The Candy Corn Question: Passive Programming That Pulls People Closer​
2021 Regional Conference
July 29, 2021
Passive programming supplements your library’s scheduled programming and declares, “We see you and we’re glad you’re here. What’s up?” Newcomers to the library, non-English speakers, people who are housing insecure, and people with emotional, physical, and learning differences (not to mention teens, introverts, and busy people) appreciate a light-touch, low-pressure initial interaction that acts as an icebreaker with library staff – a standing, frequently-updated solicitation to share, weigh in, or accept a challenge. Passive programming can be responsive and light-footed – it’s perfect in a crisis. We’ll talk about using prompts, polls, quizzes, and other activities to let your library community declare itself as the open, interesting, diverse group it is – even from a distance. From art prompts that invite creativity in every language to puzzle challenges with no time limit, we show how to create activities that help forge and build on relationships with library staff. Bonus: these programs support reading initiatives, foster family engagement, encourage visit frequency, and barely make a dent in your programming budget. Everyone has an opinion on candy corn – let this poll and dozens more like it show your community that the library belongs to them
Presenters: Paula Willey, Andria Amaral
Paula Willey is a librarian in Baltimore. She is the author of countless reviews and articles for publications such as School Library Journal, the Baltimore Sun, and Booklist, and is a speaker on such topics as book illustration, trends in children’s literature, and what it means when a kid is totally into truly creepy books. Her whiteboard game is tight.
Andria Amaral is a young adult librarian in Charleston, SC. For the past 25 years she has been creating library programs for young people and professional development opportunities for librarians. She can make a passive program out of a pile of pencil shavings and a dirty gym sock.