The document discusses the importance of storytelling in library programming, suggesting that programming themes can enhance community engagement and eliminate the 'blank slate' approach. It provides practical strategies for developing themes and connecting with the community through various programming activities. The emphasis is on flexibility, adaptability, and creatively utilizing resources for impactful programs.

1. Creating Connections:
Library Programming
as Narrative
Presented by
Carole Wallencheck
& L.P. Coladangelo
Ohio Library Council Northeast Chapter Conference
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 – Kent State University

2. The Book
of Kells
Trinity College Library
Dublin, Ireland

3. Think about programming
as a form of storytelling
Provide practical
examples to use that
storytelling frame

4. The
Artistry
of Words

5. The
Artistry
of Words
The World
of Jane
Austen

6. The
Artistry
of Words
The World
of Jane
Austen
The
Hobbit

7. The
Artistry
of Words
The World
of Jane
Austen
The
Hobbit
Muslim
Journeys

8. Muslim
Journeys
Fall 2013
Theme

9. Practical Value of Themes

10. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”

12. The known
universe of
possible
program
topics.

13. (Credit: NASA; ESA; G. Illingworth, D. Magee, and P.
Oesch, University of California, Santa Cruz; R.
Bouwens, Leiden University; and the HUDF09 Team)
eXtreme
Deep
Field,
or XDF
“assembled by combining 10 years of
NASA Hubble Space Telescope
photographs taken of a patch of sky at
the center of the original Hubble Ultra
Deep Field…from 2003 and 2004.”

14. Creating Connections:
Developing Themes
Chase’s Calendar of Events
News articles / feeds
Observances & anniversaries
Customer feedback
Local, national, & international
Where to get ideas…
Educational/Cultural
institutions & organizations
Popular collection areas
Community events & “buzz”
Local resources
Books (of course!)
As a community-wide read or
even for interesting ideas to explore
websites, flyers, grants, initiatives,
traveling exhibits

15. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts

17. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options

18. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections

20. Creating Connections:
Developing Themes
Library staff
Previous presenters
Where to find presenters…
Colleges & universities
Be brave and creative
about potential contacts
Organizations & institutions
Other libraries Area Museums & Associations,
Ohio Historical Society, Ohio
Humanities Council, Ohio Arts
Council
Local experts, authors, and
businesses
Who is presenting elsewhere?
Who is recommended?

21. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility

22. Flexibility gives
you space to
explore your
options as fully
as you want.

23. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness

24. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness
Shape the narrative

25. The “Tone” of the
Program Series
Narrative Case Study:
Tales and Chronicles
of the Civil War
Just like the play, we wanted to
emphasize how the Civil War—and
perhaps even war in general—affects
individual lives and influences the
collective imagination.

26. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness
Shape the narrative
Examine patterns

27. Art
History
Book
Discussion
Leisure
Travel
Film
C
U
L
T
U
R
A
L
T
E
M
P
L
A
T
E
Language
Philosophy Music

28. Sho-jo-ji
Japanese
Dancers
Prof. Keiko
Nakano
of JCU
The Teahouse
Fire
by Ellis Avery
Cleveland
Go Club
P
R
O
G
R
A
M
S
Japanese
Study Group
Cleveland
Kendo
Association
Yume Daiko
Akira Kurosawa’s
Dreams
Nakasendo
Travelogue
T
A
N
A
B
A
T
A

29. Islamic Art
and Textiles
at CMA
Dr.
Stephen
Cory
of CSU
Muslim
Journeys
Bookshelf
Taste and Trade
in the Islamic
World
Islamic
Center of
Cleveland
Sufi
Healing
Prince Among Slaves:
The Cultural Legacy of
Enslaved Africans
Map
Walk
John G. White
Collection at CPL
P
R
O
G
R
A
M
S
M
U
S
L
I
M
J
O
U
R
N
E
Y
S

30. Impressionism
at CMA
Dr. Miriam
Levin
of CWRU
Book Journeys &
Original Voices
Book Clubs
Family Fun
Night
French
Fashion
An American
in Paris
Cultural
Encounters
Film Series
Paris, I Love
You…
by Rosecrans
Baldwin
Dr. Tama
Engelking
of CSU
P
R
O
G
R
A
M
S
P
A
R
I
S

31. Study Group Event Template
Lecture Tour
Discussion

32. Study
Group
Concept
Templates
Theory Practice
Imagination
Past. Present!
Future?
Personal Local
Global

33. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness
Shape the narrative
Examine patterns
Draw audience “vectors”

34. Programming “Plot Points”
Bob goes to a baseball game…

35. Programming “Plot Points”
Bob goes to a baseball game and brings his son,
who is fascinated with baseball statistics and the
physics of the game. They are attending a Little
League game pitched by Bob’s daughter, who, on
her mother’s side, is the great-granddaughter of
one of the original members of the All-American
Girls Professional Baseball League. This is the last
game the daughter will be able to play as she is
aging out of Little League, and heading off to
college to become a sports newscaster.

