The document outlines programming ideas for libraries focusing on heroes, including superheroes, mythical figures, and everyday heroes, while emphasizing the importance of engagement through unprogramming and STEAM activities. It discusses summer library programs (SLPs) and suggests innovative ways to promote reading and learning without relying on traditional prize-based incentives. Additionally, it offers strategies for integrating making and experiential learning into library services to enhance community involvement and combat summer learning loss.

1. It’s a program.
It’s an SLP.
It’s…
HEROES!
Amy Koester
photo credit: “Thunder of Hooves” by flickr user JD Hancock (CC)

2. Hello!
Amy Koester
Youth & Family Program
Coordinator, Skokie Public
Library
The Show Me Librarian

3. Our Agenda for Today
Programming for heroes
Unprogramming
STEAM/maker
Summer library programs

4. Programming for
Heroes
photo credit: “‘Save you it can.’” by flickr user JD Hancock (CC)

5. Let’s define “hero.”
a person who is
admired for great or
brave acts or fine
qualities
(Merriam-Webster)
photo credit: “S is for Superman” by flickr user Gareth Simpson (CC)

6. Superheroes. (Obviously.)
photo credits: “Kamala Khan” from Ms. Marvel #1 (Fair Use);
“Batman Desktop” by flickr user Nick Royer (CC);
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, cover from Goodreads (Fair Use)

7. Mythical & Folk Heroes
photo credits: “Boudicca Statue/Westminster Bridge, London” by flickr user Carole Raddato (CC);
“The Great Hall & King Arthur’s Round Table - Winchester Castle” by flickr user Jim Linwood (CC);
“Paul Bunyan Statue - Brainerd, Minnesota” by flickr user Doug Kerr (CC)

8. Heroes of Industry
photo credits: “Ada Lovelace portrait” (PD);
“George Washington Carver” (PD);
“Henry Ford 1919” (PD)

9. Heroes of Science
photo credits:“Marie Curie c1920” (PD);
“Dr. Jonas Edward Salk (cropped)” (PD);
“Dr. Mae C. Jemison, First African-American Woman in Space - GPN2004-00020” (PD)

10. Heroes of Human Rights
photo credits: “Chief Joseph-1877” (PD);
“Elizabeth Stanton” (PD);
“Malala Yousafzai at Girl Summit 2014” by Russell Watkins, from flickr user DFID - UK Department for International Development (CC)

11. Everyday Heroes
photo credits: “Camp Humphreys firefighters ‘turn up the heat’ with live fire training in Korea - 121013” from flickr user USAG- Humphreys (CC);
“Green Berets” from flickr user The U.S. Army (CC);
“EMT/Nursing Pediatric Emergency Simulation - April 2013 18” from flickr user COD Newsroom (CC)

12. What’s Unprogramming?
photo credit: created by S. Bryce Kozla

13. Strategies in
Unprogramming
Structure your intro
Choose 1 “main event”
Offer several self-paced station options
Engage with kids

14. Unprogramming & Heroes:
Olympians
Percy Jackson & 292s
Shields/Coats of Arms
Stations:
Feed the Cerberus
Slay the Gorgons
Deity Concentration

15. Unprogramming & Heroes:
Superheroes
Hero books at all levels
Kryptonite Emergency!
Stations:
Costumes/Disguises
Bad Guy Bowling
Sharpshooters

16. Unprogramming & Heroes:
Lunch Lady & Friends
Lunch Lady, Captain
Underpants
Food Safety Relay
Stations:
Spatula Toss
Flip-O-Rama
Flight Photos photo credit: from “Super Hero Party” by Maggie Block, Rad Books for Rad Kids (Fair Use)

17. Unprogramming & Heroes:
Arthurian Knights
Traditional King Arthur,
or humorous by Gerald
Morris
Shields with coats of
arms
Stations:
Construct a catapult
Straw swords

18. Unprogramming & Heroes:
Adventures in Food
George Crum & the
Potato Chip
Taste Test
Crunch Test
Willy Wonka & Candy
Dissolving Test
Candy Colors

19. Unprogramming Planning
Hacks
Conduct an inventory
Gather ideas, and keep them accessible
Solicit suggestions

20. photo credit: “Lights of ideas” from flickr user Saad Faruque (CC)
BRAINSTORM
What short activities could you turn
into a hero-themed unprogram?

