Nostalgia and Retro Programming for All Ages (May 2019)

1. What’s Old is New Again:
Nostalgia Programming Ideas
PRESENTED BY KATIE LAMANTIA AND EMILY VINCI
MAY 6, 2019

2. Who are we?
Katie LaMantia
Collection Development Librarian,
former Teen Librarian
Favorite Movie: Perks of Being a
Wallflower
Current Read: Shout by Laurie Halse
Anderson
Favorite Superhero: Jillian Holtzmann
Patronus: Samantha Bee
Emily Vinci
Manager, Fiction Librarian
Favorite Movie: Jurassic Park
Favorite Comic Series: Man-Eaters
(currently)
Favorite Superhero: Wonder
Woman
Patronus: Tina Belcher

4. What comes to mind when you
think of nostalgia?
RESPOND IN THE CHAT!

5. Nostalgia
“Nostalgia is recall without the criticism of the present
day, all the good parts, memory without the pain”
- Carrie Brownstein, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl

6. Why do nostalgia programming?
• Being part of the cultural conversation
• Connecting librarians and patrons
• Great for all ages - fun for the whole
family!

7. Resources and Pop Culture

8. Nostalgia by the Decade

9. '60s Flair

10. '60s Flair
Ages: Tweens
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1 hour
Marketing Tips: Create a sample project
and use/wear it at a service desk. A
flower crown is sure to get attention at
the Youth Services Desk!
Nostalgia Factor: 6/10 Woodstocks

11. '70s Crafts

12. '70s Crafts
Ages: Tweens or Families
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
Marketing Tips: Create a psychedelic display
complete with brilliant tie-dye colors and yellow
smiley faces
Nostalgia Factor: 4/10 mood rings

13. '80s Night

14. '80s Night
Ages: Millennials, Older Adults
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1.5 hours
Marketing Tips: Create a display of '80s movies and
music and invite your patrons to travel back in time
with you!
Nostalgia Factor: 9/10 leg warmers

15. '80s After Hours

16. '80s After Hours
Ages: Teens
Prep Time: Med
Cost: Med- High
Duration: 4+ hours
Marketing Tips: Add promotion to YA teen books
set in the 1980s. Display iconic pictures of the 80s
fashion, toys, etc. on shelving or public service
desks to capture teen attention
Nostalgia Factor: 7/10 Cassettes

17. '90s Halloween

18. '90s Halloween
Ages: Millennials
Prep Time: Med
Cost: Med
Duration: 2 hours
Marketing Tips: Advertise at local Halloween
stores, bars or coffeeshops. Include pictures that
are from the 90s and Halloween, such as a
Friends Halloween episode
Nostalgia Factor: 8/10 Sanderson Sisters

19. Retro Movie Night/Cult Movie
Fest

20. Retro Movie Night/Cult Movie
Fest
Ages: Family, All Ages
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Med
Duration: 2+ hours
Marketing Tips: Be sure to advertise in your
AV section, of course, but also talk it up at
other nostalgia-centric programs that perhaps
tie-in (trivia night, 80s and/or 90s nights, etc.)
Nostalgia Factor: 7/10 Golden Popcorns

21. Retro Toys

22. Retro Toys
Ages: Family
Prep Time: Med
Cost: Low
Duration: 1 hour
Marketing Tips: Create a display of books in
your collection that have to do with collecting
and vintage ephemera (esp. toys) and add in
some toys picked up on the cheap at second-
hand shops.
Nostalgia Factor: 6/10 McWrist Wallets

23. Retro Crafts

25. Retro Crafts
Ages: Tweens, Teens, Older Adults
Prep Time: Low-Med
Cost: Low- Med
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
Marketing Tips: Show samples of the craft in
your promotional materials.
Nostalgia Factor: 7/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles

26. Zines

27. Zines
Ages: All ages
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
Marketing Tips: Put together a book display of
paper craft/scrapbooking books along with
withdraw magazines and old issues of comics
(perhaps those left over from Free Comic Book
Day).
Nostalgia Factor: 7/10 riot grrrls

28. What are some decade-based
programs you have done?
RESPOND IN THE CHAT!

29. Questions?

30. Incorporating your interests in
nostalgia programming

31. Touchstones

32. Harry Potter

33. Harry Potter
Ages: Parent and child,
Family, Tweens, Teens,
Millennials, Older Adults- aka
EVERYONE
Prep Time: Med- High
Cost: Low-High
Duration: 1-3 hours
Marketing Tips: Advertise near ALL of JK Rowling's
books. Tempt your fate with Bertie Bott's Ever
Flavor Beans (passive display). Use imagery from
the movies
Nostalgia Factor: 10/10 Snitches

