Cindy Crushes Programming: What are My Most Popular Programs, Right Now?
Since we are still in the pandemic – and we still are in a pandemic – I have noticed a lot of changes in my programming numbers. While some things were popular before, in the pandemic they are less so. My food based programs did well before the pandemic but now teens at my library are weary of food based programs, for example. Here are 5 of my most popular types of programming right now.
Volunteering Programs
Many teens either have to volunteer for school or want to help the library. I have noticed a huge increase in teens looking for volunteering opportunities. We have a variety of virtual volunteer hours they can do on our website and we are increasing our in person volunteer opportunities because there is so much demand. I let the teens decorate the teen room for summer reading this year.
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Virtual Escape Rooms
This is still very popular with my teens. They love to play them and share them with their friends. We have over 20 of them on our webpage and they get used every day. http://whiteoaklibrary.org/teen-promotional-events-two
Crafts
We are back on in person crafts and we still do take and make crafts. They are still popular with our teens. I have been trying to make fancier crafts lately. This week, I am making a Sun Crown which I plan on writing about in my next column. Crafts have always been popular, and the remain so even in these very weird times.
Games
Teens like fun programs. Life is stressful so, we try to have in person gaming programs such as our Mario Cart program
Or our Among Us program
Programs they can do with their family
The pandemic has been hard on teens and I see some teens are not ready to be without their families. I like to have a couple programs a month that welcome teens and their parents to do programming together. I have seen this be really important for teens who are just not ready to move on to teen programming by themselves. Having a place for these teens allows them to grow and trust the library and librarians while feeling safe.
Filed under: Cindy Crushes Programming, Teen Program in a Box, Teen Programming, Teen Programming in a Box
About Cindy Shutts
Cindy Shutts is the Teen Services Librarian at the White Oak Library District in IL and she talks programming every 1st and 3rd Wednesday. You can follow her on Twitter at @cindysku.
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It is wonderful what you are doing to keep teens reading and involved in the library–thank you for that. Because you said you’d like to do some programming that involved kids with their parents, as a national award-winning teacher and author, I’d love to talk with you about the possibility of doing a program for parents and kids involving my traditionally-published, coming-of-age YA/Crossover Adult novel, SECRETS IN TRANSLATION (Fitzroy Books, 2018), set in Positano, Italy, and receiving rave reviews from many entities. Please feel free to contact me via my website http://www.margosorenson.com, if you think that might work!
Hi Cindy, I tried out a couple of your escape rooms. The link was included in an SLJ newsletter. I can’t tell you how much fun it was for me to play. I can’t wait to share with our junior high students in the new school year. What a creative and engaging activity you have created. Thank you very much for sharing!! You have captured a new follower!