Variety is YOUR friend 
• Have back-up books, stories, songs,
and games
• Be sensitive about holidays and
certain topics.
Themes

31. • Introduction
• Opening Song (consistent)
• Books
• Storytelling
• Flannelboard Stories/Counting
• Songs (traditional and new)
• Movement (favorites and new)
• Fingerplays
• Counting, Colors, Letters, Sorting
• Games (Books, flannelboard, etc.)
• Leave craft and fingerplay sheet
• Closing song (consistent)
PreK Storytime Components

32. Know your Audience

33. • Books, variety
• Flannelboard
• Puppets
• Props
• Classics
• Stories from their youth
• Have participants help
Tell Stories for All Ages

34. Fingerplay Sheets

35. Music/Movement

36. Hokey Pokey
Song Break!

37. • Guess Who- Books
• Matching Game
• Sorting
• Rhyming
• Colors, Numbers
Games

38. • Logo goes on everything
• Leave instructions with a picture or a sample
• Provide everything but the basics
• Age appropriate, avoid choking hazards
• Volunteers
Crafts/Experiments

39. Pinterest is your friend
www.pinterest.com/morgansallee/

40. • Large Print
• 15 Kits
• Variety of genres
• To catalog or not?
• Checking out to
patrons or centers
Traveling Book Kits

41. • Introduce Yourself
• Posters
• Bookmarks, promotional material
• Parent Nights
• Put your logo on everything
• Library Vehicle
• Uniform
Market the Library

42. • Staff burnout
• Cancellations and Rescheduling
• Someone Forgets
• Lack of Communication
• Holidays/Themes
• Various ages
• Illness
• Background Checks, fingerprints
• Know any rules or policies
Potential Issues

43. • Schedule
• Contact info
• Maps
• Notes
• Place to record
The Binder
stats and notes
• Mileage Log

44. • Always Evaluate
• Postage
• Feedback from
Storytellers
• How are we doing?
• Changes
Evaluations & Review

45. The Reward

46. Contact
Morgan Sallee
morgan@libraryinjonesboro.org
http://www.slideshare.net/morgansallee