21. What’s STEAM?

22. Strategies in STEAM
Think of it as interest
Use your resources
STEAM as element vs. standalone
Bring in partners

23. STEAM & Heroes:
Science & Medicine
Medical Discoveries
Jonas Salk & Vaccines
How Vaccines Work
DNA
Extract Your DNA
Build a Double Helix
photo credit: “Lego DNA” from flickr user Michael Knowles (CC)

24. STEAM & Heroes:
Digital Comics
Hero Comics
Simple Story Creation
Tablets with a Comics-creation
App
Strip Designer
Comic Life
photo credit: screenshot provided by Vivid Apps (Fair Use)

25. STEAM & Heroes:
Polar Explorers
Shackleton &
Antarctica
Peary, Henson, the
Arctic
How do you stay
warm?
Mapping Frozen Lands
photo credit: from “Curious Kitties: Animal Adaptations” by Kelsey Cole Burns, Library Bonanza (Fair Use)

26. STEAM & Heroes:
Costume & Gadget Design
The Incredibles
Plastic table cloths,
scissors, duct tape,
recycled cardboard,
permanent markers
Measuring tapes &
rulers
Books for inspiration

27. STEAM Planning Hacks
Raid your nonfiction stacks
Scope out Wonderopolis
Use Pinterest
Don’t be afraid to go for it

28. “Maker” what?
Making = Experiential
Learning
photo credit: ”Sharpest tool in the shed” from flickr user Lachlan Donald (CC)

29. Strategies in Making
Know the spectrum: low, medium, & high tech
Product vs. experience
Collaborative learning
Time is a must

30. Making & Heroes:
Low-Tech LEGO Challenge
Lots o’ LEGOs
Themed building
challenges
Space to display
creations
Cards for names &
descriptions

31. Making & Heroes:
Low-Tech Dr. Who Bowties
Duct tape
Video instructions

32. Making & Heroes:
Medium-Tech Art Bots
Dollar-store electric
toothbrushes, pool
noodles, electric tape
Step-by-step photos
from The Mad
Scientists Club
Plenty of time for bot
drawing

33. Making & Heroes:
Medium-Tech Video Games
MaKey MaKeys
become unique
controllers
Scratch for creating a
simple game
Maze backdrop
Avatar
Program parameters

34. Maker Planning Hacks
Open-ended activities are optimal
Consider multiple uses for equipment
Make It @ Your Library

35. photo credit: “Lights of ideas” from flickr user Saad Faruque (CC)
BRAINSTORM
How can you add STEAM/making
elements to existing programs?

36. Don’t forget great
displays & book lists!

37. Let’s take a short break.
photo credit: “Marvel Avengers” from flickr user W_Minshull (CC)

38. Summer Library
Programs
photo credit: “Universal Invisible Woman” by flickr user JD Hancock (CC)

39. Why offer an SLP?
Encourage reading
Promote the library
Increase circ
Combat summer slide
Because we’ve always
offered one…
photo credit: “W Is For Wolverine” by flickr user JD Hancock (CC)

40. Why should the library care
about summer learning?
100 years of data show that summer learning loss is
real*
Lower-SES youth lose 2 months of reading
achievement & fall behind their peers*
The achievement gap is largely about access—and
summer is particularly tough*
Libraries already have all the supplies &
connections
*data from “Know The Facts,” National Summer Learning Association

41. The Traditional SLP
A formula for reading
# books = prize
# minutes = prize
photo credit: “Summer Reading 6” by flickr user KOMUnews (CC)

42. Traditional SLP Pitfalls
Unbalanced reading
Assumes an even
playing field
It’s all about the
(junky/easy-to-lose)
prizes
Does it really tie to the
library?
photo credit: “Hazards !Ahead!” by flickr user Wapster (CC)

43. Alternative SLPs
You have tons of
options.
It’s okay to…
make changes in
increments.
go all in.
photo credit: “Poker Chips Stack 3” by flickr user Darren Johnson (CC)

44. SLP: All About Reading
Rethink the reading
requirement
Allow kids to set
their own goals
Encourage daily or
weekly reading
Offer a family program
option
photo credit: “reading” by flickr user bengarrison (CC)

