36 Adult Program Ideas in 90 Minutes: Ideas from Chat (September 2017)

1. 36 ProgramsALA WebinarChatTranscript Ideas
Bike andSkateboardRepair
We wrote a grant to geta bike andskateboardrepairstationforoutside the library.We are rightacross
the streetfromour local skatepark,andoftenhadkidsneedingtoborrow tools(whichwe barcodedand
checkedout).Thisstationreallyhelped.
Bilingual familyevents
 We domonthlybilingualstorytime.Itusuallyhas50-60 people attending.Theylove it!
 Our children'slibrariandoesSpanish/EnglishstorytimeonTue.nights.He hasgreat attendance.
Black HistoryMonth:
 We are doinga BlackHistoryprogram inFeb.2018 coveringBlackHistoryinour state and
county.
 We are doinga storytellingprogramwitholdercommunitymemberscalled"Tell Me A Story"for
blackhistorymonth.
 I presentTravel/HistoryProgramsatmy Library:The IndianaUndergroundRailroad
BookDating Events
 Nottonight,buttomorrowI have SpeedDatingwitha BannedBook.We'll be doinga dating
style game withbannedbooksandservingchocolate trufflesandmocktails.Veryexcitedabout
it.
 The blinddate witha bookprogram completelybombedatourlibrary.
 I didblinddate witha booklastFebruaryas an adultreadingcontest,andhad greatresponse.
They filled outaformonce theyfinishedandgotchocolatesaftertheyfinished.Ourpatrons
lovedit.
 No,theyare coveredwitha"heart"witha descriptionasif itwere theirdate.aka"You wouldn't
take me home tomother,I am a great companion,etc"
 everytime someonechecksouta blinddate book,their name isenteredinadrawing
 There isa game aspectto it so we have dif.genre tablestheyhave tovisit.
 part of itis a "cocktail hour"where theycan mingle withotherattendees
 A similarideatodate nightwitha bookfor BBW where we putstickynotes onthe bookstating
whythe book waschallengedfacedasimilarfate. However,lookingatitfroma different
perspective,the booksgotsome face outtime ina displayandexposure theywouldn'thave
otherwise. Sometimesthe pointof adisplayistohighlightthe books - justchange themout
often,sotheydon'tget stale.
 We didsomethingsimilarwherewe made cardsof the booktitlesanditendedupbeinga
"Dealer'schoice".The patroncheckedoutthe book,keptthe card as a bookmark and newor
undercirculatedbookswere checkedout.Itwasfun

2. Couponing
 wouldcouponswappingwork
 Have thoughtabout couponingclasswithsavingsapps
 I contacted"momsavesmoney"todoa couponingprograminOctober.She doesonline
programming.
Crafts
 We made book plantersforsucculentplantsoutof oldvintage lookingbooks.Itwaspopular
 CoulddoSharpie decoratedcanvasshoes - especiallyforteens
 Faux StainedGlasspaintingusingblackpuffypaintforthe outlineanda mix of modge podge
and foodcoloringforthe glasspaint. Cheapwithbeautiful results!
 We've had a program aboutaprons - historyof and differenttypes. Well attended.
 I love all the differentthingsyoucandowitholdbooks.I'd like todo a seriesof bookrelated
crafts. (the succulentplantermade me thinkof this).
 Tons of great book-relatedcraftsonPinterest.We've beendoingsome of the page foldingones
withteens.
 Our libraryusedoldHarry Potterbooksthatwere torn up andbeing discarded andmade
garlandfor our Harry PotterthemedChristmastree.
 My favorite programI've everdone ismakingmosaicsteppingstoneswithadults.That'sright,
we actuallymixedover200 lbsof concrete inthe library!The adultssignedup(30 people) and
theywere all socreative.Some were fromkitsandotherswere completely original designs
 We've beendoingPinterestinspiredcraftsonaregularbasis.The license plate craftsprogram
was a huge hit.We were able togetfree license platesfromourcourthouse.
ESL Groups
 We have an EnglishLanguage ConversationCircle thatwe runinpartnershipwiththe local
communitydevelopmentagency.
 DML has "Table Talk"an informal conversationsmall groupletbyvolunteersatvarious
locations. A kitis providedwiththingstospurconversationslike local menus,groceryads,
school forms,librarycard app:) , etc.
 A programon Naturalizationpresentedbyarepresentative fromUSCitizenshipandImmigration
Services
FoodEvents
 Mug cakes were prettypopular. Plus,theywere cheapandeasytomake.
 Sushi isa HUGE classfor us.One of our mostpopularones!
 We've triedmugcakes,whichare veryeasy;however,how doyoumove tomore complex
recipeswithpotsandpans,etc. withlimitedspace.
 I boughtan inductioncookerforthe library.