36. Programming “Plot Points”
Bob goes to a baseball game and brings his son,
who is fascinated with baseball statistics and the
physics of the game. They are attending a Little
League game pitched by Bob’s daughter, who, on
her mother’s side, is the great-granddaughter of
one of the original members of the All-American
Girls Professional Baseball League. This is the last
game the daughter will be able to play as she is
aging out of Little League, and heading off to
college to become a sports newscaster.

37. Programming “Plot Points”
baseball game
baseball history
local baseball
physics & statistics
sabermetrics
physics in sports sports physical therapy
local baseball history
All-
American
Girls
Professional
Baseball
League
sports industry/business
women in sports
World War II history
women’s history / trailblazing women
women entering fields that are traditionally “male”
front lines
homefront

38. Programming “Plot Points”
Bob’s
daughter
Little
League
Baseball
Sports
Journalism
Coming of
Age
Family
History

39. Programming “Character Sketches”
Golden
Age of
Baseball
Baseball
Book
Discussion
Women in
Baseball
Sports Medicine
Sports Journalism African
Americans
in Baseball
Collecting
Baseball Memorabilia
Baseball Around the World
Baseball
Film Series
Historical
Origins of
Baseball
Sabermetrics

40. Community Reading Initiative Event Template
Films &
Performances
Ways to
Explore
the Book Community
Engagement
Creative &
Hands-on
Talks &
Site Visits
Movie
Based
on the
Book
Concert
Issues-based
Conversation
Book
Discussion
Crafts
Skills
Workshop
Lecture
Tour

41. Community Reading Initiative Concept Template
Hopes and
Dreams
Themes
from the
Book
Culture
Identity
Creative
Expression
Race
Class
Tradition
Family
Writing
Drawing
Education
Personal
Fulfillment

42. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness
Shape the narrative
Examine patterns
Draw audience “vectors”
Maximize marketing

43. Cross promote
your programs to
maximize your
potential
audience

45. Repackage
programs
you’re already
doing into
themes and
initiatives

47. Publicize the
stories you tell

48. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness
Shape the narrative
Examine patterns
Draw audience “vectors”
Maximize marketing
Widen audience

49. Practical Value of Themes
Eliminate “blank slate”
Focus efforts
Provide options
Hone selections
Offer flexibility
Allow for adaptability and
responsiveness
Shape the narrative
Examine patterns
Draw audience “vectors”
Maximize marketing
Widen audience
Connect community to
information and to larger
topics/events

50. Creating Connections:
Bridging Knowledge and Community
Programming as Collection Development
Additional resources to point customers toward
Book displays and other passive programming
Reading lists and bookmarks
Working with selectors to support programming
Providing programming that supports the collection
Developing programs to support your community

51. Creating Connections:
Bridging Knowledge and Community
Programming as Community Building
Book discussions; read-ins; storytelling
Learning groups and microcommunities
Local experts and panel discussions
Relationships within your own organization
Relationships with other organizations
Encourage new ideas and engagement

52. Find pre-existing
patterns and
themes in
your regular
programming

53. Provide
yourself with
opportunities
for layering
and overlapping
ideas in your
programming

54. Look for
interesting ways
to tweak a good
idea and make it
a great idea…
and part of a
great series

55. Start with what is
manageable,
even if it’s small…
and build on
your successes

56. “we skate through most catastrophes”
—Jamie Lausch Vander Broek,
University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor
“Top Ten Fears of a Programming Librarian”
Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder
2007 EuropeanFigure Skating Championships
Caroline Paré - http://everythingskating.com
Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License
Pernelle Carron & Lloyd Jones
2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi, Russia

58. Carole Wallencheck
cwallenc@heightslibrary.org
L.P. Coladangelo
lcoladan@heightslibrary.org