45. SLP: All About the Library
Emphasize library visits
Make the library a
summer destination
Offer plenty of
programs
Decorate!
photo credit: from “Summer LIBRARY Club: Where prizes and cheating go to die” by Kelsey Cole Burns, Library Bonanza (Fair Use)

46. SLP: All About Learning
Emphasize exploration
and discovery
Offer programs & at-home
activity instructions
Maximize displays &
booklists
Partner for the best
program

47. SLP: All About Experiences
Emphasize doing
At the library
As a family
Make a treasure map
of possible experiences
Pull in community
partners Mean self-reported ratings
(Kumar et al, Psychological Science/The Atlantic)
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/buy-experiences/381132/

48. SLP: Grab Bag of Options
Mix and match
elements
Go small with bonus
activities
Go big with SLP
Bingo
Families can do what
works for them
screenshot from http://www.marinlibrary.org/sites/default/files/userFiles/summerreading/MCFL_SRP_BingoCard_Child.pdf

49. SLP: Books as Prizes
Secure funding for
quality books
Display prize books
prominently
Be excited about a
“forever book” as a
reward

50. SLP: Prizes Reimagined
Focus on prizes that
align with your SLP
mission
Offer an activity
Offer an experience
photo credit: from “Those Summer Reading Club Prizes” by Abby Johnson, Abby the Librarian (Fair Use)

51. SLP: Simplifying Coupons
The brilliance of the
SLP passport book
Harder to lose!
Give community
businesses more
bang for their buck
photo credit: from “Summer Reading Booklets” by Rebecca Brooks, Hafuboti (Fair Use)

52. SLP: Collaborative Reward
Visualize what your
community can achieve
together
Collaborative giving
Collaborative art/
mural
photo credit: from “Going Weekly-Prizeless (and Robot) Update” by Marge Loch-Wouters, Tiny Tips for Library Fun (Fair Use)

53. SLP: Badges as Reward
Allow participants to
track their progress
Provide options
Collect great
participation data
screenshot from http://www.chicagosummeroflearning.org/explore/chicago-public-library-rahms-readers-full-steam-ahead-summer-learning-challenge

54. SLP: No Prizes! (Really!)
Kids already come to
the library without
expecting a prize
Staff have to sell it
photo credit: “Shocked” by flickr user Alex Schwieigert (CC)

55. photo credit: “Lights of ideas” from flickr user Saad Faruque (CC)
BRAINSTORM
What are some of your best
practices for dynamic SLPs?

56. Let’s Wrap It Up
Programming for heroes
Unprogramming
STEAM/maker
Summer library programs

57. Questions?
photo credit: “Universal Avengers” by flickr user JD Hancock (CC)

58. Remember: With a killer
SLP, you’re the hero.
photo credit: “Universal Fantastic Four” by flickr user JD Hancock (CC)

59. Thank you!
Amy Koester
amy.e.koester@gmail.com
@amyeileenk

60. References
Block, M. (2013). Super hero party. Rad Books for Rad Kids. Retrieved from http://
radbooksradkids.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/super-hero-party/
Brooks, R. (2014). Summer reading booklets. Hafuboti. Retrieved from http://hafuboti.com/
2014/07/14/summer-reading-booklets/
Burns, K.C. (2013). Curious kitties: Animal adaptations. Library Bonanza. Retrieved from
http://librarybonanza.com/2013/05/07/curious-kitties-animal-adaptations/
Burns, K.C. (2014). Summer LIBRARY club: Where prizes and cheating go to die. Library
Bonanza. Retrieved from http://librarybonanza.com/2014/07/16/summer-library-club/
Dolat, N. (2014). Program 34: ArtBots! Gizmos, Gadgets, and Goo (G3): The Mad Scientists
Club. Retrieved from http://cheshirelibraryscience.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/
program-34-artbots/

61. References
Hamblin, J. (2014). Buy experiences, not things. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://
www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/buy-experiences/381132/
Johnson, A. (2014). Those summer reading club prizes. Abby the Librarian. Retrieved from
http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2014/06/those-summer-reading-club-prizes.html
Loch-Wouters, M. (2014). Going weekly-Prizeless (and robot) update. Tiny Tips for Library
Fun. Retrieved from http://tinytipsforlibraryfun.blogspot.com/2014/07/going-weekly-prizeless-
and-robot-update.html
National Summer Learning Association. (2009). Know the facts. National Summer Learning
Association. Retrieved from http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=know_the_facts