3.  You can get a hotplate.That'swhatall those internetvideosuse.They're easilyportable.
 Sushi andproteinbowlsare easyonestodo withjustbig tables.Prepbeforehand.
 Get inductioncookersthose are fabulous.Controlledtemperature
 The campingburnersare not tooexpensive andeasytouse.
 I alsodida programon royal icingwitha local expert.Nocookingrequired,butthey
demonstratedhowtodoicing,and everyone gottodoseveral cookies.Veryhighattendance.
 We use hotplatesand portable grill withgreatsuccess
 I have a chef who bringsineverythinghe needs. Luckyme,Iknow.Thisfall he'sdoinga
"Chopped"type competition,whichwe are calling"FoodFight!" Ithinkitwill be fun.
 I'm startinga CookbookBookDiscussion(themebased,notspecifictitlebased) where we cook
at home,bringinpicturesand/orsamples,watchvideos,share ideasbestmarkets,etc. Still
growing. We alsoinvestedinaconvectionoven,hotplateandakitchenmakerkitset,whichI've
usedto cookproduce straightfrom the farmer'smarketoutside inourshoppingcenterparking
lot.
 We dida "FoodFight"healthrecipe competitionandmade cookbooksoutof the submissions.
 Our rural librariesputon'homesteading'programsaboutraisingchickens,etc.
Genealogy
 We partnerwithlocal genealogygroups,historical societies,Iaskstaff to offertheirexpertise,
one on one sessionsusinglibrarysponsoredancestry.comclasses
 Our libraryoffersfree Ancestry.comLibraryedition.Itisfree touse inthe library,butnot at
home
 DNA testingisreallybigrightnow...maybetie thatinsomehow
 We are doinga programin Octoberhighlightingournewspaperdatabasesbecause we were
gettinga lotof questionsfrommenespeciallywhowantedtofindtheirpicture inthe paperor
yearbookswhentheywere HSsportsstars.It's the same weekendasalocal festival
 I justorderedseveral booksongenealogy/DNA testing
 We're hostinga genealogyinfodayinOctober.Genealogyisreallypopularhere.
 Our genealogydayisbeing jointlyhostedbythe libraryanda numberof otherhistorically
relevantorganizationsinthe area,eachof us doinga presentationandhavingatable aboutour
resources
Harry PotterEvent:
 We actuallyhada Harry PotterbdaycelebrationinJuly.Itwas all agesand verysuccessful.We
partneredwiththe local community- alocal theatre troupe dressedincharacter,the local Harry
Potteralliance chapterdidasortinghat ceremony,alocal bakermade a customcake,and a
conservationorganizationhadapresentationof live owls.andHPtriviatoo
 We justdida Harry Pottersortingeventwithapurchasedsortinghat.Everyone wassortedthen
wentintoa room witha table foreach house,featuringbooksthatwouldappealtomembersof

4. that house.Lotsof funsnacks.People couldswitchhousesif theydidn'tlikewhattheyendedup
with.
 As faras Harry Potterour librarydida sevenweekseriesof programsdoingamovie nightevery
Saturdayshowingthe movies.
Halloween
 We are havinga BloodDrive and Health Fairthe Fridaybefore Halloween.We willall be dressed
up and givingblood.
 Mysterynight
 October: triviaand beerbrewing
Holidays
 We offeraHealthHolidayCookingclassthatis verypopular
 I justfoundout local religiousgatheringswillsometimeslove toshare theirmusicwiththe
communityforfree - eg local church comingtothe librarythis Decembertoringhandbells
 We doClassicChristmasCinemainDecember.We switchitupto "Vintage"forAdults,
"Children’s Classics"andRetroTeenmovies
 I've had a hand bell choir.They're returningthisyear.Verypopular.
 We hada successful "UglySweater"ornamentmakingsession.
Knitting:
 We startedwitha seriesof paidknittingclasses,then those folksmovedontoformtheirown
groupthat meetsat the library.
 We hada Knitter'sGroupwhomade samplesandusedthemto yarnbomb our bike rack.
 Lots of hospitalslove preemie hatsandsweaters!
LibraryCard Sign Up
 We offeranoil cleanup car kit if theygeta librarycard
 Yes.We have an "amnesty"LibraryWheel of Fortune patronsspin(10-50% off),a raffle fornew
card members,anddiscountslocallyaroundtownforshowingtheiractive librarycard.
Luau at the Library & Mini Golf
 I'm planninga"Luau at the Library" forFebruary.We're in Wyoming,where ithasalready
snowedandoftensnowsintoJune,sopeople gettiredof snow.I'mgoingtohave bbq,withlots
of lawngames(all inside ourlarge meetingroom).
 We createda mini-golfcourse inthe libraryusingvariouslibrarymaterialsforayouthevent.
MoneySmart Events
We run a tax helpclinicinthe spring,inpartnershipwiththe local CPA association