34. Ghostbusters

35. Ghostbusters
Ages: Tweens, Teens,
Millennials, Older
Adults
Prep Time: Med
Cost: Low
Duration: 1 hour, plus
time to show movie
Marketing Tips: Create a cardboard cutout of Slimer
or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Cut out the
faces so patrons can take pictures. Have them hold a
sign with the program day/time.
Nostalgia Factor: 5/10 Slimers

36. Nickelodeon Night/Are You Afraid of
the Dark?

37. Nickelodeon Night/Are You
Afraid of the Dark?
Ages: Family, Millennials, Older Adults
Prep Time: Med
Cost: Med
Duration: 2 hours
Marketing Tips: Create a display of books like Scary
Stories to Tell in the Dark as well as movies like The
Blair Witch Project in your adult department to
promote the program.
Partnerships: Local parks/park districts
Nostalgia Factor: 6/10 Slimes

38. Stranger Things

39. Stranger Things
Ages: Teens, Millennials
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1.5 hours
Marketing Tips: Create a display of the movies,
music, and TV shows that are referenced in
Stranger Things. Add in some D&D manuals, too!
Partnerships: Local comics/game shops
Nostalgia Factor: 11/10 Elevens

40. #Purenostalgia

41. Camp Nostalgia

42. Camp Nostalgia
Ages: Millennials, Older Adults
Prep Time: Med
Cost: Med
Duration: 1.5-2 hours
Marketing Tips: Promote at your local park district
buildings and ask if they will promote on their
website/social media, as well.
Partnerships: Local parks/park districts
Nostalgia Factor: 8/10 Camp Anawanas

43. Preschool for Adults

44. Preschool for Adults
Ages: Millennials, Older Adults
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1.5 hours
Marketing Tips: Place handmade flyers in the
craft and stress management section of Adult
Nonfiction. Consider running a concurrent
program for children so parents can attend.
Nostalgia Factor: 10/10 children's painted
handprints

45. Old School Gaming

46. Old School Gaming
Ages: Family, Millennials, Older Adults
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 1.5 hrs
Marketing Tips: Place posters and flyers near your video
game collection as well as other popular browsing
collections like DVDs and CDs. See if you can post flyers
at local comics and game shops, too.
Partnerships: Local gaming and comics shops
Nostalgia Factor: 6/10 Kirbys

47. Life Size Gaming

49. Life Size Gaming
Ages: Parent and child,
Family, Tweens, Teens,
Millennials
Prep Time: High
Cost: Low-Med
Duration:1-2 hrs
Marketing Tips: Use associated images for
each event
Nostalgia Factor: 7/10 Mousetraps

50. Themed Trivia Nights

51. Themed Trivia Nights
Ages: Millennials, Older Adults
Prep Time: Low
Cost: Low
Duration: 2 hours
Marketing Tips: If you’re partnering with a local
establishment to offer this as an off-site program, ask
them to promote the program in-house as well as on
their social media.
Partnerships: Local bars/restaurants/pubs
Nostalgia Factor: “I’ll take Nostalgia for $1,000, Alex.”

52. What personal interests do you
have that you can incorporate
into nostalgia programming?

53. Final Thoughts
• You can do it! Have faith in yourself and your programs.
• Take time to learn about the community and their interests.
• Pay attention to fashion and music trends.
• You don't have to be the expert on nostalgia to have a
nostalgia-themed program.
• Every program is a learning experience for you and your
patrons.

54. Questions?

55. Contact us
Katie LaMantia
lamantiak@gmail.com
Emily Vinci
evinci@stdl.org

56. We'll be back...
•Large Scale Programming: Monday, May 13
•Building Great Programs for Patrons
in their 20s and 30s: Monday, May 20

57. by Amy J. Alessio, Katie LaMantia, and Emily Vinci:
A Year of Programming for Millennials and
More
Click here to buy from ALA Editions
50 + Fandom Programs: Planning
Festivals and Events for Tweens, Teens
and Adults
Click here to buy from ALA Editions
Pop Culture-Inspired Programs for Tweens,
Teens, and Adults
Click here to buy from ALA Editions

58. Thank you for
attending!