5. Movie Events:
 We doa filmfestival - 4 SaturdaysinMarch/April withawardwinning films,movie theater
snacks,etc. Itis verywell attended,butwe don'thave a local theater - closestis30 milesaway
and verysmall.Nearestbiggertheateris100 miles(we're inWyoming).
 I like doingmovieswithashortpresentationaboutthe topicorinvitingacommunitypartner
involvedinthe topicsshowninthe movie.Ex.We watchedthe El Caminomovie andhad two
localswhoactuallyhikedthe whole Caminode Santiago.Itwasverypopularandinspiredsome
residentstotryit outthis year!
 Movie Picture LicensingCorporationisagood one. SWANK(Movie LicensingUSA) isanother
goodone for licensing.
MysteriousEvents:Escape Roomsandmore
 We have hadquite a fewescape roomsat our libraryforteensandadults.Verywell received
 We have hada Teenescape roomthispast summerandtieditwiththe SummerReading
Program
 Our headof reference designedescaperoomslastyear - theywere a ton of work butreally
successful!
 We've usedan escape box torun a teenprogramduringMarch Break.
 Barrie publiclibrarydida harry potterescape roomfor kids.We onlydiditfor kidsbecause
there aren'tany escape roomsfor kidsinthe community.We won'tdo an adultescape room
thoughbecause there are alreadylocal businesseswhodothose andwe don'twantto duplicate
whatis alreadyinthe community.
 Participantsare "trapped"ina room andhave to solve a seriesof puzzlesto"escape."
 We hadsomebodywhocreatesescape roomscome inand helpusto make sure that the puzzles
made sense/were solvableandnottooeasy/hard
 We have a CSI programfor kidscomingupsoon
 I've wantedto doa local "unsolvedcrimes"oroldlocal mysteriesprogramwiththe sheriff's
departmentcomingandfillingindetails.Whoknow,maybe somethingwill evengetsolved.
 I wouldlove todoa murdermystery...I'mwonderingif anyone hasdone one
 We didone.Itwas quite labour-intensive,butfun
 There'sa website where youcandownloadscriptsspecificallyforlibrarymurdermysteries
 We have done several MurderMysterypartiesusingkitsfromanInternetsite.Theyare very
popular.
 We recruitedlocal celebritiestoplaythe differentcharactersinthe mystery.We diditas a
fundraiser...thoughI'mnot sure it actuallyearnedusmoney,dotothe amountof staff time
spentonorganizingit...
 We have puzzlesoutontables.We have 3 puzzlesgoingatall timeslibraryisopen.Ithas been
superpopularwithadults. People sitforhoursworkingonthe puzzles.Duringhotandrainy
days,verypopular.

6.  We partneredwiththe artgalleryandtheaterto doa murdermystery.We dressedupas
characters theyhadto visitandask questions tofigure outthe mystery.Somuchfun!We had
free pizzafromPizzaRanch too!
National LibraryWeek:
For National LibraryWeek,CaliforniaCenterforthe Book'sLibraryBingohas beenverypopularhere.
We evenadapteditforSRP
ReadingPrograms:
 Coulddoa "Reading5K"that couldbe enteredbyreading5,000 pages.
 Use the response slipsromthe bookreviewsinadrawingfor a meal at a local cafe.
 Rafflesforadultsforreadingworkwell
 I do summerandwinteradultreadingprograms
 We've expandedtohavinganAdultSRP.One forAdultswithDisabilitiesandone forourAdult
Learnersfromour Literacyprogram
 We alsodo winterandsummeradultreadingprograms. Verysuccessful!
 We doa LibraryBingowithreadingandprogram squares.Tonsgo out butunfortunatelyfew
come back...
 Our adultsLove gettingprizesandfree booksfor'just'readingall summerlong
 We use donatedDVDsandbestsellersforprizesduringSRPforadultsalongwithgiftcards
 BookBingois so muchfun! We had almost50 people signupforour firstyear! We gave away
small prizeswithourlogosandoffered"giftcertificates"forourgiftshop.
 adultsinour SRP lovedreadingforacharity -- Booksfor AfricaEasternCongoproject.they
loggedtheirpagesandraised375 dollars.Friendsgave usthe moneytogive tothe charity.
Buildingabetterworld!
 Adminchose tocancel our AdultSRPlast year,focusinginsteadsummerslide duringthe
summerandon adultsduringothersystem-wide initiativeslike BigRead/CommunityRead.
Some branchesofferpassive programsorsocial mediacontestsforAdultstowinARCsor other
small brandedlibraryswag.
 I dida Read AcrossAmericaadultsummerreadingprogram.Theyhadto reada booksetin the
state in orderto cross off the state.To enterthe drawingforgrand prize theyhadto connect
the east andwestcoast ina driveable way(noskippingaround) withaminimumof 10 states.
Alsohadan award for blackout(all 50 states) andhad one personcomplete it.
 We tiedina Community/RegionReadeventswiththe Eclipse thispastAugust
 the bookswe give outin AdultSummerReadingcome fromgentlyuseddonations/ARC.They
alsolovedparticipatinginbingo - itencouragedthemtoreadoutside theirusual topics
 We doa bingoforadultsrp. Each square is a differenttype of booktoread- "read a classic,"
"reada novella,""readagenre you've neverreadbefore."etc.
 SummerTheme thisyearis"LibrariesRock!":)
RelaxationPrograms(butnotnecessarilyforstaff…)

7.  We dothose gardensand bill itas "DIY StressRelief"
 Foodprograms are huge here.We do an annual foodcontest,pluswe've done classeson
perfectpie crust,cookingIndianfood - or othercultural foods,etc.Alwaysverypopular.
 We alsodo calmdownjars
 We will be havinganessentialoilsdemonstrationthisSaturdaywithalocal Yoga Room.
 I've had a couple Essential Oilsprograms.Verywellattended.
Rock events:
We currentlyhave local 252 Rockswhere patronshide,find,andpostonrocks theycreate,share,
etc...onFacebook
SeedsandCrops
 We hada crop swapthissummer. Folksbroughtinexcessveggies,flowers,bulbs,etc. Verywell
attended.
 Has anyone trieda "SeedLibrary"?
 We've had a seedlibraryforthe last3 years.
 It was done inconjunctionwithanotherorganization,however,thatactuallyprovidedthe seeds
 How difficultisitto start a seedlibrary? We're veryinterested init,butwe're notreallysure
where tobegin.
 We keptthe seedsinthe Archivescool room
 Yes,one of mybrancheshave one and it isbeensuccessful
 The seedlibrarywasn'talwaysavailable forcheck-outs,justfor4 hoursa week
 DaytonMetro Library has a SeedLendingLibraryat3 of our branches. We holdannual seedand
plantswaps,as well asseedsorting"parties"
 it wasstaffedbymembersof the seed-providingorganization,notbyourlibrarystaff
 DML partnerswiththe countymetroparks
Self Defense&Safety
We recentlyofferedaprogrampresentedbyalocal Sheriff'sDeputyonHow to Start a Neighborhood
Watch.
SportsEvents:
We don'thave a bigbasketball fanbasehere,butIcan see doingaMadden football playoff near
Superbowl time.
Star Gazing
We weren'teveninthe pathof totalitybutwe had justunder1000 people attendourSolarEclipse
event.Itwascrazy, but people definitelylovedthe opportunitytostar/skygaze asa community.

8. Star Wars
We hadLego star wars displayedforthe kids.theylovedit!
TeenProgramming:
 Anythoughtson TeenprogrammingManga,graphicnovels,HarryPotter,or gaming
 I have an anime clubevery Tuesday.I've done charades, Pictionary,charactervs.battles,etc.
 TeenAnime Club. Youcan showdifferentanime thatare age appropriate,aswell asdiscuss
graphicnovels/mangatiedtoeachone. Itcan be monthlyorweekly.
 We hada reallysuccessfulweeklyboardgame nightforawhile.Ithinkitssuccesswaslargely
due to the supercharismaticvolunteercommunitymemberwhoranit,whohad a big inwith
the teencommunity
Veterans
We have a herotree.Christmastree putup withphotosof veteransandactive duty.
WritingEvents
 We have an active LibraryCreative WritingGroup:)
 I was disappointedwithNaNoWriMobecause once yousignupit'sjusta constant drive toget
youto donate to them.I hosteditlastyear formy writer'sgroup(we meetonce a month) and
had a couple of themthat were upsetbythe fundraisingaspect.
 I have teenwriterseachweekandadultonce a month
 NanoWriMo:Holda write-in
WWII: Canning,couponing
 We justhad a canningsalsaworkshop.
 We have a canningprogram scheduledforOctober - will be ledbysomeonefromone of our
local gardenclubswhohas beencanningfor50 years!
 sometimesthe couponclipperswill have acolumninthe local newspaper
Improvingturnout,publicity

9.  We have historicallygivenphonereminderstoall registrants;we're now transitioningtoemail
remindersinstead.It'stoorecenta change to know whetherornot itwill produce better
attendance.
 People seemtobe interested,butthennoone shows. Althoughwe didhave some unexpected
successwitha beekeepingprogramlastnight. We had a great turnoutcomparedto earlierthis
week.
 We alsohave Instagram,thoughI thinkit'sharderto promote upcomingeventsthatway -
betterforcommemoratingpastevents
 We doFacebookand Twitter,bothof whichseemtobe reachingpeople